What is making inferences and drawing conclusions? Drawing conclusions is actually another way of thinking about making inferences. It is what may be implied in the text, but it’s not written. That explains making inferences.
When you infer you, “read between the lines.” One of my teachers said this phrase when I was in elementary school and that is the first place I heard that term. I have thought about that many times over the years. It wasn’t until I was a teacher that I learned it is called “inference.” Sometimes, the ideas or inferences are implied with indirect hints of what the author wants you to know. You have to be able to derive from the context clues to fully understand the text and therefore, you draw conclusions and make inferences to understand or comprehend the story.
In addition, inference is knowing what isn’t being said in the text and in real life. We actually draw conclusions or make inferences every day and multiple times a day in real life.
Imagine This
It is the 4th of July. You are in the kitchen baking for a backyard get together and you are trying to finish up details when all of a sudden you hear sounds like gun-shots. For a millisecond you are surprised, then the realization of the 4th of July hits you. You heard the pops, and was able to infer it was fireworks because of the date. Your heartrate slows down, and you are able to tell yourself that was just people setting off fireworks.
Or, you are in your living room and your hear a shriek coming from another room. You hear voices followed by boisterous laughter. Then you hear the TV blaring with inaudible words. You are able to infer the people in the other room have found something to be funny on a TV show they are watching. You infer in real life every day, all day long.
Inferring or Inferencing?
As I was researching more on this topic, I came across an article that made it very clear that in no uncertain terms, it is inferring, and not inferencing! This made me panic a teensy, because I have used these two terms synonymously my whole teaching career and I already had most of this post written. Oops! My thoughts were, “We don’t know what we don’t know” and I was ready to make this correction in my life and in my vocabulary! So I looked it up because my daughter always reminds that you can’t believe everything you read on the internet. Who knew? Lol
Wellll……, apparently is up for debate, whew and I am not entirely wrong or have to redefine my vocabulary just yet. There’s a whole thing about it being called inferring or inferencing. So if you use inferring or inferencing, I think is ok? Maybe? There is a dictionary definition for both. This may have changed from when the article I am referring to was written. So, go ahead, use inferring or inferencing! It’s up to you. I wanted you to know that so when you see it in this article, you will understand it may be written both ways here on this page! Haha! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below if this is a strong point of contention for you. I didn’t even know it was a ‘thing’ to debate! Lol! Now I know!
Students Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions in Real Life
When students are young and learning to read, it is important to teach them inferring even before they learn to read so that they are able to infer on their own in their daily lives. Teaching them explicitly will help them to infer in read aloud books and then once they begin reading.
If a child comes into the classroom and all the students are out of the room, they may ask where is everybody. When you say it is 11:00, they respond, “Oh, they’re at lunch.” They inferred that the students were at lunch because the room is empty and the time is 11:00.
Students Can Make Inferences
If a student walks into class first thing in the morning and you can see they have been crying, you can infer something is wrong. Maybe they had a bad morning. Furthermore, an assignment is due that day and they don’t have it. This child always has their assignments on time. You can infer something may be out of sorts at home. This inference leaves you to investigate a bit further to find out if everything is ok with this student.
Students can infer how you are feeling just by the way you are acting. If you come in bubbly, dancing around, singing songs, they smile and infer you are happy. On the other hand, you might call the students to the rug and announce you need to have a classroom family chat, they may infer that something is not quite right. And if there was a fight on the playground moments before, the culprits may infer they are going to be in trouble.
There are many ways to teach inference. Students are already inferring so it is a matter of pointing it out to them. I have left a FREE lesson plan for you to help your students to infer or draw conclusions.
FREE Lesson Plan on Making Inferences Drawing Conclusions for Primary or Younger Students
Inferring-Able to interpret what is happening in a text without the words being written. I learned this as a child when my teacher said, “Read between the lines.”
Lesson Plan:
Day One:
Before your lesson: Write INFERENCE at the top of an anchor chart. Have pictures printed from the internet, books, or from this product. If you want to enlarge them, that’s great. You could also draw a picture if you are artistic.
During your lesson: Tell the students that today we will be discussing a new strategy. It is called, INFERENCE. Refer to your anchor chart. Show them a picture. You can show pictures from the internet, from a book, or draw and have students infer what they think is happening in the photo. If you show a baby crying for example, (included in this packet) allow students to discuss in pairs or by raising their hands what they think is happening in the photo.
Students might say:
1.The baby is hungry.
2.He wants his mommy.
3.The baby is sleepy.
You can confirm to your students that these are great inferences. Also, have them repeat the word throughout your lesson when you say the word. Place the picture on the anchor chart and list all the inferences the students said. You may have some inferences you want to add, as well.
Day Two
Say, “Yesterday we learned about inferences. You can see from the chart the examples we made. Do you remember this baby was crying and you said he was sad, and that he may be hungry, or misses his mommy? You were awesome and made those inferences.
Today we are going to make inferences from this book. Introduce the book. For an example I will use the book, “Du Iz Tak?” by Carson Ellis. But you can use other books you may have. You can also do a search for books good for inferring. You may already have one you find in search that you own.
In the example, as you read, you will see these insects have created their own language and you can look at the pictures to make inferences. You might write what your class infers on the smart board or writing paper on an overhead as the students interpret or infer what is being said. Response writing paper included.
Conclusion: At the end of the book, wrap up the lesson by letting them know that they did a great job inferring today. Afterwards, as they are reading books, see if they can also infer things in the story that isn’t written independently.
Extensions
Inferring-Able to interpret what is happening in a text without the words being written.
These are activities you can do in whole group, small guided reading groups, or independent stations to differentiate depending on the ability of your students.
Extension 1
Give students a picture or let them choose a picture from some you have copied from a book. Also, consider using magazines or cereal box covers when there is a picture on the front of the box. In addition, you can find pictures from pamphlets, mail, and teacher magazines, etc.
Have students write 1-3 things they can infer from the picture. This is an area you can differentiate for all students. For struggling students you can do this verbally with an adult, in small group, and/or whole group to discuss.
And If students that can write a sentences, have them write sentences about their inferences. You may consider providing paper they can write their inferences down, included in this product.
Extension 2
Before the activity, model a wordless picture book, emphasizing you are inferring what is happening in the story. Then in a small group, give students books with no pictures. If you don’t have any, check with your school or public library. Have students use the paper to write what they think is happening in the story. I have listed a few picture books with no words. You can also do a search for more books to use. There are many, many wordless picture books.
Wordless Books for Making Inference Drawing Conclusions
by A. P. Veidmark and Mary Beth Benton
2. Journey (Aaron Becker’s Wordless Trilogy, 1) Yes, there are more!
3. Chalk by Bill Thomson
4. Mr. Wuffles, by David Weisner
Extension 2 Continued:
Depending on the level of your students, have them talk (infer) through a wordless book about their interpretation of the story. This can be done with you, an assistant, or in partners.
And, If students are further along in academics, they can write their inferences for one of the pages of the book. You might consider having them do the same as above. They can confer with you, an assistant or in partners so they can pre-think their writing. I have included a writing response page in addition to many variations to accommodate inference and drawing conclusions in their learning in a packet you can purchase at the end of this article. However, they should only write a sentence or two per activity. It would be too much for students to write inferences for an entire wordless book unless they are high or over achievers. Then have at it! Sometimes, my students take off and want to go above and beyond if they have time. I love it when that happens.
Extension 3
Play charades! Have a student or two act out a scene. The other students will need to infer the actions. Also, you might want to confer with the actors outside of your classroom to heighten the suspense, then come back in when they are ready to act out the ‘drama’. You can write these down on an anchor chart or paper if in small group or simply discuss. Furthermore, don’t forget to repeat the word inference or infer many times. Also, consider saying to your students that they inferred correctly rather than they guessed it correctly. This is another way to teach that vocabulary and bring it back to their memory by repeating it over and over. And remember, have fun and make sure to giggle a lot! If interested, you can purchase these cards here. Making Inferences Drawing Conclusions
Conclusion
Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions will help your students comprehend or understand what is not written in the text. Reading is so much more than putting a string of letters together. It is comprehension. It is also reading between the lines. To enjoy reading a book, it is important that students are able to comprehend the subtle hints and innuendos of a text and what is being said in the underlining messages the author is portraying. Your students will will love reading much more if they understand the jokes or implied messages being sent.
