Reading Comprehension at Home, Grade 3: Inference

An inference is an answer the text does not state outright but strongly suggests. The skill is to combine clues from the page with what you know.

A 10-minute routine

Read The Lighthouse Cat aloud. Mira climbs the 112 steps to light the lamp, and Fog the cat follows. One stormy night the lamp would not light. Stop after the paragraph where Fog sits at the window and stares at the sea, and ask your child what Fog might be doing and why. Then read on to see if the guess was right. Finish with the questions on the page and the explanations.

What a good answer sounds like

A good inference has two parts: the guess and the clue. For example: “Fog saw a boat, because he stared at the sea and meowed loudly.” Let your child try the clue first and the guess second. After the questions, read the explanations together, since they show which words in the story support each answer.

Three questions to ask aloud

1. Why did Fog stare out the window?
2. Which words or sentences gave you that clue?
3. Why did the crew bring Fog a fresh fish?

A common slip

Guessing without a clue. A good inference points back to the page. When your child answers, ask, “What did the story say that made you think so?” Mira says “Not now, Fog,” and he meows loudly and presses his nose to the glass. Those are the clues.

The next step

Next, try another Grade 3 or Grade 4 story and stop in the middle to make a prediction.