Want to learn more or plan a lesson? Check out these links!
- Reading Comprehension Home
- Making Connections
- Fluency
- Determining Importance
- Inferring
- Metacognition
- Questioning
- Synthesizing
- Visualizing and Imagery
- Vocabulary and Word Identification
- Writing Across the Curriculum
Important UNCG Links
Inferring
- About Inferring
- Professional Books to help you develop lesson plans
- Children’s Books to use in lesson plans
- Some Helpful Web sites
Inferring:
Inferring has been referred to as the foundation of comprehension. Inferring is when we take information that we have already accumulated and apply it to the text; as a result, we draw conclusions. Inferring takes place when we read material, make connections, ask questions and then draw conclusions from what we read. It is similar to visualizing, except when the students draw conclusions through visualization, the end result is drawing a picture or image. When drawing conclusions from inferring, the conclusions are expressed through words or feelings. Predicting should not be confused with inferring. When a student predicts they develop conclusions that will be resolved by the end of the story. The conclusions that are drawn from inferring are general, and might not be resolved at the conclusion of the story. Students use inferring to put labels on themes. One thing to pay attention to is that the students do not form inaccurate conclusions. When a student develops inaccurate conclusions they will use that conclusion to develop more inaccurate conclusions, therefore they will misunderstand the content of the text (Harvey and Goudvis, 2000).
Reference:
Harvey, S. and Goudvis, A., (2000). Strategies That Work. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers
Quotes:
Inferring is the ability to “read between the lines” or to
get the meaning an author implies but does not state directly.
1(Duffy, G., 2003, p. 102)
Inferring allows readers to make their own discoveries
without the direct comment of the author.
2(Hall, S. in Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A., 2000, p. 23)
1Duffy, G.A. (2003). Explaining Reading: A Resource for teaching concepts, skills, and
strategies. New York: Guilford Press.
2Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension to
enhance understanding. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.