Dear Parent/Guardian,

Your child is currently working on the literacy strategy, Infer and support with evidence, which helps with the overall goal, Comprehension.

Have you ever read a book and assumed what the author was saying or feeling without having it actually written down? You make these assumptions using your background knowledge, clues from the story, and pictures. Authors don't always tell the reader everything they want them to know about the story. In order to better comprehend, children must learn to be detectives and look for clues in the text to understand the meaning of the story. Learning to Infer and support with evidence is a strategy used by good readers to better understand what the author is saying.

How can you help your child with this strategy at home?
  1. Read to your child and model your thinking as you read. Modeling is one of the most effective teaching strategies.
  2. Have your child “read” a wordless picture book. Using the pictures to tell stories helps with the inferring process.
  3. When reading with your child, ask some of the following questions:
    • Can you explain why the character acted this way?
    • How do you think the author might feel about (the character)?
    • Think about the setting… what details can you add?
    • Figure out explanations for these events.
    • What clues can you find in the pictures?
  4. Remind your child that a book detective goes slowly, looks for clues, and uses those clues to support their thinking.
Thank you for your continued support at home!

—Mrs. Boushey

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