How is the process of reading like playing the board game Clue? Both involve assembling “clues” and evidence to make sense of a particular situation or puzzle. However, while the game may be played without conscious or strategic choices, making inferences while reading is a deliberate and purposeful strategy.Research tells us that proficient readers use their own experience as well as the literal text to construct meaning. Yet this process of making inferences is not an intuitive process. Students need explicit instruction and opportunities to practice this meaning-making process. Modeling, teacher think-alouds, and the use of graphic organizers support students as they learn to make inferences.

One way that readers make inferences is by using context clues to figure out the meaning of an unknown word. By first making a prediction about the unknown word’s meaning and then reading to determine if the context clues found in the text support the prediction, students can make inferences and develop vocabulary skills.

There are several types of context clues, including direct definition clues, synonym or antonym clues, and inferential clues. While direct definition clues provide an actual definition within the text, inferential clues require that the reader uses information from the text and his or her own background knowledge to make sense of the unknown word. Synonym and antonym clues can be helpful only if the clue word is familiar to the student. Often, punctuation is used within a sentence to signal a definition, or examples are listed after signal words like such as. With explicit instruction and teacher modeling, students will begin to identify these contextual clues independently.

It is important to note that the strategy of using context clues is not without limitations. Some sentences provide little context to assist readers in constructing a working definition. One often-cited example is “We heard the back door open, and then recognized the buoyant footsteps of Uncle Larry.” This sentence provides little helpful information in determining the meaning of the word buoyant. When teaching students to use context clues, it is important to discuss examples in which the context is not meaningful and provide alternative strategies, such as consulting a dictionary.

Use the following resources to build your knowledge of the process of making context clues and using inferences. Several resources are indicated as also suitable for use with your students.