I’m working on Expand Vocabulary!
My strategy is Use Prior Knowledge and Context to Predict and Confirm Meaning
Secret to Success
Context clues are the words, phrases, and sentences surrounding an unfamiliar word that give clues or hints to its meaning. Knowing some of the clue words that are used as context words, such as but, however, unlike, means, in other words, also known as, etc., helps the reader figure out the meaning of the word. Punctuation may also provide clues to the meaning of a word.
What you can say or model
We teach students five types of context clues: synonym, definition, example, contrast, inference
Steps in figuring out the meaning of an unfamiliar word or phrase through the use of context clues:
When readers come to a word they don’t know, they use this plan to check for context clues and to understand the text:
Adapted from The Café Book by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (2009)
My strategy is Use Prior Knowledge and Context to Predict and Confirm Meaning
Secret to Success
Context clues are the words, phrases, and sentences surrounding an unfamiliar word that give clues or hints to its meaning. Knowing some of the clue words that are used as context words, such as but, however, unlike, means, in other words, also known as, etc., helps the reader figure out the meaning of the word. Punctuation may also provide clues to the meaning of a word.
What you can say or model
We teach students five types of context clues: synonym, definition, example, contrast, inference
Steps in figuring out the meaning of an unfamiliar word or phrase through the use of context clues:
When readers come to a word they don’t know, they use this plan to check for context clues and to understand the text:
- Check for a context clue that is right there in the sentence.
- If readers find a context clue, they will reread the sentence with the new term or clue in mind.
- The students think to themselves what the sentence says using this context clue.
- If readers don’t find a clue or understand the main point the author is making, they will have to try a different strategy to figure out the word, such as asking someone the meaning or using a dictionary.
Adapted from The Café Book by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (2009)