Reading Between the Lines

Writers do not tell you everything. When a story says Maya grabbed her umbrella and pulled on her boots, it never says it is raining - but you know it is. Figuring out what the writer means without being told is called inference, and you already do it every day in real life.

Inference is detective work with clues. The clues are the words on the page: grabbed her umbrella, pulled on her boots. Your background knowledge is the other half: people carry umbrellas when it rains. Clue plus knowledge equals conclusion. Strong readers run this machine so fast they barely notice it.

You can practice anywhere. A character slams a door and stomps up the stairs - how do they feel? A dog hides under the bed during a storm - why? When you start asking what the writer is hinting instead of saying, every story gets deeper and more interesting.