Inferential Comprehension Inferential comprehension questions measure interpretation.

These items require you to read between the lines or even beyond the lines. Making an inference requires the reader to combine prior knowledge and experience with passage information. Making an inference requires using information that is explicit in a passage, determining which ideas are relevant to answering a particular question, and combining those ideas to create something unique, something that is implied by the information at hand. The following table is an attempt to present a scope and sequence of inferential comprehension skills based on information gleaned from the Australian Curriculum and NAPLaN questions. Yr Inference Type ALL Vocabulary R R R R R 1 1 1 1 1 2 Identify real versus imagined texts Text to self connections Recognition of the referent for personal pronouns Recognition of changed tense Inferring feelings Prediction Text to self connections Intra-textual connections Inferring characters motives and feelings Prediction Identification of purpose Examples Attempting to work out unknown words by combining contextual, semantic, grammatical and phonic knowledge Identifying whether events are likely to happen Making links between events in a text and students own experiences Identifying that he, she, they, them, it etc refers to... The completion of the building of the .....When was.....built? The mother in the story felt.... Using contextual and semantic knowledge to make predictions about a texts purpose and content Making connections between the text and students own experiences Making connections between information in print and images Finding key information in a text making inferences about characters feelings and motives Making predictions from the cover, from illustrations and at points in the text before reading on Identifying the main purpose of a text, including whether the author wants to entertain, explain or persuade and considering how audiences might respond to those texts Identifies the target audience for a short narrative text Using prior and learned knowledge and vocabulary to make and confirm predictions when reading text Making connections between the text and students own experiences Making connections between the text and experiences with other texts comparing authors differing point of view on a topic Making connections between information in print and images Making valid inferences using information in a text and students own prior knowledge Predicting as they read and summarising and reviewing meaning Generalise about a character in a narrative text. Links information across two sections of a simple information text Asking and answering questions as they read, and summarising and reviewing meaning Identifying the authors point of view on a topic and key words and images that seem intended to persuade listeners, viewers or readers to agree Analysing the way illustrations help to construct meaning and interpreting different types of illustrations and graphics Making connections between the text and students own experience and other texts Making connections between information in print and images Making predictions and asking and answering questions about the text drawing on knowledge of the topic, subject-specific vocabulary and experience of texts on the same topic Determining important ideas, events or details in texts

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3

Identification of audience Prediction Text to self connections Text to text connections Intra-textual connections Text to self connections Prediction Generalise Intra-textual connections Questioning Identification of point of view Visual literacy Text to self connections Text to text connections Intra-textual connections Making predictions Questioning Determining importance

3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Questioning Text to text connections Inferencing Text to text connections Text to self connections Text to text connections Intra-textual connections Questioning Visualising Determining Importance Identification of the functional relation between words and images Identifying purpose Evaluation Summarising & Synthesising Text to self connections Text to text connections Intra-textual connections Prediction Questioning Determining Importance Summarising Identifying authors intent Identifying authors purpose Identifying cause & effect Identifying tone Evaluation Vocabulary Making Connections Determining credibility Evaluation

Commenting on questions raised by reading, referring explicitly to the text Identifying text structures and features based on experience Making considered inferences taking into account topic knowledge or a characters likely actions and feelings Identifying how textual features such as headings, subheadings, bold type and graphic organisers are used to order and present information Making connections between the text and students own experience and other texts Making connections between information in print and images Asking and answering questions Creating mental images Finding the main idea of a text Inferring meaning from the ways communication occurs in digital environments including the interplay between words, images, and sounds Using research skills including identifying research purpose Locating texts, gathering and organising information, evaluating its relative value, and the accuracy and currency of print and digital sources Summarising information from several sources Making connections between the text and students own experience and other texts Making connections between information in print and images Using prior knowledge and textual information to make inferences and predictions Asking and answering questions Finding the main idea of a text Summarising a text or part of a text Identify how authors use language to position the reader and give reasons Identifying the purpose and possible audience for a text Identifying cause and effect in explanations and how these are used to convince an audience of a course of action Inferring the tone and emotional intent of a character in dialogue in a narrative Evaluating an author's use of particular textual structures and language features in achieving the representation of a point of view Identifying the meaning of a wide range of words, including technical and literary language in various contexts Reflecting on content by connecting and comparing information found in a text to knowledge sourced elsewhere Determining and applying criteria for evaluating the credibility of a website Evaluating techniques used to construct plot and create emotional responses such as comparison, contrast, exaggeration, juxtaposition, the changing of chronological order, or the expansion and compression of time Constructing questions to frame an analysis of differing representations on moral issues in texts, and including a critical analysis of a personal view in the overall analysis of the issue Predicting meanings of unfamiliar words by using morphographic patterns Identifying or commenting on the author's approaches and use of techniques, design, form and style Evaluating techniques used to construct plot and create emotional responses such as comparison, contrast, exaggeration, juxtaposition, the changing of chronological order, or the expansion and compression of time

5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8

Questioning

9 9 9

Vocabulary Identifying authors style Evaluation

Another way to look at a sequence of comprehension skills is by using Barretts Taxonomy as a framework.

Barretts Taxonomy of Cognitive Difficulty of Questions

Based on Barrett, 1968. Cited in Reading in a foreign language, Alderson & Uquart, Longman. 1984. Level 1. Literal comprehension Description Requires the student to focus on ideas and information explicitly stated in text Skills Recognition or recall of details Recognition or recall main ideas Recognition or recall of sequence Recognition or recall of comparisons Recognition or recall of cause-effect relationships Recognition or recall of character traits Classifying Outlining Summarising Synthesising Question starters Find... Show me... Locate... Identify... Point out... Read the line that...Tell me..State... List... Recall... Describe... What caused...What part of the story describes Compare... Contrast... List... Paraphrase... Classify... Divide... Summarise... "How is... different than" "How is... the same as" Pretend... Suppose... Could... How would... What might have happened if... If we assume, what might... What would be the consequences if... What are the implications of Interpret the following figurative expressions...

2. Reorganisatio n

Requires the student to recall from memory information explicitly stated in the text

3. Inferential comprehension

Requires the student to use information explicitly stated in the text along with personal experience and knowledge in order to conjecture and to form hypotheses.

Predicting outcomes

Interpreting figurative language Requires the student to compare information and ideas in a text with material presented by the instructor or other authorities and with the student's own knowledge and experience in order to form judgments of various kinds.

Emotional and aesthetic response. Requires the student to articulate emotional and aesthetic responses to the text according to personal standards and to professional standards of literary forms, styles, genres, theories, personal experience, etc.

5. Appreciation

Inferring supporting details: requires the student to conjecture about information that might have been included in the text. Inferring the main idea Inferring sequence: requires the student to conjecture about what might have occurred in addition to explicitly stated events; includes conjecture about extending events beyond the completion of the text. Inferring comparisons Inferring cause-and-effect relationships Inferring character traits Requires the student to conjecture about the outcome of the text after considering a portion of it Requires the student to infer literal meanings from the authors figurative use of language Judgments of reality and fantasy: require the student to answer the question, "Could these events really happen?" Judgments of fact or opinion: require the student to evaluate the author's or speaker's ability to provide support for conclusions and the author's or speaker's intent Judgments of adequacy and validity: require the student to compare the text to related materials in order to express agreement or disagreement Judgment of appropriateness: require the student to determine which part of the text is most important (e.g. in defining characters, in determining outcomes, etc.) Judgments of worth, desirability, and acceptability: require the student to make judgments based on value systems, morality, personal experience, etc. Emotional response to the text: requires the student to articulate feelings of interest, boredom, excitement, etc. Identification with characters or incidents Reactions to the author's or speaker's connotative and denotative use of language Reactions to imagery

4 Evaluation

Could this really happen... Should... In your opinion... Do you agree... Do you believe... Would you have... Is it right that

Do you know anyone like... What did you think when... Did you (dis)like... Why did you (dis)like...

Skills Recognition or recall of details Recognition or recall main ideas Recognition or recall of sequence Recognition or recall of comparisons Recognition or recall of cause-effect relationships Recognition or recall of character traits Classifying Outlining Summarising Synthesising Inferring supporting details: requires the student to conjecture about information that might have been included in the text. Inferring the main idea Inferring sequence: requires the student to conjecture about what might have occurred in addition to explicitly stated events; includes conjecture about extending events beyond the completion of the text. Inferring comparisons Inferring cause-and-effect relationships Inferring character traits Predicting outcomes Requires the student to infer literal meanings from the authors figurative use of language Judgments of reality and fantasy: require the student to answer the question, "Could these events really happen?" Judgments of fact or opinion: require the student to evaluate the author's or speaker's ability to provide support for conclusions and the author's or speaker's intent Judgments of adequacy and validity: require the student to compare the text to related materials in order to express agreement or disagreement Judgment of appropriateness: require the student to determine which part of the text is most important (e.g. in defining characters, in determining outcomes, etc.) Judgments of worth, desirability, and acceptability: require the student to make judgments based on value systems, morality, personal experience, etc. Emotional response to the text: requires the student to articulate feelings of interest, boredom, excitement, etc. Identification with characters or incidents Reactions to the authors use of language Reactions to imagery

Question / Instruction Locate the name of the boy What is the first rule of living at the airport? What happens between 2:00 and 4:00 am? How are Danny and Andrew alike? Why was the lady with the trolley moved out of the airport? How old is Danny? What are the names of the various airlines in the story? Make a time-line of events in the story Re-tell the story in your own words. Tell the story of the bird. In which country was this story set? How do you know?

Reorganisat ion

Literal

What is the significance of the bird in the story? What is the weekly routine of the family? Suggest details based on the text.

Inference

Why do you think Danny does not go to school but Andrew will? What will happen if Andrew and his father get caught? Why do you think Andrew holds onto hope despite his sadness and anger? What do you think will happen when Andrew turns five? Explain. Why do you think Mars Man has that name? Are the events in the story likely to happen? Explain.

Is it true in this situation that sitting together gets you noticed? Why?

Evaluation

Does the story represent homelessness realistically? Give reasons for your opinion. Which part/s of the story illustrate dads character most effectively?

Is living in the airport the right thing to do?

Which parts of the story made you feel hopeful? Which parts seemed hopeless? How would you feel in this situation? How does the author use language to show the relationship between Andrew and his father? Describe the use of colour throughout the story. What feelings, themes, responses, comparisons do you think the illustrator want to elicit?

Appreciation