Inferring

Max was baking some cookies, but then he got an important phone call. He returned a few minutes later to a smoke filled kitchen. What can you infer?

• The oven has turned off.
• Max forgot about the cookies and they are burning.
• A candle was blown out in the kitchen.
• The cookies are cooling on the baking pan.

An inference is...

• Text evidence + what you know
• Retelling a text
• Making a guess without evidence
• Information written directly into the text.

When making an inference, the most important thing is...

• What you know about the topic
• The topic of the text
• The characters in the text
• Being able to prove your inference using evidence from the text.

Mike had fun hiking in the woods and doing crafts.  He also really enjoyed the campfire sing-a-long and had made a lot of new friends. Still, he was glad that tomorrow he would be going home.
Where is Mike?

• at camp
• at a slumber party
• on a picnic
• in California 

Dasha won first prize for a drawing competition. What can you infer about Dasha?

• She doesn't like to draw.
• She's really good at drawing.
• She can ride a bike.
• She ate a bike.

You see snowflakes coming down outside and you can smell hot cocoa cooking on the stove. You see red and green decorations all around the house. What time of year can you infer that it is?

• Thanksgiving
• Valentine's Day
• Christmas
• 4th of July

“I left my gym clothes in mom’s car,” explained Mykayla. The coach shook his head, pointed to the bleachers, and walked away without a word.
What do you know based on the text?

• Mykayla has forgotten her gym clothes before.
• Mykayla hates to dress out for gym.
• The coach does not like Mykayla.
• The coach is getting Mykayla’s gym clothes.

Dalton twisted the handlebars from side to side, trying to keep the bicycle upright. His feet pumped the pedals, and as the bike picked up speed he found he could steer it much more easily. “Look, I’m doing it!” he shouted.
What do you know based on the text?

• Dalton just learned to ride a bike.
• Dalton got a job delivering papers.
• Dalton just got a new bike.
• Dalton is very clumsy.

Tiffany held her breath as her teacher returned the math test the class had taken last week.  Tiffany had not studied very hard or long for the test, and she was worried about her grade.  Her teacher handed Tiffany her test.  Tiffany groaned and put her head down on her desk.
It is likely that:

• She earned a bad grade on the test
• She received a good grade on the test
• She is tired

Rachel was on her way to volunteer at the animal shelter.  She was very excited!  She really liked dogs.  Her brother was allergic to dogs, however, so she was rarely around them.  Rachel had a lot of fun playing with the puppies.  But after her shift, itchy bumps appeared on her arms.
It is likely that:

• Mosquitoes bit Rachel
• Rachel is allergic to dogs, too
• Rachel fell in poison ivy