Free inferencing activities for speech therapy
10 free activities · no sign-up
An inference fills a gap the speaker or writer left open: the boy is holding an umbrella and his hair is wet, so it is probably raining. Inferencing boards ask the student to put clues from a picture or a text together with what they already know, and then say how they know.
Start with pictures, where the clues are visible, then move to short stories and text messages, and on to expository text in middle and high school. Always ask “How do you know?”: the reasoning is the skill, and it tells you whether a correct answer was a guess.
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All 10 activities
PreK–2
Grades 3–5
- Inference from Short Stories: Grades 3-5Infer an unstated cause, place or feeling from two sentences of evidence.
- Listening Comprehension Step 5: Listen Between the LinesStep 5 of 6. Short passages read aloud with the words hidden, where the answer is not said directly and the student has to use clues to work it out…
- Perspective Taking: What Did They Think Was Happening?Each card is an ambiguous social event to be re-described from the other person's side, with the student generating the alternative reading rather…
- What Do They Really Mean? Hints and Indirect RequestsSeven hints and indirect requests. The student works out what the speaker actually wants.
Grades 6–8
Questions
- What is the difference between inferencing and predicting?
- A prediction is an inference about what will happen next. Inferencing is broader: it also covers why something happened, how a character feels, and what a word means from its context.
- How do I support a student who can’t make inferences yet?
- Point to one clue and ask what it tells you, then add a second. Offer two possible inferences and ask which one fits the clues better. Log those as cued trials and reduce the support over time.
- Are there inferencing activities for older students?
- Yes. The text message, author’s purpose and expository text boards are written for middle and high school, where students are expected to make inferences in every class.
Keep the data from every board
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal. Assign any board as home practice through the parent portal.
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