There is nothing more fun and engaging for upper elementary students than making inferences!
Playing charades, solving mysteries, and reading books that require inferring
are always some of my go to ways to introduce inferring with upper elementary
students.
How else do I love to introduce and practice inferring with my students? Using picture books of course! There are so many picture books that are perfect to help students focus on the skill of inferring by asking questions and collecting evidence to help them infer and truly understand the story and the author's message.
Below is a list of MUST use mentor texts that
upper elementary students love that requires that the readers make inferences to
truly understand the story.
Knots on a Counting Rope written by Bill
Martin Jr.
This touching story about a young boy who loves to hear the story about the night he was born, requires students to make inferences as they read, trying to discover what exactly makes this boy special. Through your questioning and evidence collection that you do with your student as you read this book, students will make inferences that help them discover that the young boy is blind. This is a story that makes a great mentor text for questioning, inferring, summarizing, character analysis, theme, and so much more! You will want to revisit and reread this book again and again for many different lessons!
The Stranger written
by Chris Van Allsburg
On a drive one night, a family accidentally
hits a man with their car. The family loads him up and brings him home to be
checked by the family doctor. The students have to think about who the
man is given all the things in the story that make the man “strange”. He cannot
talk, animals flock to him, and he seems confused by very common and simple
items. Through class discussion and context clues, see if you can infer who thisnameless man is! Grab some no-prep materials to go along with the story
here!
The Wretched Stone written by Chris Van Allsburg
Hands down, my favorite book by favorite author, The Wretched Stone provides so many opportunities for students to infer and figure out just what the stone really is! This book is not just great for learninghow to make inferences, but also as a springboard for important topics such as being involved in the arts and limiting screen time! Chris Van Allsburg is a pure genius!
Picture Day Perfection written
by Deborah Diesen
We all have that picture day story we love to tell, but this one takes the cake! Syrup in his hair, a bench as cold and hard
as an iceberg, and a late start to the day are going to make for a picture this
student will never forget. Follow him on his journey to get the “perfect
picture”... and see if your upper elementary students can infer what his true intentions were all along!
We Found a Hat written
by Jon Klassen
When there is only one hat, but two heads…
what is this duo to do?! In this great mentor text, explore inferring feelings,
while also examining what friendship means. How do the turtles feel about what
they want individually, and how do they feel about each other? The book is a
very simple text, with minimal words but great illustrations. Teachers, brace
yourselves because this one can lead to some very touching conversations about
sacrifice for self and love of others.
Somebody Loves you, Mr. Hatch written
by Eileen Spinelli
You do not have to wait until Valentine's
Day to read this classic! When a man who keeps to himself gets a mysterious
package, his whole demeanor changes. Mr. Hatch, a loner of a man who keeps to a
strict routine receives an anonymous package with a simple note; “somebody
loves you”. Those three words change his entire attitude and routine. This mentor text can be used to look at simple human needs. What does feeling love
mean to a person, and how can it change them for the better? How does Mr. Hatch
spend his days before and after he thinks he is loved, and what can one infer
that means about himself? All of these questions that readers ask themselves must be inferred! Don’t forget to wrap this activity up by sharing love
around your classroom!
Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great written by Bob Shea
This is a great text to use when looking at
self-esteem and individual strengths and weaknesses. This book is nothing short
of awesome. Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great is told through the eyes of Goat,
an envious and bitter companion of the Oh-So-Great Unicorn. Except, what
happens when Unicorn doesn’t think he’s actually all that great after all?
Inferring the emotions the characters feel about themselves and each other will
lead to some awesome class conversations about their own strengths and
weaknesses.
Being able to make inferences is one
of many reading strategies that students must master in order to understand the
increasing complex stories they read as upper elementary students. Be
sure to take your time reading each book, collect information that helps
students make inferences, and model yourself how you infer as you read these
books!
Try this inference activity that
always helps my students become active readers who infer as they read!
Grab FREE inference activities to use with one of the books in this blog post below!
You would also love to read:
Looking for more inferring activities to help students succeed? See more HERE.
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