Reading Mini Lesson: Inferring

Ashley L. Perry
EDG 341

Lesson Focus/Teaching Point: How to infer what is happening in the

text
Materials:

I Love my New Toy~ Feeling and Emotions Chart ~

Yesterday we were working on how to be a

synthesizing superhero.

Connections Today I am going to teach you how to infer or

assume what the characters in the story are thinking or

feeling because it will help you connect with the
characters in the story and understand what they are
feeling.
We are going to read together, I Love My New Toy.
Before we begin to read, lets talk about what it means
to assume. If I gave you a cookie, why would you think I
gave you one? If I took away one of your toys, why
would you think I did that? What would you assume?
Infer is a synonym for what do I assume is going on?

Teaching

Demonstration
Guided practice
Explain & give
an example
Inquiry

Now, let me show you how I infer how the characters

in the book, I Love My New Toy feel.
Hmmm ... On page two, I see that Gerald asked Piggie
what he was doing. I see Piggie hugging a small item, a
toy, with a really big smile on his face. I assume that this
toy is making Piggie happy because when I am happy or
excited about something, I smile too.
Did you see how I talked through what I assumed or
inferred that Piggie was feeling based on what I saw and
what I read?

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Reading Mini Lesson: Inferring

Ashley L. Perry
EDG 341

Active
Engagemen
t

Now it is your turn to try. Lets read some more of the

story together (read through page 19). What happened
so far in the story? What do you infer Piggie is feeling?
What do you infer Gerald is feeling?

What text
will you use
for the active
engagement?

Link

Independen
t Work Time

Share
We tie the
closing to the
mini lesson, and
use it as a time
to validate,
troubleshoot, or
further instruct.

Today and everyday when you are reading, you

can put yourself in the position of the character and try
to infer/assume how you would feel or what you would
be thinking if you were them.
The teacher will give the students the emotion matching
worksheet. The teacher will have the students match the
emotions to the faces. If needed, the teacher will help the
student(s) number the emotions.

The student(s) will share something that happened to them in

school that day where they saw something happened and what
they assumed or inferred that it meant. This step may require
prompting by the teacher.

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Reading Mini Lesson: Inferring

Ashley L. Perry
EDG 341

Picture Sample

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Reading Mini Lesson: Inferring

Ashley L. Perry
EDG 341

Ways to Differentiate
This lesson was adapted specifically for a literacy partner who is four years old and
reading on level F (F&P). For students who may have trouble following the steps of
inferring, the teacher could continue to give real world interactive examples about
what they assume/infer about something that is happening using visual and context
clues.

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