S4 E2: Inferences in the Early Years with Dr. Jen O'Sullivan

From Reading Road Trip by International Dyslexia Association Ontario

July 7, 2025 · 49 min · Season 4 · Episode 2

About this episode

This episode explores how young children develop the ability to make inferences and how educators can support this skill.

This week, Kate Winn welcomes Irish educator and researcher Dr. Jen O’Sullivan to explore how young children develop the ability to make inferences and how educators can explicitly support this essential skill. From playful, practical strategies to research-backed insights, this episode is packed with ideas to bring inferencing to life in the early years. Mentioned in the Episode: The Game by Henry Charles Ten Bears and Shoshannah Greene RAND Reading Study Group (2002) Oakhill and Cain (2012) study on inference and comprehension Tighe and Schatschneider (2014) study on predictors of reading comprehension Hall et al. (2019) study on inference instruction with English language learners Jen O’Sullivan’s Substack

People in this episode

Host: Kate Winn

Guest: Dr. Jen O’Sullivan

Topics covered

inference
early childhood education
educational strategies
reading comprehension
language learners

Keywords

inferences
early years
education
reading
comprehension
strategies
research

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: RAND Reading Study Group

Books & works: The Game