Inference Worksheets

There’s no doubt that inferencing skills are some of the most challenging to teach (and learn) in any classroom. Students need close reading skills, as well as the confidence, to make a strong inference about what they’re reading. If you’re looking for resources on teaching this skill to your students, you’ve come to the right place! Below, you’ll read more about making inferences as well as gain access to our printable inference worksheets!

Inferencing skills are all about using what’s in the text and what a learner already knows in order to create a conclusion. For this reason, students will need to exercise flexibility and critical thinking skills.

Inferencing is the key to comprehension, especially as students grow as readers and navigate more complex texts.

Instructional Approach

At first, practicing inferencing skills may leave students feeling confused or “stuck.”. They may also express doubt about the ideas they have. After all, some texts will lend themselves to prior knowledge better than others and not all students will approach a text with the exact same background knowledge.

By contrast, other students may make wild guesses based on their creative and imaginative thinking. It truly takes time and patience to hone inferencing skills.

Still, it is important to emphasize (again and again) that inferencing skills depend on two ideas: using one’s background knowledge and what the text says to form a conclusion or estimate.

This is in contrast to predicting, which considers what will happen in the future. Inferencing depends on what has already happened and how that may lead to the next event or resolution.

Remind students that inferencing is a real-world skill. We use our inferencing skills when we see a weather report. If the weather forecaster says it will rain based on the data they have, we can infer that it may be a good idea to keep an umbrella and rain jacket with us that day. If we see that many of our classmates are in need of tissues, it may be that a “bug” is going around and we should therefore wash our hands more often.

When it comes to reading, it is these cognitive processes, in combination with what readers encounter in a text, that enables them to use their inferencing skills.

The conclusions and estimates readers make as a result of what they know and what they read must be informed by logic, reason, and sensibility.

Here are a few simple reminders for students as they practice their inferencing skills:

1. Try and Try, Again!: It’s important to exercise flexibility and think through all possible options, within reason. Students should aim to generate reasonable conclusions so that they can determine possible outcomes based on what they know and the clues in the text. Students should be able to justify their conclusions.
2. Use Language to Confirm Inferencing Skills: In addition to coaching students to use inference skills, providing them with the language necessary to
3. Reflect: It is also important for students to use metacognitive skills to reflect on their guesses. This is an important part of how they understand their skills and where they can improve.

One simple way to begin practicing is to select a short story and decide on a point at which the story can pause. At that point, ask students to make an inference (based on what the text says and what they know) about what might happen next. Finish the story so they can reflect on the accuracy of their inferences. This is a worthy whole-class lesson that all students can enjoy.

An important part of learning inferencing skills is to keep the work fun! By enjoying a range of high-interest texts, students can activate their prior knowledge and make informed inferences when reading different stories. Now, scroll below to get started with ReadingVine’s printable inference worksheets!