[bobcat]

Next week I'll be teaching my students a lesson on inferencing. Does anyone have any creative ways to teach this difficult skill? Any fun activities? I love to do activities that get kids moving around the room and not just sitting there completing worksheets, but for this one, I haven't come up with anything. Help!!

[2nd grade rocks]

I just read some of the chapter in STW. One teacher has cards with feelings written on it. She then pins the card to a volunteer and that child gets the card pinned to their back, he then turns so that the other children can read it. The other children start to describe situations that would cause them to feel as the feeling on the card. The child then guesses and explains his thinking. I hope this makes sense. I am planning on doing this on Monday. I figured we would do it a few days. If this doesn't make sense and oyu have STW or can get your hands on it. It describes it probably way better than me. Also, Mosaic listserv had at least five different inferencing units on with great stuff that I plan to intertwine. One of them with a poem and a story, I think the story is Tight Tmes. Anyway, let me know how it goes.

Liz

[2nd grade rocks]

BTW here is the link to Mosaic:

http://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/tools.htm
And, here is my warning: THIS SITE IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE! I may need to go to Mosaic Anonymous!

[bobcat]

Thanks for your ideas, Liz! I have STW but have not gotten time yet to go through it. Now I have a reason to! Have a great weekend.

[imacacher]

I was reading a Valentine's Day book yesterday, and it had riddles in it...DING DING DING! It was PERFECT for a mini inferencing lesson! It was the type of riddle where it gave you clues to what they were talking about without saying it. It wasn't a typical riddle book that is more of a word play/guessing game.

The book was ???If You'll Be My Valentine??? by Cynthia Rylant. Not every page was good for it, but a lot of them were. I hid the pictures and read the page and then we discussed it. It was FANTASTIC!!!

[FxyWhtCoco]

That is a terrific site!!!! Thank you!

Hi,
We are working on inference also in our second grade class. I use poetry in Shared Reading. I white-out a word or two in a poem and have the students infer by using the clues. For example:

Once I Saw a ___________________

Once I saw a ___________________.
And a green cabbage head.
"I think I'll have some cabbage,"
The little ____________ said.

So he nibbled and he nibbled.
And he pricked his ears to say,
"Now I think it's time
I should be hopping on my way."

The students tell how they found the answer each time. A good resource for this is Debbie Miller's, Reading with Meaning. Hope this helps!

I find that anything they can connect to real life really helps. I model the situation to introduce inferencing. So I'll say, "A boy is kneeling on the ground holding his knee and crying. What inference can you make?" (He hurt his knee by falling.) or "The sky was gray and Johnny's hair was wet. What inference can you make?" (It was raining.) or "The girl went to the mailbox, took out a piece of mail, and ran into the house with a big smile on her face. What inference can you make?" (She got some good news / a card / a reasonable answer.)

I teach 3rd grade and I have started using lots of magazine pictures to teach inferencing. I start out by asking the children to share what they observe (see in the picture) the idea of the picture. Then I have them share what they are wondering about the picture and next I have them answer the question that they were wondering about by stating I think or Maybe (these are words that tell us that someone is going infer something) after they state what they think they must prove their answer by stating the word because (explain why they think that is the answer to their I wonder question) Lastly I have them make a personal connection by stating I remember when or This reminds me of.
This is such an awesome lesson to stimulate the brain. Hope this works for you!

I teach 3rd grade and we are working on inferencing.
The lesson I use most is the "Garbage Bag" Lesson.
I fill a small garbage bag with items I choose and pretend to get it out of another 3rd grade teacher's room.
I usually use empty candy wrappers, plates, napkins, cups, and other items.
Pull out the candy wrappers first because that usually leads to the kids having a lot of different ideas.
Then work your way into the other class had a party!
It's fun and it works!