Year 3 · English · Literacy
Making inferences
Using clues in a text and what we already know to work out things the author does not say directly.
Awaiting educator review. This material was drafted by our content team with AI assistance and is waiting for review by a qualified educator. Please check it suits your child before using it. Created 10 October 2026.
These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to New Zealand year levels by age (NZ Year 1 is the first year of school). They are not yet mapped to The New Zealand Curriculum, so check them against your own learning programme.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Understand that authors leave clues instead of telling everything.
- Combine text clues with background knowledge to make an inference.
- Explain an inference using evidence from the text.
Success looks like
- I can find a clue in the story.
- I can use the clue and what I know to work something out.
- I can say which words helped me.
The big idea
Authors do not always tell us everything. Sometimes they leave clues and expect the reader to work things out. This is called making an inference. It is like being a detective.
Inference = clues in the text + what I already know.
Read this story together:
Muddy Prints. When Lily came home from school, the kitchen floor was covered in muddy paw prints. The prints led from the back door, across the floor and under the table. Lily heard a soft thump, thump, thump. She lifted the tablecloth. Two brown eyes looked up at her, and a tail wagged against the floor. Next to the tail was one of Dad's gardening gloves, chewed and soggy.
The story never says 'a dog was hiding under the table', but we can infer it. Clues: paw prints, a wagging tail, a chewed glove. Background knowledge: dogs have paws and tails and like to chew things.
Always ask, 'How do you know?' A strong answer points to the words in the text that gave the clue.
Worked examples
Who made the prints?
What animal made the muddy prints?
- Find the clues: 'paw prints', 'a tail wagged', 'chewed' glove.
- Add what you know: dogs have paws, wag their tails and chew things.
- Make the inference.
Answer: A dog made the prints. The paw prints, wagging tail and chewed glove are the clues.
Where had the dog been?
Where had the dog been before it came inside?
- Find the clues: the prints were muddy and started at the back door.
- Add what you know: mud is found outside, often in a garden or yard.
- Make the inference.
Answer: The dog had been outside in the muddy yard or garden.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
In 'Muddy Prints', what made the 'thump, thump, thump' sound?
the dog's tail — The tail 'wagged against the floor', which made the thumping sound.
How do you think the dog felt when Lily lifted the tablecloth?
happy to see her — The wagging tail is a clue that the dog was happy.
How might Dad feel when he sees his glove?
cross — The glove is chewed and soggy, so Dad is likely to be cross or annoyed.
Which clue tells us the dog came in from outside?
The prints led from the back door. — The prints started at the back door, which leads outside.
Which of these is an inference, not something the story says directly?
The dog was hiding. — The story never uses the word 'hiding', but we can work it out because the dog was under the table.
What animal was under the table? Type one word.
dog — Paw prints, a wagging tail and a chewed glove tell us it was a dog.
What did the dog chew? Type one word.
glove — 'Next to the tail was one of Dad's gardening gloves, chewed and soggy.'
Where did Lily find the dog? Under the ____. Type one word.
table — The prints went under the table and Lily lifted the tablecloth to look.
Watch out for
- Making a guess with no clue behind it. Every inference should be backed by words in the text.
- Thinking that if the text does not say it, the question cannot be answered. Explain that good readers fill gaps using clues.
- Using only background knowledge and ignoring the text. An inference must fit the details on the page.
Tips for parents
- Model your own thinking aloud: 'The character slammed the door. I think she is upset.'
- Use picture books: illustrations are full of clues about feelings and events.
- Ask 'How do you know?' in a curious, not testing, voice.
Go further
- Play 'Who am I?': give three clues about a family member's activity and let your child infer who it is.
- Write a short mystery with three clues for a family member to solve.
- Look at a photo and list what you can see and what you can infer.