Helping students learn to make
inferences while reading:
Using the It Says, I Say, And
So reading strategy in the
classroom
What the research says about
reading comprehension:
The goal of reading comprehension is to
construct meaning while reading
Proficient readers are able to construct meaning
from text by drawing inferences during and after
reading
Inferring allows readers to “read between the
lines”, “to read at a deeper meaning”, and “to
make their own discoveries about the text”
When comprehension strategies (such as
drawing inferences) are directly taught to
students, this instruction has a positive effect on
students’ general comprehension.
Why do students struggle with
making inferences?
Inferential questions are not answered directly in
the text. Students needs to go beyond the text
which means using higher-level thinking skills.
Making inferences relies on what it says in the
text plus the reader’s background knowledge.
Many of our reluctant readers do not have the
sufficient background knowledge to able to make
the inferences asked for in the text.
How can we help?
Provide our readers with enough
background knowledge before reading so
that they are able to make inferences from
the text
Directly teach students how to make
inferences. Don’t just assume that they
will be able to get there on their own!
How well can you make
inferences?
He put down $10 on the counter. The woman
gave him back $4. The person next to him gave
him $3, but he gave it back to her. So, when
they went inside, she brought him a large bag of
popcorn.
• Where are the man and the person next to him?
• What is the relationship between the man and
the person next to him?
• How much does the popcorn cost?
It Says, I Say, And So
Where are the
man and the
person next to
him
“on the counter”
“a large bag of
popcorn”
I know that
popcorn is
usually bought
at the movies or
a sporting event
The man and
the person next
to him are
probably at the
movies or a
sporting event
What is the
relationship
between the
man and the
person next to
him?
“he put down
$10” “they went
inside” “she
bought him a
large bag of
popcorn
I know that
when a man
pays for a
woman and they
go somewhere
together, it
means they may
be on a date
The man and
the person next
to him may be
boyfriend/
girlfriend or
husband/ wife
Now, please watch a 5 minute DVD
of this strategy being used in a
classroom
Why Mrs. Lewis likes this strategy!
It breaks down the process of making inferences
and shows students how to do it
It shows students how to focus on their
background knowledge to make an inference.
It forces students to go back into the text- look
for text evidence and re-read.
It teaches students the difference between literal
and inferential questions so when they are asked
inferential questions in other classes, they know
that they need to think about the text and their
background knowledge in order to answer the
question.
And Most of All..
• This strategy allows students to become
independent and metacognitive learners
who can reflect on their learning and
thinking and apply strategies when needed
to help them better understand the text.
References
• Beers, K. (2003). When Kids Can’t Read What
Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers 6-12.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
• Harvey, Stephanie, and Anne Goudvis. (2007).
Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension
for Understanding and Engagement. Portland,
Maine: Stenhouse.