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There are four levels of comprehension or understanding: literal (stated facts), interpretive (implied facts), critical (making judgments), and creative (evoking an emotional response or forming new ideas).
Now we are going to explore the area of interpretation (often referred to as "inference") because your child deals with this level of understanding very often in school.
Let me repeat; applying inference skills involves the interpretive level of comprehension. Often a textbook author does not literally state information. Thus, it is up to the students to infer such implied facts from the information given.
So, in order for students to better understand textbook materials at the inferential level, they must have the ability to thoroughly understand the writer's written words, including indirect messages.
In practice, students must learn to combine information from their own background knowledge and experiences with the facts from the textbook for inferential comprehension to occur.
In other words, the more familiar your child is with the textbook information (having past exposure to the topic), the easier it is for him or her to infer unstated facts. Simply stated, a reader who uses inference skills is "reading between the lines" to extract deeper meaning from the textbook selection.
The following are 7 types of inferences that are found in most textbooks. Learning these uses of inference will give the student a more complete awareness of comprehension at the interpretive level. Also, to see how well you can infer, try to answer the question after each inference example. The correct answers are at the end of this writing.
1. Location Inferences: They imply as to where an event takes place.
Example - The taste of salt was in Bob's mouth after swimming and surfing. Where was Bob?
2. Agent Inferences: They imply as to what a person's job or occupation is.
Example - With a mop in one hand and a bucket of soapy water in the other, Fred prepared to clean the office floor. What is Fred's occupation?
3. Time Inferences: They imply as to when an event takes place.
Example - When the street lights went on, the boys headed home on their bikes. When did the street lights turn on?
4. Action Inferences: They imply as to what a person is doing.
Example - The slope was covered with layers of snow, but Margaret knew she must push off quickly if she wanted to reach the bottom of the mountain first. What was Margaret doing?
5. Instrument Inferences: They imply as to what thing is being used.
Example - We heard a buzzing sound, then a gnawing sound, as it cut through the tree limb. What is being used?
6. Category Inferences: They imply that groups of things or experiences are related.
Example - The workers picked Macintosh, Greenings, Delicious, and Granny Smiths. To what category do these names belong?
7. Object Inferences: They imply as to what an object is.
Example - They marched proudly down the street, carrying the "stars and stripes." To what does the phrase "stars and stripes" refer?
(Answers to inference questions: 1. The Ocean; 2. A Custodian; 3. Nighttime; 4. Skiing; 5. Chain Saw; 6. Apples 7. The American Flag;