Letters from the Lighthouse - Session 11 - Inference Skills

In Session 11 of 'Letters from the Lighthouse', a literacy activity aimed at enhancing KS2 students' inference skills, the protagonist Olive makes an intriguing discovery. A suitcase, found washed up on the beach, becomes the focal point for a lesson in deduction. Students are invited to examine the contents of the suitcase, which include blouses, dresses, books, face cream, and a toothbrush, and to consider what these items reveal about the suitcase's owner. This exercise encourages children to use their analytical abilities to draw conclusions about the character's identity, lifestyle, and perhaps even the circumstances that led to the suitcase's journey to the shore.

The items found within the suitcase serve as clues that can tell us a great deal about the person to whom they belong. The presence of blouses and dresses might suggest that the owner is someone who values appearance and possibly has a need for different types of attire, whether for work, social events, or daily wear. Books may indicate a love for reading or a desire for knowledge and education. Face cream could imply a concern for personal grooming and skincare, while a toothbrush is a universal symbol of personal hygiene. Students are tasked with piecing together these clues to build a richer understanding of the suitcase's owner, using inference to fill in the gaps left by the story's narrative.