Why observation is important in reading: watch your students make inferences

 What's going on in the picture?

She has a smile on her face, but she looks like she's in trouble.

Why do you think that?

Well, her clothes are ragged, and she has a black eye. 

That simple explanation came from a sixth grader looking at this picture.

👉 That's the power of using pictures to teach inferences; when they see it, they get it.

Why is Observation The First Step in Making Inferences?

Making inferences from text can be tough for many students. There’s vocabulary, sentence structure, and background knowledge all fighting for attention.

Observation is the foundation of inference because students can't draw conclusions from what they haven't noticed. When we ask them to infer from a cold text, we're asking them to skip a step. Starting with pictures trains them to slow down and look before they leap, and that's a habit that can transfer directly to reading.

How to Teach It Step-by-Step

Why do you think she's sitting outside the principal's office? 

Maybe she got into a fight at school.

Project a compelling image. I love using National Geographic photos or classic paintings like the one above.

Ask:

• What do you notice?

• What details stand out?

🌟 Tip: Use sentence stems like “I noticed…” or “It looks like…” to help students get started.

Have them Infer

Use a picture like this one from National Geographic with people walking through water.

Ask the same three questions:

• Observation: What do you see?

• Inference: What does that make you think?

• Prediction: What might happen next?

This picture brings urgency and real-world context. And students love sharing wild (and thoughtful!) guesses about what might happen next.

Whole-class discussions work beautifully here. You’ll hear ideas bounce around the room and see confidence build.

Move to Predictions

Encourage forward thinking with this picture of a man dangling from a rock above water:

• What might happen next?

• How do you think the character is feeling?

My students and I look at more pictures to teach inference.  Later, we move into small groups or partner work to answer the three questions: What do you observe?  What do you infer?  What do you predict?

Wait!  Did she get into trouble?  But she's kind of happy that she did?  Like maybe she beat up a bully who was picking on other kids?  And she's going to get into trouble for it, but she's still happy that she did it.

I think you might be on to something!

How to Transition from Pictures to Text

It's not hard, once students get comfortable working with pictures, to transition to making inferences with picture books.  I like to use this one for teaching inferencing: The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg, because there's a twist that many students don't see coming. 

Making Inferences from Text Alone

Use a text like Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) with guided supports like this:

• Underlined clues in the text

• Margin notes with inference starters

• Questions that help them think beyond the words

By now, students are confident enough to apply their inferencing skills to real texts—even at their own reading levels.

What Happens Next

Over a few days, you’ll notice a shift.
Your students start asking better questions, noticing more details, and—best of all—feeling confident about their thinking.

🎉 That’s the real magic of inference.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an observation and an inference?
An observation is something you can directly see or prove from the text or image. An inference is a conclusion you draw by combining what you observe with what you already know. Observation is the evidence; inference is the interpretation.

Why do students struggle with making inferences?
Most students make inferences constantly in real life.  They just don't recognize they're doing it! The challenge in reading is that the text requires them to hold multiple pieces of information in mind simultaneously. Starting with visual inference (pictures) removes the decoding load and makes the thinking process visible.

What grade levels does this strategy work for?
This approach works well for grades 4–7. It's particularly effective for middle-grade students who are beginning to read more complex texts, where inferences require deeper background knowledge.

Want to Save Time Planning?

👉 If you want this strategy ready to use on Monday, my Making Inferences from Pictures resource on TpT includes the image sets, graphic organizers, and sentence stems already built.  No prep required.

👉 If you're building these thinking habits at the start of the year, you might also like reading about these active listening games that require zero prep.