Inference Skills - PowerPoint

The PowerPoint presentation is a resource aimed at enhancing Key Stage 2 students' ability to make inferences while reading. As outlined in the National Curriculum, pupils should be able to draw inferences about characters' feelings, thoughts, and motives based on their actions, and support these inferences with evidence from the text. The PowerPoint includes a variety of activities designed to develop these skills, starting with visual exercises that challenge students to examine images and identify which lines appear longest, or what might be hidden within a scene, such as the coffee beans or the direction in which figures are turning.

Further activities prompt discussions based on images, encouraging students to deduce information about a person's living space or to interpret events unfolding within a picture. These exercises segue into a literary application, using an extract from Daphne Du Maurier's "Jamaica Inn." The text serves as a practical example for students to practice inferring mood, character presentation, and emotions from the descriptive narrative. The lesson concludes with a plenary session where students share their responses, engage in peer feedback, and offer constructive criticism to refine their inferential understanding and articulation. This collaborative review process not only reinforces the skills learned but also encourages critical thinking and effective communication.