Making the Most of Read‐Alouds to Support Primary‐Grade Students' Inference‐Making

Abstract Generating accurate inferences is crucial for the successful comprehension of text and is a skill that needs to be supported starting in the early grades. Teachers can support inference‐making during read‐aloud lessons by asking inferential questions and providing scaffolding and feedback on students' inference‐making. In this article, we describe instructional principles to support students' inference‐making specifically during read‐alouds. We also share findings from our research in K‐2 classrooms that show how inferential questions, scaffolding, and feedback in read‐aloud lessons can support primary‐grade students' inference‐making. Finally, we describe steps to design and implement read‐aloud lessons for supporting the development of inference‐making in primary‐grade students.