The National Reading Panel concludes that making inferences is central to reading comprehension.  When readers make inferences they interpret ideas not stated explicitly in the text and draw appropriate conclusions.  They go beyond what the author has written on the page.  Readers put together clues from the text and make evidence-based guesses about character motives, the plot, the problem, the solution, etc. 

What It Means to Infer

Tips for Helping Your Child Make Inferences

Websites on Making Inferences:

Online Inference Test

http://www.quia.com/pop/43335.html?AP_rand=1595747348

Using Cartoons to Teach Inference - PowerPoint

http://learn.shorelineschools.org/kellogg/SMCALLISTER/documents/making_inferences.ppt

Math Literacy:  Making Inferences

http://www.cbcsd.org/schools/W-W/mathdep/mathlit/mi.html

Active Notes for Making Inferences - PDF

http://www.englishcompanion.com/pdfDocs/activenotes.pdf

Inference: The Process

http://www.criticalreading.com/inference_process.htm