What Is the Emily Dawes Inferential Comprehension Program?
Many children can answer simple “who,” “what,” and “where” questions, but may find it harder to answer questions that require deeper thinking or “reading between the lines.” These skills are called inferential comprehension skills.
The Emily Dawes Inferential Comprehension Program is a structured language program designed to support children to better understand stories, make predictions, identify emotions, and answer inferential questions.
Inferential comprehension is an important skill for:
Classroom learning
Reading comprehension
Social understanding
Conversation skills
Narrative development
Problem solving
What Is an Inferential Question?
Inferential questions require children to use clues, background knowledge, and context rather than only recalling exact information.
For example:
“Why do you think the boy felt upset?”
“What might happen next?”
“How do you know she was nervous?”
“Why did the character make that choice?”
These questions can feel particularly difficult for children who:
Have language delays
Are autistic
Experience auditory processing differences
Have difficulty with narrative comprehension
Find abstract language challenging
How Can a Speech Pathologist Help?
Speech pathologists can support inferential comprehension through:
Story mapping
Visual supports
Explicit teaching of emotions and perspectives
Predicting and sequencing activities
Vocabulary building
Retelling tasks
Guided discussion during books
Many children benefit from highly visual and structured supports to make abstract language more concrete.
Why These Skills Matter
Inferential comprehension impacts many areas of everyday life, including:
Understanding classroom instructions
Making friendships
Participating in group conversations
Reading comprehension
Understanding humour and sarcasm
Emotional understanding
Supporting inferential thinking early can help children feel more confident and successful across learning and social environments.