This document provides information about making inferences when reading. It discusses how readers must use clues from stories to draw conclusions about what is not directly stated. It provides several examples of scenarios and asks the reader to make inferences based on the clues. It encourages readers to practice making inferences to get better at detecting clues and drawing conclusions from texts.

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Inferences
Created by George Pitlik
Assessment Department
Georgetown ISD
For the Texas Center for Academic Excellence
TEK Reading 5.10H

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Let’s Play Detective!
Sometimes you will hear or read the
term “drawing inferences” as part of a
reading test or assignment. That means you
have to figure something out from clues. The
story you read will only give you clues, and
you will have to play detective.
It can be fun. Click to the next slide
and we’ll start to play detective.

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Playing Detective Without Words

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Seeing Clues Around Us
We use clues every day. Here in Texas we have all seen a flock
of vultures sitting in a tree. Even though we can not see what they are
looking at behind the rocks, we can probably conclude it is a __________.
If we got close enough, our nose would give us another clue.
Who brought the
ketchup?

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Clues At Recess

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Pets Draw Conclusions

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Using Clues
1. You smell smoke.
2. You see smoke coming out of a house.
3. You hear the siren on a fire truck.
The three clues above suggest that
the house is on fire, and someone has
already called the fire department.

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Some Useful Tips and Tricks
1. Read the question before reading the
story.
2. Read the story twice.
3. Find key words in the question, and
scan the story for the words.

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Finding Clues In A Story.
Tommy and Sarah just got off the school bus.
Sarah said, “I smell smoke.” Tommy pointed and
yelled, “Sarah, look at the smoke coming out of that
house!”
In a moment they both heard what sounded like
a fire engine siren.
The passage suggests that –
A. The house is on fire, and someone called to report it.
B. The house is on fire, and no one called to report it.
C. Someone was burning leaves in the back yard.
D. This was a fire drill.

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Drawing Conclusions
Pretend you are at Wal Mart. As you are
walking down the candy aisle, you notice a little
boy crying and pulling on his mom’s skirt as she
pushes her cart towards the front of the store.
The closer she gets towards the front of the
store, the louder the little boy screams.
Lots of things could be wrong with the
little boy, BUT we can probably conclude that—
What do you conclude? Click on the
speaker below to hear what I think. Of course, I
could be wrong.

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Another Crying Little Boy
Pretend you are at the doctor’s office to get a
shot. That same little boy you saw at Wal Mart is sitting
there screaming his head off just like he did in the candy
aisle.
What can you conclude this time?
F. He is still angry about not getting the candy.
G. He has an ear ache.
H. He is scared because he is there for a shot.
J. He just cries a lot.

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More Clues
Pretend you are at the doctor’s office to get a
shot. That same little boy you saw at Wal Mart is sitting
there screaming his head off just like he did in the candy
aisle. His mom is rocking him in her arms. He keeps
pulling at his right ear
What can you conclude this time?
F. He is still angry about not getting the candy.
G. He has an ear ache.
H. He is scared because he is there for a shot.
J. He just cries a lot.

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Half Way Through

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Finding Clues In A Story.
Maria was on the flag squad that performed at half time during
football games. It was the first game that her grandparents and uncle Luigi
attended. Maria waved her flag while looking for her family in the large crowd.
Just as she spotted her grandmother, her greatest fear came true. She lost her
grip on the flag, and it started to fall. Even though she caught it quickly, Maria’s
face became red. She felt as if she had made a horrible mistake and everyone
were staring at her.
The passage suggests that Maria almost dropped her
flag partly because she --
A was thinking about the football game
B wasn’t strong enough
C was looking for her family
D was frightened by a loud noise

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Finding Clues In A Story.
Maria was on the flag squad that performed at half time during
football games. It was the first game that her grandparents and uncle Luigi
attended. Maria waved her flag while looking for her family in the large crowd.
Just as she spotted her grandmother, her greatest fear came true. She
lost her grip on the flag, and it started to fall. Even though she caught it
quickly, Maria’s face became red. She felt as if she had made a horrible
mistake and everyone were staring at her.
The passage suggests that Maria almost dropped her
flag partly because she --
A was thinking about the football game
B wasn’t strong enough
C was looking for her family
D was frightened by a loud noise

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A Famous Texan
Claudia Taylor was born in Texas in 1912. As a young child she
was given the name Lady Bird. When she grew up, she married Lyndon
Johnson who became president of the United States. Lady Bird wanted to
do something to make the country more beautiful.
In 1965 she set up a Committee for a More Beautiful Capitol. They
met once a month and discussed ideas and made plans. Flowers and
bushes were planted all around the city. Everyone was encouraged to plant
flowers on their property. School yards and playgrounds were improved.
Based on information in the passage, the reader can tell that
Lady Bird’s work helped make the country –
F friendlier
G prettier
H louder
J bigger

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Oak School’s New Band Program
HELP OUR SCHOOL
Oak school is starting a new band program. We
need all kinds of instruments. They can be in any
condition. Sam’s music shop has volunteered to fix any
broken or damaged instruments. Please check your
closets and garage. You might have an old instrument that
is just taking up space. The new band program will put it
to good use. Thank you.
The passage suggests that musical instruments that are
“just taking up space” in closets and garages –
A are heavy
B can be useful
C are new
D can be harmful

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The Tasmanian Devil
One of the rarest animals in the world is the Tasmanian Devil.
I’m not talking about the one you see in cartoons, but the real wolf-like
animal that lives on the island of Tasmania.
Every few years someone claims to see one, but they never
have proof. A few years ago, some scientists who were studying plants
found a skeleton, teeth and some skin in a remote area of Tasmania.
They were excited as they believed they had found the remains of the
rare Tasmanian Devil. They drew a picture of what they thought the
animal may have looked like when it was alive. The scientists then sent
the picture along with the skeleton, teeth and skin to Washington D.C.
What did the scientists probably do with the skeleton, teeth and
bones?
F Sent them to a country with more experienced scientists.
G Made clothing, jewelry, and other ornaments out of them
H Studied them carefully and compared them to other animals
J Sold them to museums that displayed them

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A Quick Review
When people talk, they don’t always say exactly
what they mean. The listener must figure out what the
speaker really means.
Inference in reading is when you need to use the
clues written in a story to draw a conclusion. In other
words, you need to be a “word detective.”
You will not always be right when you draw a
conclusion from a story, but the more you try, the more
skilled you will become.
Being a good reader and word detective is a
good thing!

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Visit A School Librarian

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Congratulations, You Made It!
My brain
hurts!