Chapter 4,5 "When Kids Can't Read"

"Read the following paragraph and then, in the margin, write what you think is happening in this text:

He put down $10.00 at the window. The woman behind the window gave $4.00. The person next to him gave him $3.00, but he gave it back to her. So, when they went inside, she bought him a large bag of popcorn.

This quick practice was a great example on different ways make make inferences. Making inferences can be very tricky for a struggling reader, but by analyzing our own types of inferences, then we can begin to show studetns all the steps involved in making an inference. I usually look into situations in a story a lot harder than other people. But if I discuss what I have came up with and work with other people who are reading the same passage as me, I can see why they made the inferences they made. We discussed this passage in class and I was surprised at all the different answers and comments I heard. For myself, I thought the passage was a math problem and started to look at it from a math point of view. For others, they saw it the way it was meant to be seen-as a date between a man and a woman at the movies. Making inferences can be rough and is something I struggle with when I am reading. Beers gives great advice in Chapter 5 on how to appoint these struggles for struggling readers.