IT SAYS. . .I SAY. . .AND SO
Process
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Introduce the strategy by using a short, familiar text, a fairy tale, for example.
Provide students with a question/questions requiring inferential thinking.
Model the use of the chart with students.
Have students evaluate their reasoning processes. It is helpful to have students
discuss their responses in small groups.
Directions:
QUESTION
Read the question.
Sample:
QUESTION
How are Asian Carp
impacting the
ecosystem of the
Great Lakes?
What is the U.S.
EPA doing as a
result?
How did Asian Carp
get so close to the
Great Lakes?
IT SAYS
Find info. from the
text to help you
answer the question
(direct quote or
paraphrase).
IT SAYS
“Asian carp are a
significant threat to
the Great Lakes
because they are
large, extremely
prolific, and consume
vast amounts of
food’ (U.S. EPA 155).
The EPA along with
the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, the
State of IL, the
International Joint
Commission and
others are in the
process of installing
an electric barrier
to keep the fish out
of Lake Michigan
(U.S. EPA 155).
I SAY
Consider what you
know about the
information.
I SAY
The carp are doing a
lot of damage to the
ecosystem.
Many organizations
are working together
to keep the Asian
Carp out of the G.L.
because they are
such a harmful
species on the
ecosystem. This
article is from 2011
so perhaps the
project is
completed?
AND SO
Put together the
information from the
text with what you
know, then answer
the question.
AND SO
The Asian Carp are
negatively impacting
the ecosystem of
the great lakes by
their size and the
large amount of food
they eat.
A variety of
organizations are
installing a
permanent electric
barrier to prevent
Asian Carp from
entering the Great
Lakes.
Some Tips:
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Students can either paraphrase or quote from the text to complete
the “It Says” column.
Be discriminating when writing questions. If you have several
inferential questions, you might consider having students work in small
groups in a jigsaw format to answer questions. Also, you don’t need to
invent every question; you might, for example, use inferential
questions from a textbook.
The ultimate goal is for students to be able to do inferential thinking
on their own, in their heads. The chart provides scaffolding for
students as it’s needed. Even proficient readers can benefit, however,
from periodically reviewing their thinking processes.