Clues Help Us Think

Overview

In this lesson, students use clues in words, pictures and events to make an inference: a sensible idea that is not stated directly. The lesson is suitable for a mixed Year 0–3 class, with oral, drawing and writing options.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify clues in a text and illustration.
• WALT use clues and what we already know to make an inference.
• WALT explain our thinking using “I think… because…”.
• WALT listen to and build on others’ ideas.

Success criteria

• I can find a clue in the words or picture.
• I can say what I think is happening, even when the text does not tell me directly.
• I can explain my idea using “because”.
• I can listen respectfully and compare my idea with someone else’s.

Curriculum links

• Listening, reading and viewing: make meaning from texts by connecting ideas with prior knowledge.
• Speaking, writing and presenting: share ideas clearly using talk, drawing and early writing.
• Reading comprehension: ask questions, identify important details, and make simple inferences.
• Learning through language: use evidence from a text to support an interpretation.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Welcome and learning goal Display the learning intention in child-friendly language: “Today we will be text detectives.” Open with the hook image and question and ask, “What do you notice? What might have happened?” Accept several ideas without confirming an answer. Explain that an inference is a smart guess made from clues.

2. 5–13 minutes – Model noticing clues Show the picture and short text on the teacher modelling slides. Read aloud: “Matiu stood at the door. His coat was dripping, and he held his muddy shoes.” Think aloud: “I infer that Matiu has been outside in wet weather. My clues are ‘dripping’ and ‘muddy’.” Record a simple three-part model: clue + what I know = inference. For Year 0–1 students, emphasise oral responses and picture clues. Invite Year 2–3 students to suggest a second inference and identify the exact words that support it.

3. 13–23 minutes – Shared inference game Use the clue picture sequence. Present one image at a time, such as a birthday table with wrapped gifts, a person holding an umbrella, or an empty lunchbox beside a hungry child. Ask:

• “What do you notice?”
• “What might be happening?”
• “Which clue helped you?”
• “Could there be another sensible idea?” Students first think quietly, then tell a partner. Collect ideas and model accepting more than one answer when each is supported by clues.

4. 23–38 minutes – Partner text detectives Pair students, keeping a confident speaker with a student who benefits from modelling. Distribute the context clues inference sheet. Read the short illustrated texts aloud; students may reread with a partner. For each text, students circle or point to a clue, then draw or write what they infer. Younger students complete one or two picture-based tasks and dictate their explanation to an adult or partner. Older students complete three tasks and use the sentence frame: “I infer ___ because the text says/shows ___.” Circulate, prompting rather than supplying answers.

5. 38–48 minutes – Share and compare Invite pairs to share one inference and its clue. Display the share-and-compare slides and sort responses orally into “strongly supported” and “needs another clue”. Avoid labelling an idea as simply wrong; ask, “What in the text makes you think that?” Students show agreement with a thumbs-up, sideways thumb or a different idea, then explain respectfully.

6. 48–55 minutes – Independent application Reveal the final illustrated text on the independent challenge slide. Read it twice. Students independently draw or write an inference and identify one clue. Year 0–1 students may draw, label one word, or record their response orally. Year 2–3 students write two sentences, including “because”.

7. 55–60 minutes – Plenary and reflection Revisit the learning intention using the plenary slide. Ask, “What do good readers do when the author does not tell us everything?” Students turn and tell a partner: “I used a clue to infer ___.” Take two responses and collect worksheets for assessment.

Resources

• the context clues lesson slides
• the context clues inference sheet
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pencils, crayons and erasers
• Enlarged version of the shared picture/text
• Optional oral recording device for students who find writing difficult

Assessment

• Listen during partner talk for students identifying a relevant clue and making a plausible inference.
• Review worksheets for a connection between a text or picture clue and the student’s conclusion.
• During the final task, note whether each student can independently use “because” to explain their thinking, orally, pictorially or in writing.

Differentiation

• Support: pre-teach “clue” and “infer” with gestures; use picture-only examples, sentence frames and repeated reading. Allow pointing, drawing, oral response or scribing.
• Support: work with a small teacher-led group using one text at a time and highlight the clue together.
• Extension: ask Year 2–3 students to give two possible inferences, explain which is better supported, and add a clue that would confirm their idea.
• EAL/SEN: pair spoken language with visuals, accept home-language discussion before sharing in English, reduce the number of texts, and provide extra processing time.