MAKING INFERENCES
Teaching Information about the strategy:
We are starting a new strategy, Making Inferences! This can be a complex and difficult strategy. Students need to be able to infer to really understand the depth of stories. The strategy of making an inference will help students be able to complete tasks set forth by the Common Core Standards. We are beginning to work with standard 2.3 "Students will describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges". Students will learn that how a character talks and acts is always linked to that character's personality. Authors reveal their characters' personalities by describing how they talk, act, and think, and readers must make inferences about the characters based on those clues. Making and inference is using clues from the text to figure out something that is not stated directly. Students have been taught to look for evidence (examples) from the text about the character, apply it to what they already know, and then make an inference. We use a three column chart for this activity. On the next page you will find an example. The video section of my website is finally up and running! Please check out the Parent Information Tab to see a video of this strategy and our previous ones as well!
Homework Directions:
While reading and writing in their homework journal, students need to only make between 1-3 inferences per night. If students wish to do more, they can. This can be a tricky concept. Students may also infer from the pictures. They can look at characters faces, or at the captions and labels in non-fiction texts. Readers can infer in non-fiction as well. However, this is very difficult for early second graders. If your child reads a non-fiction book, please have them ask questions while they read. Students really need to be reading a balanced selection of texts.
TEXT: The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munch
Evidence from the text+My Life= Inference
Elizabeth was smiling at Ronald, When I smile I am happy.Elizabeth loves
and she has hearts around her I know that hearts mean Ronald.
head in the picture. love.
Elizabeth decided to chase When I decided to do Elizabeth is very
the dragon and get Ronald something hard I am determined.
Back. determined.
Elizabeth tricks the dragon. To play a trick on a Elizabeth is smart
person you must be and clever.
smart.
Elizabeth knocks on the dragons I keep trying at hard I can tell she is
door a second time, even after math problems. persistent.
he slams the door in her face.