Reading Between the Lines

Contributor: Beth Price. Lesson ID: 10035

Read between the lines. How do you do that? Increase your understanding of reading and observations as you learn to use deductive reasoning to draw conclusions!

categories

Literary Studies

subject
Reading
learning style
Visual
personality style
Lion
Grade Level
Middle School (6-8)
Lesson Type
Quick Query

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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  • Have you ever been into a story, poem, or conversation and realized there's more to it than what's obvious?

Reading between the lines is like solving a puzzle or finding a hidden treasure. Some deeper meanings and messages go beyond just the words themselves.

  • What does that mean, and how can it make you a better reader?

It means each word and sentence holds a hidden meaning, like clues to solve a mystery. By reading between the lines, you can discover the true magic of words and become an expert at understanding them.

  • Are you ready to explore the secrets of hidden messages?

girl with a book and a magnifying glass

An author doesn't always directly tell readers the information needed to understand the text.

Many times, you must infer, or draw conclusions, about what you are reading based on details the author does give you.

Definitions To Know

Infer means deduce or conclude information from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements.

Conclude means making a judgment after considering all the information given.

Look at the picture below for an easy concluding example.

Autumn trees

  • Which season is depicted in this picture?
  • What details or evidences support your conclusion?

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You just used context clues to conclude!

The photographer never directly said that this picture was taken during autumn, but you could infer that by concluding clues in the photograph.

The same is true about written text!

Read the passage below, then answer the questions.

Imagine you are going to shop for some new school clothes. When you get to your favorite store, you look in the window and see that the store is dark. There are empty racks inside and a "Closed" sign on the locked door.

Like the photograph above, you can make inferences about this text.

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Now, you can practice reading between the lines!

Click NEXT to move to the Got It? section.

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