Inference in Reading

What should readers do to make stronger inferences?

• Ignore background knowledge

• Focus only on the main characters

• Look for more clues in the text

• Rely solely on the author's explanations

Which sentence supports that Jack is feeling sleepy?

• Jack went to bed late because he was at a birthday party.

• Jackʼs eyes were droopy and his eyelids felt really heavy.

• Jack put his head down on the desk.

• Jack was not paying attention to the lesson.

What will happen next?

• The boy and the dog will swim through the puddle.

• The boy and the dog will walk through the puddle.

What can be inferred from the notice about the location of the school?

• Snowstorms are fairly common in the region.

• The location usually gets rain instead of snow.

• There have never been big snowstorms in the area.

• Classes do not get canceled often because of weather.

Tim looked out the window. The house looked so lonely. Tim's father put the last suitcase in the trunk and started up the car. Thor, his dog, put his head on Tim's lap, like he understood how  Tim was feeling. "It's okay Thor," he said, "Dad says we will like California." What is happening?

• Tim is sad because his dog doesn't have a house to live in.

• Tim is taking a trip to visit peolpe he doesn't know.

• Tim is taking Thor to live with his grandmother.

• Tim is moving to California with his family.

Many breeds of dogs are used for work. In many cultures dogs are used to herd sheep. The dogs keep the flock from being attacked by animals such as wolves. They also keep sheep from wandering off. Sheepdogs are known for their loyalty and gentleness. Based on your reading of the text, you can INFER that:

• Sheepdogs are not very smart dogs.

• Sheepdogs are gentle and loyal.

• There are many breeds of dogs.

• Wolves are afraid of sheepdogs.

Which sentence from the selection suggests that Suzy likes to play basketball?

• Suzy's mom makes Suzy practice basketball every day.

• Suzy looks forward to her basketball games.

• Suzy scored 5 points in her last basketball game.

• Suzy and her mom get ice cream after her basketball games.

Which sentence suggests that Joanna rode her bike to school?

• Joannaʼs hair was a little messy when she got to school.

• Joanna crossed three streets on her way to school.

• Joanna went four blocks on her way to school.

• Joanna had to put her helmet inside the classroom closet.

Which of the following shows why Sam refused to play in the tournament?

• SAM: Yeah, I think so, too.

• SAM: Why? Because I 'm a girl?

• SAM: Oh, I don't think so.

• SAM: You wouldn't appreciate my talents, since I'm a girl!

What is the primary purpose of making inferences while reading?

• To summarize the text

• To guess the author's intentions

• To understand the underlying meaning

• To memorize facts