Help Kids Learn to Make Inferences with These Printables

I recently saw, somewhere on Facebook, a link to this freebie from Teachers Pay Teachers all about making inferences. This is a really important part of reading comprehension in early to middle elementary school, and these printables from Kirsten’s Kaboodle make it easier for kids to understand what they need to do.

The pages include short passages and riddles and show kids visually how you make an inference with the use of puzzle pieces that walk them through it.

This is a great way to think about how you make an inference and the same idea can be used with other reading passages or as a visual reminder of how inferences work.

These are just a few of the pages she has in her paid section about making inferences, so if you teach grades three to five, or are homeschooling kids of that age, you might want to grab the extra materials, too.

[Photo: Kirsten’s Kaboodle via Teachers Pay Teachers.]

A few years ago I shared some pumpkin themed sensory activities for kids, but I wanted to get a little more general and do some fall sensory ideas that can take you from Halloween al the way to Thanksgiving.

Playdough is a classic sensory activity, especially if kids can help make it, too. These playdough recipes from The Montessori Twin Mama are fall colored and scented with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice (I honestly don’t know what the difference is!). Or try this fun maple playdough from Happy Toddler Playtime.

Throw together some cookie cutters, googly eyes and other fun things to make an easy fall playdough tray (similar to what I did on this Halloween playdough activity).

How about some fall themed slime? Natural Beach Living gave a basic slime recipe a fall twist with food coloring and glitter. Leaf shaped sequins make it even more fun. Little Bins for Little Hands also has a cinnamon slime, which is great for fall but can also carry you all the way through Christmas.

Raising Wild Things Sensory has some great easy to make fall themed sensory bottles, which you can add fall things to, or pompoms or whatever kind of I spy items you might want to include. They also have a fun apple moon sand sensory bin that has me wondering if you could add something scented to moon sand (I always hated the smell!).

And of course there are all kinds of sensory bins you can make for fall. I like this apple picking one from Happy Toddler Playtime that uses fake leaves and little apple toys. It has the added challenge of trying to pick the apples up through a mesh of branches — kind of like a low-tech game of Operation!

You can also do a short-lived sensory bin with real leaves, or use any kind of beans, brown rice, oats or lentils to make your base. Some more great ideas can be found at Fab Everyday. Their post includes some specific Halloween and Thanksgiving themed sensory bins, too.

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