The note
How schools teach it now
Inference is the 'I' in VIPERS. Children learn to read between the lines and back every answer with evidence using Point, Evidence, Explain: Tom is nervous (point), 'his stomach churned' (evidence), a churning stomach is a sign of nerves (explain). Questions often ask 'How do you know?'
5-minute kitchen-table activity
Watch two minutes of a TV programme with the sound off, or look at a picture in a book. Ask: how is this person feeling, and how do you know? Your child points to a clue, like a frown or slumped shoulders. Then try it with a page of their reading book.
Worked example
Passage: 'Tom pushed his plate away. The chips he usually loved sat cold and untouched, and his stomach churned as the time of his swimming test crept closer.' How is Tom feeling? (hungry, nervous, angry, sleepy)
- Look for clues: he isn't eating food he usually loves.
- 'His stomach churned' as the test 'crept closer' shows he is dreading it.
- 'hungry' is a trap: he is leaving his food, not wanting more.
Answer: nervous
Common mistakes to watch for
- Giving an answer with no evidence from the text.
- Copying a quotation without explaining what it shows.
- Saying how they would feel instead of using the character's clues.
Encouragement
- Try saying
- “That's a great idea. Which words gave you that clue?”
- Rather than
- “No, that's not what it means.”