Predicting, and Inferring things about Literature

 

Creating active readers and students who participate in the reading gives students the opportunity to fall in love with reading. Setting this stage in young readers is crucial to providing them the chance to develop a passion for reading which could be the deciding factor in their future success as a student and in life. In order to help children to become active with literature, which is a dynamic force in making reading FUN! we need to remember that the story can come alive for the children. Getting children involved invovles things like asking them questions throughout the story. This doesn't mean that any old questions are good enough. There are thought provoking questions, and boring questions. In order to take advantage of the potential that questions have to offer, lets discuss some of the different types of questions we can ask with children.

Prediction Questions-

1. What do you think will happen next?
2. What will this help, hurt, or do?

Factual

1. Describe to me_____
2. What is the name of _____?
3. Who is in the picture?
4. Where does the story take place?
5. Why did ____ do _____?

Inference

1. Where do you think?
2. Why do you think?
3. What do you think about?
4. What would you guess about?

Opinion

1. Should _____?
2. Would _____?
3. Could ______?

Text Structure Questions

1. What was the problem in the story?
2. How did the story end?

Linking

1. Have you ever?

Below is an interesting, short video that demonstrates some different strategies for working with the very important scholastic activity of "Predicting, Inferring, Visualizing, and Determining Important Content".

Below is a good list of questions that parents and teachers can refer to in order to differntiate questions and uderstanding the types of questions that they ask.

 

 

Below is a good list to make use of in an early childhood classroom (or at home), which can help to guide the reader or the adult supervising the young reader, in what question might help direct the reader towards comprehension, and analysis of the story.