Which reading activity contributes to students' development of inference skills?

Thinking aloud about text while reading is a highly effective activity for developing students' inference skills. This practice involves articulating one's thoughts and reasoning as they engage with the material, which makes the cognitive processes involved in making inferences explicit. When students think aloud, they are encouraged to explore their predictions, make connections to prior knowledge, and unpack the underlying messages or themes within the text. This active engagement helps them to better understand not only what is stated explicitly but also what is implied, thus honing their ability to draw inferences.

In contrast, while identifying story characters, discussing illustrations, and listening to audiobooks can enhance various aspects of literacy, they do not directly stimulate the same level of analytical thinking that thinking aloud facilitates. Identifying characters focuses more on recall and recognition rather than inference, and discussing illustrations is typically more about surface-level interpretation. Listening to audiobooks can improve comprehension and fluency, but it lacks the interactive element that fosters the in-depth analysis required for developing inference skills.