At the interpretive level, students are able to read beyond the literal words on the page and find understanding. They use an important skill called inferring. When students infer, they go beyond the text to find meaning. The information they understand isn’t found in the text, which requires them to imagine what a character is feeling or what the author means by words or actions.

Skills used in the interpretive level include:

• Identifying the main idea
• Understanding the author’s purpose
• Determining point-of-view
• Predicting or summarizing events

Another student, Mary, is working on her interpretive skills in comprehension. She’s reading the book The Outsiders with some other students. Their teacher asks questions to improve their understanding, such as ‘Why do you think Ponyboy ran away?’ and ‘What point of view is this section taking?’ These and other questions help students read between the lines and develop a deeper understanding of text.