Inference Skills in Reading Comprehension

Savannah Kepley, an 8th-grade language arts teacher, shares strategies for teaching inference to middle school students. She emphasizes defining inference as a 'reasonable prediction' rather than a guess. Kepley outlines three steps for making inferences: making predictions, asking questions, and connecting to personal experiences. She provides activities like analyzing pictures, text messages, and product reviews to practice inference. The video concludes with resources for teachers to enhance their inference lessons.

What is the main challenge students face with inference questions?

• Understanding vocabulary

• Making reasonable predictions

• Identifying main ideas

• Recalling facts

How does the teacher redefine 'inference' for the class?

• As a wild guess

• As a reasonable prediction

• As a factual statement

• As a random thought

Why do authors require readers to infer?

• To confuse readers

• To provide all details explicitly

• To engage readers in active thinking

• To make books longer

What is the first step in making an inference?

• Memorizing the text

• Ignoring the text

• Asking irrelevant questions

• Making predictions while reading

Which activity involves using text messages to practice inference?

• Describing a picture

• Reviewing product ratings

• Interpreting text messages

• Analyzing a novel

How do students apply inference skills to a class novel?

• By ignoring the text

• By rewriting the story

• By filling out a graphic organizer

• By summarizing each chapter