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Teaching inference to kids is an essential part of learning to read and comprehend texts. Inference is the ability to draw conclusions based on evidence and reasoning, and it is a skill that kids will use throughout their lives.

By teaching inference, kids can become better readers, thinkers, and problem solvers.

A painting of a kid reading a book on a barn.
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Making inferences is an essential executive function skill. When kids lack this skill, it’s often necessary to accommodate them for lacking a skill and teach the skill of inference. How to teach inference to kids will be discussed here.

Teachers should explain to students that inference involves taking what they already know and using it to make educated guesses about what they don’t know.

Read: Inference IEP Goals

For example, if a character in a story is described as “shivering,” students can infer that the weather is cold, even if it is not explicitly stated.

Inference life
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Accommodations for Making Inferences

Here are 10 IEP (Individualized Education Program) or 504 accommodations that can be implemented to support a student’s inference skills:

  1. Extended Time for Assignments and Assessments:
    • Allow the student extra time to complete reading assignments and assessments, recognizing that processing and making inferences may take more time.
  2. Modified Reading Materials:
    • Provide the student with modified reading materials that include simplified language or additional visual cues to facilitate inference comprehension.
  3. Visual Supports:
    • Use visual aids such as graphic organizers, charts, or diagrams to help the student organize information and make inferences from complex texts.
  4. Auditory Support:
    • Offer audiobooks or reading software with text-to-speech capabilities to accommodate students who may struggle with decoding words but can benefit from auditory support in making inferences.
  5. Small Group or One-on-One Instruction:
    • Provide opportunities for the student to work with a teacher or support staff in a smaller group setting or through individualized instruction to target inference skills directly.
  6. Pre-teaching Vocabulary and Concepts:
    • Pre-teach key vocabulary words and concepts related to a text or lesson to enhance the student’s ability to make inferences during reading or discussions.
  7. Scaffolded Questioning:
    • Offer scaffolded questioning techniques, starting with basic literal questions and gradually progressing to more inferential questions as the student’s skills improve.
  8. Visual Timelines:
    • Use visual timelines or storyboards to help the student track the sequence of events in a story, facilitating their understanding of cause-and-effect relationships and inferences.
  9. Choice of Texts:
    • Allow the student to choose from a selection of texts or reading materials that align with their interests and reading level, ensuring a higher level of engagement and motivation for making inferences.
  10. Use of Peer Support:
    • Encourage peer support by pairing the student with a peer mentor who can provide guidance and assistance in making inferences during group activities or discussions.

These accommodations should be based on the student’s individual needs and strengths, as identified through assessments and observations. Regular communication with the student, their parents, and the IEP team is crucial to ensure that the accommodations are effective and appropriately adjusted over time.

Inference for Kids

When my youngest was a toddler, he LOVED Lady Gaga. I have no idea why or where it came from, but he did. He would ask me to put videos of her on my computer. So, when we were watching the Super Bowl one year, the year that Madonna did the halftime show, he asked me, “Is that Lady Gaga?”

Madonna at superbowl
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Madonna during her Super Bowl halftime performance.

It turned out not to be just an innocent question, but a stellar example of inference, and the definition of inference. Not a crazy question, really.

Lady gaga
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Lady Gaga at MTV Video Music Awards.

In a preschooler’s head, they look the same, right? Heck, Lady Gaga has been accused of copying Madonna. Another time we were walking on the OCNJ boardwalk and we passed by two older ladies wearing beach hats and big sunglasses. “Look Mommy! TWO Lady Gagas!” he exclaimed.

Lady gaga comparison
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Inference Definition

Inference is the act of drawing a conclusion based on the information available. It involves reading between the lines and making an educated guess about what is not explicitly stated.

Inference requires the reader to use their previous knowledge and experiences to make sense of the text. It is an essential executive function skill for reading comprehension and critical thinking.

How to Teach Inference

Teaching inference requires preparation and planning to ensure that the lesson is effective and engaging. Here are some steps that can be taken to prepare for teaching inference:

Use Visual Prompts

  • Start with pictures or short videos. Ask students to infer what is happening or how the characters might feel based on visual cues. For example, show a picture of a dog with its head hung low near a broken vase and prompt, “What do you think happened?”
  • Visuals allow kids to focus on nonverbal cues before tackling written text.

Think Aloud During Reading

  • Model the inference-making process by thinking aloud. While reading a story, pause and say things like, “The character is shivering and holding their arms tightly. What might this tell us about the weather?”
  • Encourage students to share their inferences and back them up with evidence from the text.

Use Real-Life Scenarios

  • Present everyday situations that require inferences, such as, “If you walk into a room and see an empty plate and a glass, what might you guess happened?”
  • These scenarios help bridge the skill to practical understanding.

Question-Answer Relationship (QAR)

  • Teach students to categorize questions:
    • Right There Questions: Answers are directly in the text.
    • Think and Search Questions: Answers require looking across the text.
    • Author and You Questions: Answers involve inferring based on text clues and their own knowledge.
    • On My Own Questions: Answers rely entirely on personal experience.
  • Focus on “Author and You” questions to practice inference.

Inference Practice with “It Says, I Say, And So” Chart

  • Use a simple graphic organizer:
    • It Says: Write a quote or clue from the text.
    • I Say: Add background knowledge or a personal observation.
    • And So: Write the inference based on the two inputs.
  • This structure teaches kids how to link text evidence with their own thinking.
It Says, I Say, And SoDownload

Role-Playing Scenarios

Role-playing scenarios are another interactive activity that can be used to teach inference to kids. Teachers can create scenarios and ask students to infer what might happen next.

For example, a teacher can ask students to imagine that they are lost in the jungle and have to find their way back to civilization. The teacher can then ask the students to infer what they might do to survive in the jungle.

This activity helps students to develop their imagination and make logical inferences.

Making Inferences Pictorial Question PromptsDownload

Making Inferences Picture CardsDownload

Providing Constructive Feedback

Feedback is an essential part of the learning process, and it is crucial to provide constructive feedback to students to help them improve their inference skills. Teachers can provide feedback by highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of a student‘s inference skills.

When providing feedback, teachers should focus on the process rather than the outcome. They can provide specific feedback on how the student used the clues and evidence to make inferences and provide suggestions for improvement.

Teachers can also provide opportunities for students to practice their inference skills and provide feedback on their progress.

Creating inference-based assessments and providing constructive feedback can be effective ways to teach inference skills to kids. Teachers can use a variety of assessment methods and feedback strategies to help students improve their inference skills and become proficient in making logical inferences.

Making Inferences Reading WorksheetDownload

How to Improve Executive Function Skills

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Special Education Advocate

I'm an IEP/Special Education Advocate who has attended 100s of IEP meetings. I live in Chester County, PA with my husband and two boys, one is disabled. My goal is to make your IEP process easier and help you move your IEP Team to YES. When I'm not here, I'm probably in Harrisburg or DC lobbying for systems change for our kids.