People draw inferences whenever they make conclusions from prior knowledge. For example, if a person driving a car came across black tire marks, broken glass and smashed car parts, he might infer that he was passing the scene of a recent accident. People also draw inferences from photographs, cartoons, books or short stories.
Parents and teachers should encourage students to become active readers that analyze what they read to draw inferences. They also keep notebooks and pens or pencils nearby to take notes and write down ideas as they read. Active readers ask themselves questions as they read, such as "What do the details tell the reader about the story?" or "How does the writer use details to support or contradict previous details?"
Teachers can use several activities to help students learn how to make inferences. For example, role playing can help students learn how to draw inferences from body language. Examining newspaper comics can teach students how to use prior knowledge to understand jokes. The question-answer-relationship technique can help students figure out which questions are answered directly in the text, which answers the reader has to dig for and which ones the reader can only answer through inference.
Parents can also help their children learn about making inferences. For example, family photo albums can show children how to infer feelings from a person's posture and facial expressions. Having a child read a paragraph from a favorite story and then rewrite it with the characters' emotions stated directly can help him understand why writers typically show characters' emotions through actions rather than stating them outright. Discussing a news story with a child and then having her create a chart with supporting details for the article's conclusions can help her learn the difference between facts and inferences.