English Language Arts and Reading.8.5.F

The student is expected to

make inferences and use evidence to support understanding;

comprehension TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

Share a wordless book with the class and ask them to make inferences based on the illustrations.

Examples of wordless books:

  • Flotsam by David Wiesner
  • Journey by Aaron Becker
  • Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle
  • Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
  • The Red Book by Barbara Lehman
  • Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell
  • Mirror by Jeannie Baker
  • Chalk by Bill Thomson

Further Explanation

This SE expects students to consider context, their prior knowledge or experience, and/or other features to make reasonable, logical assumptions about the intended meaning of a text. Evidence that supports understanding can be any relevant details, facts, or information that help students understand what they are reading.

Readers should make connections within and beyond a text to be able to come to conclusions about information or ideas not explicitly stated. For example, students can record specific details from a text about characters and events and use their prior knowledge to make an inference. Students can use context from the text, text features, and/or other comprehension tools to make reasonable, logical assumptions about the intended meaning of a text.
Students should use information presented in a text to make reasonable, logical assumptions about the intended meaning. Evidence that corroborates understanding can be any relevant details, facts, or information that helps students understand what they are reading.

Research

1. Brodsky, L., Falk, A., & Beals, K. (2013). Helping students evaluate the strength of evidence in scientific arguments: Think about the inferential distance between evidence and claims. Science Scope, (36)9, 22–28. Retrieved from https://www.nsta.org

Summary: This article illustrates how inferences are determined by observing and using evidence. The article compliments the Pottle document (below) by applying the definitions within a context. Figures and illustrations are included.

2. DeLaPaz, S., Ferretti, R., Daniel, Y., &  MacArthur, C. (2019). Adolescents' disciplinary use of evidence, argumentative strategies, and organization structure in writing about historical controversies.  Written Communication, 29(4), 412–454. doi: 10.1177/0741088312461591

Summary: This comprehensive study provides argumentative strategies that address how to provide evidence to support a position statement. Although the strategies are implemented in an American History course, the strategies are effective for instruction in RELA. The article includes a significant amount of data.

3. Jonassen, D. H., & Kim. B. (2009). Arguing to learn and learning to argue: Design justification and guidelines. Education Technology Research and Development, 58(4), 439–457. doi: 10.1007/s11423-009-9143-8

Summary: This study suggests that students who experience meaningful learning are also deeply engaged in the learning process. The study focuses on argumentative writing. Jonassen and Kim consider critical thinking as a way to facilitate conceptual change and problem solving. In fact, critical thinking is foundational in learning how to effectively argue. The study also examines what occurs when a student is unsuccessful in persuading an audience or presenting an argument. The report provides ways to evaluate arguments for quality.

4. Pottle, R. (2012). An inquiry into inferring. Retrieved from www.robertpottle.com

Summary: Pottle provides a complete overview of how inference is addressed in a text. The text includes a full scope and range of inferring along with definitions.