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Understanding Questions

Inferences and Predictions

Working out what is not said, and what happens next.

Mastered by
Simple picture inferences from about 4
Practice items
37
Sections
5

What this skill is

An inference is an answer the text or the picture does not give you directly. "The girl is holding an umbrella and her coat is wet" does not say it is raining, but that is the answer. A prediction is the same skill pointed forwards: what is about to happen, given what you can already see. Both need the child to hold several clues at once and put them together, which is why they come after literal WH-questions rather than beside them.

What to expect

A child who is not ready will answer with something they can see rather than something they worked out - asked why the boy is smiling, they will tell you he has a blue shirt. Naming the clues out loud is what teaches the move: "his plate is empty, and he is rubbing his tummy, so how does he feel?"

Try this at home

Stop halfway through a familiar book and ask what happens next, then read on and find out together whether you were right. Being wrong is the interesting part - it is the only version of this task where the child gets to hear their own reasoning checked against something.

When to refer

Cannot answer "why do you think that happened?" about a simple picture by 5;0, or consistently answers with something visible rather than something inferred by 6;0.

Print it

Inferences and Predictions worksheet37 items across 5 sections, with answer key · PDF

Put it into practice

Tap any item below to open it full screen, one at a time, so a child can answer without reading the answer first.

These activities are a starting point, not the practice itself. A structured task is a good way to introduce a form and to find out whether a child has it yet. What actually moves it into everyday speech is using it in the real world and in ordinary play — which means the four things below matter more than finishing the list.

  • Recast

    Say their sentence back correctly, without asking them to repeat it. Child: “he goed.” You: “he went! Where did he go?”

  • Expand

    Add one or two words to what they said and hand it back. Child: “big truck.” You: “a big red truck!”

  • Simplify what you ask

    Cut a long instruction into single steps and say them in the order they happen, rather than repeating the long one louder.

  • Follow their lead

    Use whatever they are already playing with. A form practised on something they chose is the one that shows up again tomorrow.

Take it into a game →ASHA Practice Portal

Who Am I?

8 items

Read the description. The child works out who is being described and says how they knew. Ask for the clue every time, not just the answer. Tap any item to open it full screen.

Where Am I?

8 items

Read the description. The child works out the place, then says which clue gave it away. Tap any item to open it full screen.

What Am I?

8 items

Read the description. The child names the object and says which clue was the useful one. Tap any item to open it full screen.

When Is This?

6 items

Read the description. The child works out the time of day, season or occasion. Tap any item to open it full screen.

What Happens Next?

7 items

Read the situation. The child predicts what happens next and says why. More than one answer can be right, so ask for the reason. Tap any item to open it full screen.

Describe the picture

45 questions

Pick a picture. These answers are not written in the picture - the child has to work them out from the clues. Ask "how did you know?" every time. Tap a picture to start.