Along with comprehension, making inferences is a very difficult strategy to teach. Try to read a text and make notes alongside it of exactly what you are thinking, so that you can explain your thought process to your students and show them the inferences you have made. For example:
He handed her the green and she passed him a tall sundae through the window.
^He has no antecedent, so we are not meant to know his name yet
^"green" must be referring to money because its a clear exchange- he pays her and she gives him a sundae.
^She must be an employee of an ice cream stand because she is through a window and passed out ice cream after receiving payment.
^Many ice cream stands have windows in which the money and product is passed though, hence the assumption that this is an ice cream stand.
By explaining how you reached your conclusions, step by step, it will become easier for students to break down the process of making inferences and become better readers.
I think this process really helps students understand all the parts of a text. Even if you do this as a think aloud it will make a big difference for those who struggle with making inferences and deciding what points in the story are important.
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