Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions Flashcards
6 cards from real PARAPRO practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions flashcards as text
Read the passage: 'Maria put on her heaviest coat, grabbed her umbrella, and stepped outside. She immediately turned back and reached for her snow boots.' What can you infer about the weather?
Answer: It was cold and snowy or icy outside.
Maria's actions — heavy coat, umbrella, and snow boots — all point to cold, wintry weather with snow or ice on the ground. No detail suggests heat or a thunderstorm.
A student reads a story where the main character stops eating lunch with his friends and starts sitting alone. The author never states how the character feels. What can a reader most reasonably infer?
Answer: The character is experiencing a conflict or emotional difficulty with friends.
A sudden change in social behavior — avoiding former friends — is a classic implied signal of interpersonal conflict or emotional distress. The text provides no evidence for hunger, location preference, or rules.
Read the passage: 'The gym was eerily quiet. The usual shouts and sneaker squeaks were absent. A single tumbleweed of dust drifted across the floor.' What can you infer?
Answer: The gym is empty and has not been used recently.
Silence, absence of activity sounds, and a dust tumbleweed all imply the gym is vacant and has been unused for some time. A clean gym would not have a dust tumbleweed.
An inference is best described as:
Answer: A logical conclusion drawn from evidence and reasoning beyond what is directly stated
An inference goes beyond what is literally stated — it uses clues from the text combined with background knowledge to reach a logical conclusion not explicitly written.
Read the passage: 'The teacher handed back the tests without a word. Several students slumped in their chairs. One student quietly put his paper face-down on the desk.' What is the most reasonable inference?
Answer: The students performed poorly on the test.
Slumping and hiding a paper face-down are behaviors typically associated with disappointment over poor results. The silence and body language collectively imply the class did not do well.
A paraprofessional wants to help students practice making inferences. Which activity best develops this skill?
Answer: Asking students what they think a character is feeling and what clues led them to that conclusion
Inference requires connecting textual evidence to a conclusion not directly stated. Asking students to name a feeling AND cite the clues that support it directly practices the inference process.