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Course: 6th grade reading and vocabulary (improved and expanded) > Unit 1
Lesson 3: Making inferencesInferences in texts
Become a reading detective!
What are inferences?
You’re approaching the end of the newest superhero movie when you notice an important clue: Awesomeman has slipped the team’s top-secret document into his pocket. In that instant, you realize that he’s actually a traitor to the team. But how did you figure that out?
In the scenario above, you were making an inference: you connected the information the movie gave you with your knowledge of the world to draw a conclusion. You know that loyal people don’t usually steal top-secret documents, so you put the clues together to figure out that Awesomeman might have an evil scheme.
People make inferences all the time: they find and connect clues in texts, movies, images, and even in the behavior of other people. But why are inferencing skills important? How can you become a better inference maker? To find out the answer to these questions, come on a learning journey with me.
Why are inferencing skills important?
- They help us understand others. Making inferences allows us to understand what people mean when they don't explicitly say it.
- They improve our reading comprehension. When we read, we often need to make inferences to fully understand the text. Authors can’t tell us everything: some things we need to figure out for ourselves. Making inferences helps us grasp the author's intended meaning and enjoy the story more.
- They develop critical thinking skills. Making inferences requires us to analyze information and draw conclusions based on evidence. This helps develop critical thinking skills, which are essential for success in school and life.
How can I make accurate inferences?
- Look for clues and put them together: Clues in the text or conversation can help you figure out what the person is trying to say. Then, put the clues together to make a conclusion. For example, when Anjali completely misses the goal in the last moments of the soccer game and her rival Erica calls out, “Great shot!” you can infer that Erica is being sarcastic.Inference: “Great shot!” + missed goal = sarcasm
- Use your background knowledge: When answering inference questions about a text, they should always be based in clues that you find in the text. However, your knowledge of the world will help you understand and connect those clues.
- Practice, practice, practice! The more you practice making inferences, the better you'll become at it. Try making inferences while reading books, watching movies, or having conversations with friends and family.
Try it!
Remember!
Making accurate inferences is an essential skill for understanding texts, movies, and other people. By connecting clues and using your background knowledge, you'll make better inferences and improve your communication, reading comprehension, and critical thinking skills. So the next time you're trying to figure out what someone means or what's happening in a story, don't forget to put your inference skills to the test.
Happy reading! 📖
Want to join the conversation?
- How are inferences made? italics(4 votes)
- An inference is like an educated guess about something in the text. You can make an inference about what is happening in the text based on the clues. If the smoke detector goes off and someone is getting a fire extinguisher, you can make an inference that there is a fire.
For more information, see https://www.khanacademy.org/ela/new-6th-grade-reading-and-vocabulary/x8ddea1200317e822:the-rules-we-live-by-and-the-ones-we-break/x8ddea1200317e822:making-inferences/a/inferences-in-texts(6 votes)
- yes, inferences are usually in detective work bruv(5 votes)
- are inferences supposed to be confusing at first(3 votes)
- From the author:They can be tricky, but if you keep practicing, you'll get better at making them.(2 votes)
- how come you need to watch videos(2 votes)
- two take note about the videos(3 votes)
- Why are ifrences important(3 votes)
- I got a 100% on this because it is easy(1 vote)
- what is Smth has to the olympics(1 vote)
- When it said me .(I had a question WHO IS ME?)(1 vote)
- If you have no background knowledge, how can you make a good Inference?(1 vote)
- If you don't have background knowledge, then maybe you shouldn't make an inference.(1 vote)
- what is the picture lik thet it isn t very col #sigma #fnum taxaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa(0 votes)