Authors don't always come right out and state what they mean. Authors imply things. Readers have to think as they read and come up with their own opinions. Several times a week, students write down their thoughts about their books. They don't just write what literally happened; students should make connections with their stories, empathize with the characters, and think deeply about what is really happening in their books.
For example, a student might be reading a historical fiction book about Valley Forge. The student reads that many of the soldiers didn't have shoes during the winter. The student should therefore infer that many soldiers got frostbite that winter and even lost their toes. The student could take it one step further and infer possible reasons for the soldiers' bare feet, such as a leather shortage, money problems, or supply difficulties in the army.
Another example involves character traits. If a student reads about a character who takes very good care of her dog, the student should infer that the character is a responsible person who probably loves animals. The student could then take it one step further and predict the character's future actions, because the student already knows what kind of person the character is. For instance, the student might predict that the character will start caring for other animals too, or that the character will never leave their dog behind.
Nearly every fiction story (and nonfiction text) contains many chances to infer. The best place to start is to try to identify what kind of person the main character is. Is he or she friendly? kind? greedy? lazy? helpful? generous? wise? nervous? responsible? cruel? careless?
In order to practice making inferences, ask your child to retell a chapter, short story, or even a paragraph. Then, ask the very important question: What do you think about that?
Try these website for more practice: