Introduction.

The article analyzes the comprehension of narrative texts from a dynamic, complex, and microgenetic developmental perspective. The interest is to highlight the variability of the inferential functioning that emerges in repeated reading situations.

Objectives.

The objective is to identify the type of inferences and the levels of understanding children reach when they read and discuss different narrative texts. The study aims to establish the variability of individual trajectories of the students depending on the book read and the time in which these trajectories are produced. The study also seeks to identify the relationship between the type of inference evoked and the level of understanding achieved.

Methodology.

A multiple-case design with microgenetic orientation was used. Five students, three girls and two boys aged between eight and nine years old, participated in the study. Four stories were read, and the participants answered literal, inferential, and critical-intertextual questions. A semi-structured interview was used for each of the four proposed children’s texts.

Results.

The study obtained 134 statements in 65 speaking turns. The microgenetic trajectory analyses showed that the type of inference, the levels of comprehension, and the variability of individual trajectories fluctuated considerably depending on the book read and the amount of time spent reading. The analyses conducted with space state grids revealed an adaptability of the cognitive functioning of the participants since the type of inferences evoked is modified depending on the story read.

Conclusions.

Inferences and levels of reading comprehension are complex and recursive processes with high variability, depending on the text read and the time spent reading. No evidence of stable and linear inferential functioning was found. To assess student comprehension, the use of various types of texts and the changes that occur over time must be considered.