Minilesson on Inferencing

Grade: 3rd

Objective:

Students will learn how to make inferences from narrative text.

Materials:

Class set of The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Wiese, strategy poster for making inferences from narrative text.

Assumptions:

Students have already read The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Wiese.

Introduction:

Today we are going to be detectives. We are going to learn how to use clues in a story along with what we already know to figure out what the author means. This is called inferencing. Inferencing is important because sometimes the author doesn't come right out and say what he/she means. Many times we as readers have to "read between the lines" by using clues from the story combined with our prior knowledge.

Teacher Input and/or Modeling:

Teacher explains steps in inferencing using the inferencing poster. Teacher makes sure that everyone has a copy of the book. Open your book to page 1 and follow along as I read aloud. Teacher reads page 1 aloud.

Now I'm going to show you how I find clues in the story along with my prior knowledge to figure out what this part is about. Teacher holds up book and begins to think aloud: First, I want to look for clues in the text. It says that the five brothers look exactly alike. I know from previous experiences that when siblings look exactly alike they are usually twins or triplets, etc. Since there are five the word would be quintuplets. So, I use the clues in the text and my prior knowledge together to figure out that the brothers are quintuplets. The author never comes right out and says that they are.

Teacher reviews the inferencing poster with the students.

Now let's look at page 20. Follow along as I read this page aloud. Teacher reads the page. Now see how I use clues in the story along with my prior knowledge to figure out what this part is about. Teacher begins to think aloud. First, I want to look for clues in the text. It says here that the sea forced its way out of his mouth, went back to its bed . . . and the little boy disappeared. I know that this type of bed isn't like the one I sleep on at night, so the author must be referring to the floor of the sea. I also know that if a boy disappears under water he must have drowned. By using the clues in the story and my prior knowledge I come to realize that the little boy is dead.

Student Guided Practice:

Students go over the inferencing poster with the teacher.

Now turn to page 7 and I want you to try inferencing to figure out how the first brother caught such beautiful and rare fish. Students read silently page 7. Tell me what you think he did to get the fish. Students respond. Right, he swallowed the sea. How were you able to tell? Does the author say specifically that is what he did? What were the text clues? Students respond. Right, it was the first brother and we were already told in the story that he could swallow the sea. That must be how he gets the fish.

Let's practice one more time together. Read page 21 and figure out if anyone followed the first brother home to make sure he didn't run away. Students read, and again the teacher has them focus in on what prior knowledge clues and text clues they used to help them figure out the author's meaning.

Summarize and Reflect:

Let's review. Tell your partner what you do to inference when you are reading. Students discuss and teacher rotates to assess what students have learned so far. If teacher is satisfied that the students understand the process of inferencing, he/she will continue. What's the first thing you do? Teacher writes on board as the whole class contributes. Right, first we look for clues in the text. Second, we think about what we already know about this topic. Third, we bring our knowledge together to figure out what the author means. When do we use this strategy? Right, when the author doesn't come right out and say what he/she means. Teacher reminds students to look at the strategy poster for help when they need it.

Independent Practice:

In order to practice what you've just learned, work with your partner to find other places to inference in the story. Record your findings in a chart that includes page #, clues used, and what it means. Sample the chart on the board. Students complete chart as teacher rotates to monitor. Volunteers share what they've found. The teacher asks one student to summarize the strategy and its purpose and refers to the poster one last time.

Evaluation:

The teacher will check student's inferencing charts to ensure that they've found at least 3 more examples of inferred meaning and that they've explained them correctly.

Written by Tanya Escandell 1998