Learning to make inferences is a key literacy skill. Students must look past what the text says and draw deeper conclusions as they read. These inferences anchor charts will help your students get more from their reading. Try one or more in your language arts classroom!
1. Inferences Definition
Start with a basic definition to help students understand what it means to make inferences. Teach them to be detectives while they read.
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2. Inference Examples
The best way to help kids understand inference is to provide some examples. After all, this is something they do all the time in regular life. Examples from their reading can help them see how it applies there too.
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3. Puzzle Pieces
Making inferences is like finding puzzle pieces and then assembling them to see the whole picture. This is one of those inferences anchor charts that’s easy enough for any teacher to make and is very visually effective.
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4. Observation vs. Inference
This simple chart helps kids understand the difference between observations (what they see) and inferences. Add examples with sticky notes, and this is one of those inferences anchor charts you can use year after year.
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5. What the Text Said … What I Can Infer
Use this basic chart to list examples from a current text and the inferences students have made from those examples.
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6. Making and Supporting Inferences
Good inferences are more than just guesses or “gut feelings.” They must be backed up with evidence from the text, as this anchor chart shows.
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7. Rockin’ Readers Infer
Help kids picture themselves making inferences with this chart. Don’t want to draw? Use free teacher clipart instead.
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8. Making Inferences
Pictures are a good way to introduce inferences. Ask kids to use evidence (what they can see) and schema (their own background knowledge) to determine more about the photo.
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9. What Do You Think?
Ultimately, inferences are as simple as clues from the text combined with what you already know. This chart provides some ways kids can think about the text to discover more.
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10. Use Questioning to Infer
Making inferences is all about asking questions. “Thick questions” are those that lead to deeper thinking about the text.
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11. Inference Traffic Light
This one is for your speed readers! A quick look at a text isn’t enough to make good inferences. Encourage kids to stop and consider while they read.
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12. Inferring Thinking Stems
For kids who are feeling stuck, try these question stems. They can help kickstart deeper thinking.
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13. Literal vs. Inferential
“Literal” is another way of talking about the observations we make from what’s written or pictured. Use this chart to compare them with inferences.
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14. Inference Flowchart
A flowchart like this one walks students through the steps of making inferences. It does a terrific job of reminding them to find evidence to support their conclusions.
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15. All-In-One Inferences Anchor Chart
This last example combines elements of many other inferences anchor charts. Students will find lots of useful information whenever they need it.
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