When reviewing data with teachers, we often discover that students stumble on inference-type questions (I bet that comes as no surprise to all reading teachers out there!).  Below, you will find several inference resources I discovered as I researched strategies, tools, and resources that could be used to help students understand and develop inference skills.

So what is inference? Below, you will find several of my favorite definitions:

• Inference is a judgement based on reasoning rather than on direct or explicit statement. A conclusion based on facts or circumstances. For example, advised not to travel alone in temperatures exceeding fifty degrees below zero, the man in Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” sets out anyway. (Dictionary of Literary Terms)
• Inference is a logical guess based on evidence based on evidence in the text.
• Inference involves making conclusions about a piece of literature when the connection is not provided in a piece of literature.

The following resources may be helpful as you teach the skill of inference…

• Practice Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions – good material to use with elementary students
• Brain Pop Jr. Make Inferences – excellent information that includes a link to a great little (free) Brain Pop Jr. video
• Inference Riddles – an interactive resource
• Teaching Tips:  Inference – a portal of additional links relating to Inference
• Teaching Inference, Interpretation and Analysis with New (and Old) Technologies
• Critical Thinking: Distinguishing Between Inferences and Assumptions – an excellent article adapted from the book, Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life, by Richard Paul and Linda Elder
• Teaching Students to Make Inferences – a Bright Hub! article written by Keren Perles

Graphic Organizers that can be used to help students:

• ereading worksheets (scroll down for download links)
• Have Fun Teaching (several downloads)
• Inference or Prediction? (.pdf file)

PowerPoints that help teach inference:

I recently received a request to find algebra resources that could be used at the 6-8 grade level. This is a challenging request for me since I have not taught algebra and will not admit to how long it has been since I took Algebra (just think….a long time ago). Still, I would like to honor this request so I have researched and posted a number of general algebra resource portals that I researched and discovered below (in no particular order). I believe these resources could be used to teach Algebra at different grade levels (in addition to grades 6-8) and could be used to spiral, differentiate, and revisit algebraic skills. As a visual learner, I especially found the video sites helpful. Please use the comment link at the bottom of this post to share your algebra-related resources…together we are so much better (especially when it comes to math)!

1. Algebra Help – a collection of lessons, calculators, and worksheets created to assist students and teachers of algebra. The site includes dozens of lessons on key algebra topics, an equation calculator, and numerous worksheets.
2. Purplemath – this portal includes beginning, intermediate, and advanced algebra topics.

• HippoCampus Algebra – these algebra-related multimedia tutorials are simply outstanding. This is an absolutely wonderful site. I’m teaching myself algebra all over again!
• Khan Academy- 1000+ videos on YouTube covering everything from basic arithmetic and algebra to differential equations, physics, chemistry, biology and finance which have been recorded by Salman Khan. This is a fantastic resource for visual learners…a definite site to share with students (or parents) who are struggling with algebra homework. The video is not professional in appearance, but the content and explanations are excellent. It’s hard to believe that one person has created and posted all these videos! I have embedded a sample below:
• MathTV.com- this site also features 1,000 + of math and Algebra-related video tutorials. Register for a free account so you can save a playlist of videos that support lessons you are teaching. You can even select from a variety of presenters.
• Math.com – use the menu options on the left and the tabs across the top to select homework help and practice skills for pre-algebra and algebra topics
• Cut the Knot – this site features several interactive mathematics activities. 75 of which are algebraic
• Mr. Erskine’s Algebra Site – this site features a number of SMARTboard Notebook 10 files that can be used for teaching or reviewing Algebra. Please note: you must have the Notebook installed on your computer to view the files
• Algebasics – learn and watch various algebraic problems being solved as you watch these online tutorials
• algebrahelp.com – this site features a collection of lessons, calculators, and worksheets created to assist students and teachers of algebra
• GeoGebra – a dynamic mathematics (free) software for all levels of education that joins arithmetic, geometry, algebra and calculus. It offers multiple representations of objects in its graphics, algebra, and spreadsheet views that are all dynamically linked
• Coolmath Algebra -this site has a ton of really easy to follow lessons and examples that will help students, as well as material and information for those who teach Algebra

Today I am sharing a link to a site that I have been developing to share with teachers as we try a number of diverse strategies to help our students become more effective readers. The site includes information about more than 25 reading strategies. Each annotated strategy I included on the site is categorized as a strategy that students could use before, during, or after reading. I have also linked users to videos, PowerPoints, and additional information about each strategy. Click on the image below to link to my Reading Strategies for All Ages site. Please use the comment link at the bottom of this post to share successful reading strategies you have used in your classrooms. We all benefit (and so do your students) when you share your expertise!