🧠 What’s the difference between what a character says and what they really mean?

Question

Authors don’t always spell things out—sometimes, we have to read between the lines. Can you think of a time a character said one thing but meant something completely different? That’s called inference, and it’s a superpower in both reading and real life.

Answer 1

🕵️‍♂️ What Is an Inference?

An inference is a smart guess you make based on what the text says and what you already know. It’s like being a detective—you look for clues in the story and use your brain to figure out something that isn’t directly stated.

🔍 Example:

If a story says, "Emma stomped out of the room and slammed the door," you can infer that Emma is angry—even though the story doesn’t say that directly.

💭 What Are Character Traits?

Character traits are the words we use to describe a person’s personality or behavior. These traits tell us what kind of person a character is—kind, brave, selfish, honest, etc.

There are two types of character traits:

1. External traits – what you can see (example: tall, wears glasses)
2. Internal traits – who the character is on the inside (example: determined, loyal, sneaky)

📖 To find a character’s traits, look at:

1. What they say
2. What they do
3. How they treat others
4. What others say about them

🧠 Put It All Together:

We often use inference skills to figure out character traits. Authors don’t always tell you directly—so good readers look for clues and read between the lines.

🌟 Want to help your child strengthen these critical reading skills?

As an experienced learning coach, I can guide your child to confidently identify inferences and character traits, using proven strategies from the Science of Reading.

📅 Schedule a FREE consultation today and let’s build stronger, more thoughtful readers—one page at a time! Call Michele W. today to gain insight to these important reading skills. Michele has taught for 30 years and is now a learning coach.