 Objective:
Authors like to leave clues in their writing. They don't
like to tell readers everything directly. In this way they
invite the reader to get involved in the story.
They want readers to figure some things out from the clues
and hints and information in the story or poem. In this
way, the reader becomes a detective, by making educated
guesses, or inferences and
predictions about the characters, the situation,
or what might happen next in the story.
By the time this lesson is finished, you'll have tools
to help you make inferences and predictions from a reading
passage. In this lesson you will:
-
Review the meaning of an inference
and a prediction,
- Identify reading strategies to help make inferences
and predictions,
-
Practice making inferences from
reading passages,
- Practice making predictions from reading passages,
- Score and evaluate
your answers.
Vocabulary:
These words will be used in this lesson.
They might be quite familiar to you, or you might want some
review. For review, just click the Helpful Tools
button and open Vocabulary.
- Inference/Infer
- Prediction/Predict
- Foreshadowing
Tips and
Tools:
What is an inference?
|
An inference is . . .
-
a conclusion that can be figured
out from hints, clues, other information in a story,
-
a smart guess, or an educated
guess based on what you know about the characters
and their situations,
- developed from information the author does not directly
state, or come right out and tell the reader; the reader
is expected to figure it out, or infer.
|
What are examples of an inference?
- When mom reminds you to grab your umbrella, you might infer it
is raining outside.
- When your teacher emphasizes studying a certain page
in your social studies book, you might infer the
information will be on the test the next day.
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How do I know an inference is correct?
- As you continue to read, a correct inference will continue
to make sense;
- look for other clues that support your inference,
and
- notice anything that contradicts (goes against) the
guess or inference. If this happens, you might need
to revise your conclusion.
- At the end of the story, the inference you made should
make sense.
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What is a prediction?
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It is just about the greatest
reading strategy around! Effective readers use predicting
to get actively involved with a story. A prediction is:
-
a smart guess, or an educated
guess, about what is going to happen next in the story;
-
based on what you know about the
characters and their situations, and what the author has
given you as clues or foreshadowing hints;
- information the author does not directly state, or come
right out and tell the reader;
- a great way to be a partner with the author, almost like
having a discussion about what will happen next;
- something skilled readers to all the time to get involved
with the story.
You will even find that characters in stories use prediction
to figure out their next move! In the modern science fiction
novel, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Ender, the
main character and only hope for the survival of the Earth,
uses prediction to outwit his enemy in battle. He predicts
their strategy from clues of how the soldiers are lined up,
how they are grouped, how they are moving, and then he attacks
and wins. You are just like Ender in reading. Actively detect
the clues the author gives you.
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How do I know a prediction is correct?
- Predicting is an active and ongoing reading strategy.
Your predictions can change as you gain new information.
That's OK. The important thing is to be aware of hints
and clues the author leaves, so you are able to continue
to make smart guesses about the characters and situations
in the story.
- As you continue to read, a correct prediction will continue
to make sense;
- look for other clues that support your prediction
or add to it, and
- notice anything that contradicts (goes against) the
guess or prediction. If this happens, just revise your
prediction to match the new hints, clues or information.
- At the end of the story, the prediction you made should
make sense.
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How to use prediction as a Reading Strategy
|
 You can use this skill in everything you
read, from newspapers, to encyclopedia or internet articles,
to stories, poems, magazine articles, even advertisements.
To find out more, click the Reading Strategies icon on the
right.
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Inference and prediction sound like the same
thing. What's the difference between an inference and a prediction?
|
Good question!!
| SAME |
DIFFERENT |
| Both are NOT stated directly by the author - they are
figured out by the reader |
An inference draws a conclusion |
| Both use hints, clues and information from the text |
A prediction looks ahead to what might happen
|
| Both are educated guesses |
Authors ask readers to make inferences to fully
understand the story |
| Both get the reader actively involved |
Readers ask themselves to make predictions to
better understand the story |
| Both can be about characters or situations in the story |
|
| Both require higher level thinking from the reader |
|
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In the next section, you'll see some examples of how the Tips
and Tools will help you practice and make inferences
and predictions from narrative passages.
Examples
>>
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