A few years back, I was reading a short short story with my English 11s that relied heavily on inference. We got to the end of the story and there should have been a reaction. š¦ š¦ š¦. Nothing. Not a single reaction and I realized that they didnāt get it. They hadnāt made the jump. As a result, I now begin each year by teaching inferencing.
Even in my APĀ® Literature class, the first lesson in my Flash Fiction Boot Camp is really a lesson on inference. While it is framed in a discussion of diction, they cannot focus on the word choice without first making the inferences to do so.
What does it mean to Teach Inference Skills?
Teaching inference means getting students to dig deeper into a text. They must go beyond the surface level and mere summary in order to read between the lines.
It often help to scaffold the skill with some we do-you do activities. I find that high school students do understand enough about inferencing to skip the initial modeling, but it is great to start with something together that you can then use to push them to go further.
Giving students a list of verbs or sentence frames that they can use to make inferences can help reluctant and less skilled readers, but are helpful to even more advanced students.
Here are few you can use:
- infer
- suggests
- implies
- assume
- surmise
- reach the conclusion
- theorize.
11 Ideas for Teaching Inference in High School English
One: Teaching Inference with Wordless Picture Books
I love wordless picture books for high school English. And the kids love them too. I have started quite a collection (a few thefted from my own children), but I always supplement with books from the library. I try to have enough books that students can work in pairs.
Wordless picture books are the essence of inferencing since students are relying solely on the pictures to understand the story.
Read about other ways to use wordless pictures books in this post.
Two: Picture Books with Words
Picture books that contain words are another great place to start teaching inference in high school English. Picture books are designed to be consumed by adults and children together. So often there are very rich texts that are accompanied by rich illustrations. Have students read the story once for meaning and a second time focusing on the images to build inferences about the characters, settings and more.
Three: Use Video Shorts to Focus on Inferencing Skills
One year, as I moved through the progression of inferencing with my students, we used a Shaun the Sheep video. If you have never seen Shaun the Sheep, these are claymation video shorts that are also without words. So it is similar to using wordless picture books.
Another option is to simply use the opening of a longer work or even the clip in a sitcom that comes before the opening credits. Often those clips are fairly short and are self contained.
My friend Lesa, over at Smith Teaches 9 to 12, has a list of 12 video shorts that are under 5 minutes that are perfect for high school English.
Four: Teaching Inferences with Commercials
The foundation of my introduction to rhetorical analysis unit in APĀ® Language last year was the Visa Gold commercials which feature Olympians. There is a great deal we can infer about these athletes from these commercials.
But really any commercial can work. Try commercials that include characters. Then students can work through what they know about the characters that is not spoken. This can double as a characterization activity.
Five:Ā Use Comic Strips for Interactive Inferencing
Calvin and Hobbes. Far Side. Dilbert. Peanuts. All great options to teach inferencing skills. Like picture books the images add a great deal to the story. You could give groups the same set of multi-pane comics and then have each focus on making inferences from a specific pane.
Six: Use Six-Word Stories to Practice Inferencing
Using very short texts like 6-word-stories or haikus can be a great way for students read into the story and consider what the words are suggesting. Use the 6-word-memoir site. Have students pick a story and then determine everything they know about the story-teller.
Read more about how you can use six word stories at the beginning of the school year.
Seven: Teach Inferencing with Tweets
144 characters doesnāt give you a lot of space. But those 144 characters can say a whole lot more than one is on the screen. Find a provocative tweet and ask the students to what the tweeter is suggesting, implying or assuming.
Eight: Make Inferences with Memes, Instagram Posts and Reels
Memes and Instagram Posts are often funny because of what we know about the topic. This is a great place to point out to students that inferencing skills are not just school skills. Find some good memes, posts or reels. Post them as bell ringers. Have the students do a quick-write on what the meme is suggesting.
Nine: Use Images
I love to pull images from the Library of Congress public domain to use for a variety of tasks. And, and of course, one is making inferences. Because they are historical photos, it forces the students to think a little more deeply about the image and their observations.
Ten:Ā Play GamesĀ for Interactive Inferencing
A quick round of the game Things would be a fun way to practice interactive inferencing.Ā In the game of Things, you are given topic like āthings that tomatoes say when they are being picked.āĀ Everyone writes a response and then you try to guess who said it.Ā Itās part total guess and part inferencing.Ā It would be a fun warm up or filler.
Eleven: Scaffold Inferencing with iStories
iStories are stories of 250 characters or fewer. These are ideal for teaching inference. There is enough detail to have a story line, but a lot is left to the reader. Again, these make a great warm up. We also use these very short short stories to determine central idea and discuss authorās craft.
Narrative Magazine has many to choose from and the list is growing all the time. You will have to read them before using them. Not all are appropriate for a high school audience (some simply because they are not interesting to teens and others because they are, letās say, mature.)
Teaching Inference is an Essential Skill
Honestly, I think that inference skills are THE most essential skill a high school student can have. Without those skills it is hard to do the deeper analysis that is expected for state exams, the AP exams and life beyond high school
Additional Resources
Video Short: 12 Short Short Films for ELA (Smith Teaches 9 to 12)
Find 6-word stories at Six Word Memoirs
Find iStories on Narrative Magazine
Another idea for teaching inference: Using Receipts to Practice Inference Skills (Smith Teaches 9 to 12)
15 Ways to use Wordless Picture Books in High School English
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Use short short stories to teach inferencing skills: Flash Fiction Boot Camp
2 Responses
What was the short story you were reading to the class that you mentioned at the beginning of this article? Thank you! Lisa
It was “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. The grey hair on the pillow. š