Short stories as a springboard for increasing inferential skills

Abstract

Abstract In order to foster and to create a heightened awareness of the inferential process, it is recommended that selected short stories be used in college reading skill classes as an instructional tool. Short stories are an excellent medium because short story writers utilize techniques of suggestion, conciseness, and unity of theme in order to tell a story in the shortest space possible. In contrast to other forms of writing which are usually more explicit, much of the meanings or implications in short stories are unstated and implied, thus it is left to the reader's imagination to supply the missing parts. Short stories are really an “artistic” form of cloze; in fact reading a short story for understanding parallels a cloze experience in that the reader must become actively involved in the reading process in order to “cloze” the gaps of words and information deliberately omitted by the author for artistic purposes. Readers are forced consequently, to become active and involved using problem‐solving strategies to make predictions and guesses in order to gain meaning. One type of problem‐solving strategy that students are encouraged to use is to conduct a kind of “subliminal” or fantasy dialogue with the author in order to gain meaning by asking pertinent questions. In addition, it is suggested that teachers prepare study guides to clarify and crystallize problem‐solving strategies related to understanding the short story. These study guides should focus on inferences, organizational patterns, metaphorical language, and contextual analysis. A list of recommended short stories is offered.