Inference Making from Stories
Make logical inferences about story events, character feelings, and unstated information.
Session summary (SOAP)
Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.
Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.
How to run it
Ask how they know after every answer. The clue is short enough that the student can point at it, which builds the habit before the passages get long. Sort the twelve by what is being inferred — weather, feeling, activity, cause — since a student may be strong on physical inferences and weak on emotional ones. Twelve minutes covers the set with the evidence step.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
- Question promptAsk a story-grammar question: who, where, what was the problem, what happened next?Log as cued
- Two choicesOffer two possible next parts of the story and let the student pick and say it.Log as cued
- ModelTell that part yourself; the student tells it back in their own words.Log as cued
Adjust it
Use fewer parts, and keep a first-next-last visual on the table.
Ask for the retell without the pictures, with a feeling or a reason added to each part.
Matching IEP goal
Given a picture or story prompt, Student will tell a story that includes a character, setting, problem and ending in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than one question prompt.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Twelve single-sentence clues with the answer left out: Sam grabbed an umbrella before leaving — what is the weather; Mia's stomach growled loudly — what does she need; Jake was smiling and holding a trophy — how does he feel; the floor was covered in flour and eggshells — what was someone doing; the cake was gone and the dog had crumbs on his nose — who ate it. One clue each, which makes this the step before multi-clue inference.
What to listen for
Watch the feeling items against the physical ones. Leo's face turned red and he looked away requires reading an emotional state from behaviour, which is harder than inferring rain from an umbrella and is a different skill. Notice whether the student offers alternatives — red face could be embarrassment or anger — since recognising ambiguity is more advanced than picking one answer.
Carrying it home
Ask how do you know during any story. It costs nothing, takes seconds, and it is the single most useful comprehension question a family can ask — far more useful than asking what happened, which a child can answer by repeating the last sentence.
What's in this activity
- Sam grabbed an umbrella before leaving. What is the weather?
- Mia's stomach growled loudly. What does she need?
- The lights in the house went dark. What happened?
- Jake was smiling and holding a trophy. How does he feel?
- Ana packed a suitcase and a map. What is she about to do?
- The kids covered their ears. What is happening?
- Leo's face turned red and he looked away. How does he feel?
- The floor was covered in flour and eggshells. What was someone doing?
- Dad put on his coat and grabbed the leash. Where is he going?
- Maya's eyes were red and she held a tissue. How does she feel?
- The cake was gone and the dog had crumbs on his nose. Who ate it?
- Everyone at the bus stop opened an umbrella at once. What happened?
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- Second through fifth, at the single-clue stage of inference work.
- Do I need to sign in?
- No, all twelve items play free.
- How is this different from the grades 3–5 inference board?
- That one gives two sentences of evidence and asks the student to combine them. This gives one clue per item, which is the earlier step.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.