Inferences

This past week, our reading lesson focused on making inferences. For those of you who haven't been in a fifth grade reading class lately, making inferences is all about using clues from your reading to come to a conclusion about the reading. For example, if you read that the main character is carrying an umbrella, then you can infer that it is raining.

In class, we read a story about a little girl named Mary. In the story, Mary loses her most precious possession, her dog. She cries and cries over the dog.

The students were given a worksheet that said, "What can you infer about how Mary feels in the story? How do you know?"

Julio is a very short Hispanic boy who has so much energy that his body literally vibrates at all times. Not the type of student who is going to be thrilled about the idea of making inferences. His answer on the worksheet:

"She was said. I readed the story."

I don't know what I should review first....making inferences or correctly using the past tense.

Eggscellent

One of my students, Andrew, was sitting by my desk reading the Guiness Book of World Records. Mario was standing at my desk getting help on an assignment.

Andrew: "Miss H., did you know that the ostrich egg is the largest egg in the world? It weighs four pounds!"

Miss H: "Huh, I wonder if it tastes good?"

Mario, in a completed horrified tone and thick Hispanic accent : "You would eat an ostrich?!?"

Miss H.: "Well, maybe. It's an egg, just like the eggs people eat for breakfast."

Mario: "What if my mom laid an egg? Would you eat my brother or sister?"