Inference Types in Instructional Materials for Elementary Students

Abstract

The Common Core has emphasized reading for comprehension, including making inferences. However, little is known about the instructional materials included in core literacy programs for teaching inferences. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of background, anaphoric, predictive, and retrospective inferences in instructional materials for grades three through five within one core literacy program, Wonders. Results show that, although lessons include inference instruction across grade levels, third-grade materials include the most, when it seems that such instruction should increase as text demands increase in fourth and fifth grades. Lessons on retrospective inferences were most prevalent, followed by background. Predictive and anaphoric inferences were much less apparent. Recommendations and suggestions for the future are provided.