In Ben Has Something to Say: A Story About Stuttering by Laurie Lears, readers meet Ben. Ben "did not like to talk because he stuttered." When we see him at the water fountain in school, we need to infer from his expression how he feels--and what he thinks and feels when he doesn't share in class conversations, and when he buries is nose in a book, so he won't have to speak with other children. Furthermore, we should wonder aloud about what other activities Ben may avoid. Ben teaches us about inference as we watch him understand the plight of a neglected dog. Why does Ben remove ice from the dog's water dish and replace it with fresh water? The dogs' fur is dull and matted--what does this imply? Learning about inference is one reason we talk about picture books. My Picture Book Talk for this story is here.
More information about stuttering can be found at The Stuttering Foundation.
