Why should your students read mysteries?

Here at Remedia, we love a good mystery! We’ve found that the mystery genre is a great way to engage students in reading, build comprehension skills, and improve critical thinking. That’s why we’ve put together this four-part series all about the wonderful genre of MYSTERIES! 

PART 1: Why should your students read mysteries? 

High-Interest
Mysteries will get and keep your students’ attention! No matter what age, your students will want to solve a good whodunit.  Mysteries introduce protagonists like detectives, inspectors, and even pre-teen girls and antagonists from all walks of life.  And because an unsolved mystery can take place anywhere, this awesome genre will take your students all over the world. 

Critical Thinking & Deductive Reasoning
Making Inferences - Using Logic – Predicting Outcomes
When reading a mystery, students must use facts and reasoning to come to a decision or an opinion.  They’ll use logic to analyze the mystery, evaluate possible solutions, and follow sequential steps to arrive at a conclusion. These same steps are required in any problem-solving situation both academic and practical. Students will develop abilities in examining information, exploring possibilities, and sequencing.  

Use our Story Map <free download> to help students come to a logical conclusion when reading. 

5 Non-Reading, Inference Activities

Making inferences means using facts and reasoning to come to a decision or an opinion about something. Doing this involves an abstract level of thinking and can, therefore, be a complicated skill to teach, especially to students who struggle with reading. With practice though, students can become comfortable with the skill before having to tackle the concept while reading. These five activities will give your students a chance to practice making inferences without reading.