Transcript Week 11 - Reading Comprehension Online

Week 11
RDG081
“To infer as we read is to go
beyond literal interpretation and
to open a world of meaning
deeply connected to our lives.”
~ Ellin Keene
Author of Mosaic of Thought
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6min. Fluency
• Timer:
Introduction
• Sometimes authors like to have their readers
think about what they are trying to state in their
texts.
• Finding out what these ideas are is called making
inferences.
• We make inferences all the time. For example, if
we hear a dog barking outside, we might infer
that someone is playing with his/her dog. When
we meet someone, and they have a smile on
their face, we might think they are happy.
• Making inferences is similar to making
predictions.
Chapter 7 Inferences
• An inference or conclusion is an idea that is
suggested by the facts or details in a passage
or picture.
• A valid inference is a logical conclusion based
on evidence.
• What are the emotions
shown in
this picture?
Making
Connections
Questioning
Drawing
Conclusions
Inference
Analysis of Text:
Interpretation/
Judgment
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Background
Knowledge
(schema)
Predictions
Imagination/
Visualization
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All the processes
work together.
Each works in
concert with
the others to
aid the reader
in comprehending text.
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“Questioning and inferring
work in tandem to enhance
understanding of text.”
~ Harvey & Goudvis
Authors of Strategies That Work
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Readers are able to think
inferentially when they
connect their background of
information, ideas, and
experiences with the text.
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“Inferring is the process of taking
that which is stated in text and
extrapolating it to one’s life to create
a wholly original interpretation that,
in turn, becomes part of one’s beliefs
or knowledge.”
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~ Ellin Keene
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It is important for the reader to
have background knowledge
about a text they are reading if
they are expected to read
inferentially.
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Word Clues
+ Experience
Inference
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Predicting is related
to inferring - - BUT
what’s the difference?
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“When you read, you use all your
senses.
You see things in your
‘mind’s eye’ and hear the sounds you
connect to that about which you are
reading.”
~ Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way
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“Proficient readers use images to
draw conclusions, to create distinct
and unique interpretations of the
text, to recall details significant to the
text, and to recall a text after it has
been read.”
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~ Ellin Keene
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“Proficient readers
make connections
between conclusions
they draw and other
beliefs or knowledge.”
~ Ellin Keene
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Thinking Through Inferences
• A common pitfall is to rely too much on
opinions and bias.
• An effective reader’s goal is to find out what
the author is saying, stating, or implying.
• An invalid conclusion is a false inference that
is not based on the details, or facts in the text
or on reasonable thinking.
The VALID Approach to Inferences
•
•
•
•
•
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Step 5:
Verify and value the facts.
Assess prior knowledge.
Learn from the text.
Investigate for bias.
Detect contradictions.
Step 1: Verify and Value the Facts.
•
•
Korea has long been known as the “Eastern Land of Courtesy.” When
happy, a Korean simply smiles or gently touches the one who brings the
happiness. When angry, a Korean simply stares directly at the person,
and that person’s humble smile is a powerful apology.
What are the valid inferences?
1.
Koreans are quiet and reserved people.
2.
Koreans show their emotions.
3.
Koreans are afraid of hurting the feelings
of
other people.
Step 2: Assess Prior Knowledge.
• What you already know and have experienced can
help make accurate inferences.
• “I forgot to make a back-up copy of my brain, so
everything I learned last semester was lost.” What is
being compared?
– Compared to a computer
– Compared to a friend
– Compared to what he knows
Step 3: Learn from the Text.
• A valid inference is always based on what is
stated or implied by the details in the text.
• Context clues can unlock the meaning of an
author’s use of vocabulary.
Step 4: Investigate for Bias.
• To make a valid inference, we must investigate
our response to information for bias.
• Our bias can shape our reading of the author’s
meaning.
• Note biased words and replace them with
factual details as you form your conclusions.
Step 5: Detect Contradictions.
• The effective reader hunts for the most reasonable explanation for
something.
• The best way to do this is to consider other explanations that could
logically contradict your first impression.
• In the following list of behaviors, how many explanations for them can you
think of?
– Slurred words
– Poor balance
– Slow movement
– Fatigue or tiredness
Inferences in Creative Expression:
Literary Devices
• Connotation of Words
– The emotional meaning of words
– “My home is for sale.”
Inferences in Creative Expression:
Literary Devices
• Metaphor
– A direct comparison
– “Lies are sinkholes.”
• Personification
– Giving human traits to things that are not human
– “The sun woke slowly.”
Inferences in Creative Expression:
Literary Devices
• Simile
– An indirect comparison
– “Lies are like sticky webs.”
• Symbol
– Something that stands for or suggests something
else
– “A skull and crossbones is a symbol for poison and
death.”
Inferences in Literature
• Words are used to create mental pictures.
• “Gene’s skin was pale and hot to the touch; he
squeezed his eyes tight against the throbbing
in his head, and as he lifted his fingers to press
on his temple, his stomach lurched with
nausea.”
The inference is that Gene is sick.
Inferences and Visual Aids
• Pictures, photos, cartoons, and graphs imply
ideas in textbooks. What do these imply?
Practice
• A man and his son are driving in a car. The car
crashes into a tree, killing the father and
seriously injuring his son. At the hospital, the
boy needs to have surgery. Upon looking at
the boy, the doctor says (telling the truth), "I
cannot operate on him. He is my son."
• How can this be? Decide on your answer
before reading further.
• Whether this passage is a brain twister or a reading
passage, readers must assume that any lack of
understanding is not due to the story, but due to their
own lack of understanding. We must work harder to
think about how the story might make sense.
• We quickly see that we have to explain how a doctor
can have a son ("I cannot operate on him. He is my
son.") when at the same time the father is dead (“The
car crashes into a tree, killing the father”). The answer:
The doctor is the boy's mother. Many readers are
blinded to this meaning by the sexist assumption that
the doctor must be a male.
Practice
• “Do you believe in life after death?” the boss asked one of his
employees.
• “Yes, sir,” the new employee replied.
• “Well, then, that makes everything just fine . . .” the boss went on.
“After you left work early yesterday to go to your grandmother’s
funeral, she stopped in to see you.”
•
a. The dead grandmother’s ghost came to the office looking for her
grandson.
b. The boss has a wild imagination.
c. The employee had lied about going to his grandmother’s
funeral.
• . Undertakers report that human bodies do not
deteriorate as quickly as they used to. They
believe the reason is that preservatives in highly
processed foods slow the body’s decomposition.
Which diet is more likely to slow a dead body’s
decomposition?
a. A diet of fresh vegetables
b. A diet of fast food and soda
c. A diet of raw seafood
Practice
• Inference with political cartoons:
• http://www.laflemm.com/RKeys/RKeysTest5.h
tml
• http://www.shsu.edu/~txcae/Powerpoints/pr
epostest/inferencespostest.html
• http://www.laflemm.com/RfT/Practice/RfTPra
cticeInf1.html
• Ten Steps To Improving College Reading Skills
• A Cup of Tea by Katherine Mansfield