Let the Inferring Begin!

Inferring will be the name of the game this week! While it is a challenging concept for little minds, it's amazing to see how successful they can be when it is broken down for them. We start with the simple idea of looking for 'clues' in pictures and text. They love to be detectives and I'm always impressed with  their perceptiveness. The next step is to use what they already know (background knowledge/schema) to make sense of the clues. They put it together and make a good guess (inference) about what is happening in a story.

If you want to give it a try at home, there are lots of children's books that are perfect for inferring. Wordless picture books work really well as the children need to figure out the entire story. The David series of books by David Shannon are a great starting point for young readers learning to infer. Not to worry if you don't have any of these books as you can practise with any book. As you read together, ask your child how the characters are feeling. More importantly, ask them to explain how they know (ie. I know the character is surprised because her eyes and mouth are wide open).

I am so very excited that I have found a new series of books that will form the basis of our inferring unit this year. Shhhhh! It's a BIG secret though! The children will be given clues and will have to employ their inferring skills to guess which books we'll be using. I'll post photos after the big reveal.

In the meantime, here is a copy of our new chant. It's about inferring, of course! The tune is 'My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean'. Many of the children are unfamiliar with it so I've included the music below the chant. Click on the image for a copy of the chant.