Infernece Generation Skill and Text Comprehension

________________ One of the most common findings of recent reading research is that drawing inferences is an essential part of the comprehension process, even among young children (Anderson & Pearson, 1984). Dole et al (1991) argues that inference is at the heart of comprehension process. As they construct their own models of meaning for a given text, readers and listeners alike use inferencing extensively to fill in details omitted in text and to elaborate what they read. The important point is that even the simplest of texts require inferencing. Despite persistent, well-meaning positions that argue for delaying inferential activities until literal comprehension is mastered (e.g., you need to get the facts straight before you can reason beyond the text), both basic and applied reading research supports a strong emphasis on inferential strategies from the beginning of instruction. The present paper has explored the factors affecting the generation of inferences by readers as well as the reasons for their inference failure. Some instructional techniques and strategies for the development of inferential skill is provided.