inferential

Secondary Content Teachers

VOCABULARY
Using Context Clues

Reading Services Center

SUBJECT:

Vocabulary/Using Context Clues

COURSE OR GRADE:

Content Area/Classroom Teachers

GOAL:

This strategy helps students understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word, without interrupting reading, through the use of context clues.

Supports this Learner Characteristic:

Has prerequisite knowledge about the subject

Has language conventions, vocabulary and syntax to support learning.

WHY:

In order to comprehend text, students must know the meanings of words. Students acquire about half of the average 3,000 new words they learn each year from grades 3-12 through reading. Improving ability to use context clues to determine word meaning assists students in this process.

WHO:

Students in content area courses.

Content Area Teachers

WHEN:

Use the procedure when vocabulary is being introduced in context.

Continue practice until the student is able to recognize words and gain an understanding of word meanings from context.

TEACHING PROCEDURES:
Strategy for Context Clues

Select an authentic text passage with example words to be defined through context (Context means the words and sentences nearby that give meaning to the example word.)

Select text so that students have some prior knowledge of the concept and with enough information to reason the meaning. (Using context clues sometimes requires inferring meaning from background knowledge about the concept.)

Model the process of gaining information from the text about the meaning of words in context using the Context Clues Strategy.

"Think aloud", making the thought process apparent.

Construct the meaning of the word from the clues that are given.

For example:
"Most students think that summer vacation regenerates their enthusiasm for school by providing relaxation time. Other students are so busy with jobs that there is little time to feel regenerated before school starts again in the fall."

"What can I learn by the way 'regenerate' is used in the sentences? Let's see, summer vacation, if you relax, makes it happen. It's something that you feel if you're not too busy. It must be something positive like getting better. Summer vacation makes me feel better."

Use key words surrounding the target word, as well as prior knowledge to decide the word meaning. These will be the clues to help decide the target word meaning. Circle the clues in the passage that help with the word meanings.

Check the word meaning with the dictionary definition.

STUDENT PRACTICE:

Provide a page of text with three unknown words highlighted. (If the student is unable to read the text with ease, the reading may be too difficult to obtain meaning.) Students read the selection and apply the strategy to gain clues from the text for any unknown word.

By studying the surrounding text (words, related ideas, etc.) have students use the Context Clues Strategy to guess the meanings of the unknown words.

Students should check the meaning for accuracy using a dictionary.

Students write the word in a "super sentence" so the word is embedded in meaning.

EXAMPLE:

The scientist discovered a sarcophagus.

While exploring the ancient pyramids in Egypt, the scientist discovered the mummy of a king buried in a sarcophagus with elaborate designs.

CHECK-UP:

Copy a page of text with 5 unknown words highlighted. Students should give meanings for each of the words circling the context clues they used from the text. 4/5 (80%) correct would be considered mastery.

FOLLOW-UP:

Students who have difficulty using the context to determine word meaning may need further modeling and verbalizing of the thought process. Guide the students as they work through the process. Make sure they have adequate concept understanding to reason from the text and that the text supports word meaning.

An alternative form of practice is to copy a page of text deleting several unknown words (cloze). Have the students use the context clues to guess what the word might be. Compare their guess to the actual text word.

SUMMARY:
CONTEXT CLUES STRATEGY

Using CONTEXT CLUES to figure out new words.

When you come to a word you don't know READ until you come to a good stopping place.
Use the context to FIGURE OUT the unknown word.

GUESS what the word might be.

TEST your guess.

UNLOCKING WORDS

Test your guess from context clues.
Ask yourself if the word:

LOOKS RIGHT

SOUNDS RIGHT

MAKES SENSE

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SUBJECT:	Vocabulary/Using Context Clues
COURSE OR GRADE:	Content Area/Classroom Teachers
GOAL:	This strategy helps students understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word, without interrupting reading, through the use of context clues. Supports this Learner Characteristic: Has prerequisite knowledge about the subject Has language conventions, vocabulary and syntax to support learning.
WHY:	In order to comprehend text, students must know the meanings of words. Students acquire about half of the average 3,000 new words they learn each year from grades 3-12 through reading. Improving ability to use context clues to determine word meaning assists students in this process.
WHO:	Students in content area courses. Content Area Teachers
WHEN:	Use the procedure when vocabulary is being introduced in context. Continue practice until the student is able to recognize words and gain an understanding of word meanings from context.
TEACHING PROCEDURES:	Strategy for Context Clues Select an authentic text passage with example words to be defined through context (Context means the words and sentences nearby that give meaning to the example word.) Select text so that students have some prior knowledge of the concept and with enough information to reason the meaning. (Using context clues sometimes requires inferring meaning from background knowledge about the concept.) Model the process of gaining information from the text about the meaning of words in context using the Context Clues Strategy. "Think aloud", making the thought process apparent. Construct the meaning of the word from the clues that are given. For example: "Most students think that summer vacation regenerates their enthusiasm for school by providing relaxation time. Other students are so busy with jobs that there is little time to feel *regenerated* before school starts again in the fall." "What can I learn by the way 'regenerate' is used in the sentences? Let's see, summer vacation, if you relax, makes it happen. It's something that you feel if you're not too busy. It must be something positive like getting better. Summer vacation makes me feel better." Use key words surrounding the target word, as well as prior knowledge to decide the word meaning. These will be the clues to help decide the target word meaning. Circle the clues in the passage that help with the word meanings. Check the word meaning with the dictionary definition.
STUDENT PRACTICE:	Provide a page of text with three unknown words highlighted. (If the student is unable to read the text with ease, the reading may be too difficult to obtain meaning.) Students read the selection and apply the strategy to gain clues from the text for any unknown word. By studying the surrounding text (words, related ideas, etc.) have students use the Context Clues Strategy to guess the meanings of the unknown words. Students should check the meaning for accuracy using a dictionary. Students write the word in a "super sentence" so the word is embedded in meaning. EXAMPLE: The scientist discovered a sarcophagus. While exploring the ancient pyramids in Egypt, the scientist discovered the mummy of a king buried in a sarcophagus with elaborate designs.
CHECK-UP:	Copy a page of text with 5 unknown words highlighted. Students should give meanings for each of the words circling the context clues they used from the text. 4/5 (80%) correct would be considered mastery.
FOLLOW-UP:	Students who have difficulty using the context to determine word meaning may need further modeling and verbalizing of the thought process. Guide the students as they work through the process. Make sure they have adequate concept understanding to reason from the text and that the text supports word meaning. An alternative form of practice is to copy a page of text deleting several unknown words (cloze). Have the students use the context clues to guess what the word might be. Compare their guess to the actual text word.
SUMMARY:	CONTEXT CLUES STRATEGY Using CONTEXT CLUES to figure out new words. When you come to a word you don't know READ until you come to a good stopping place. Use the context to FIGURE OUT the unknown word. GUESS what the word might be. TEST your guess. UNLOCKING WORDS Test your guess from context clues. Ask yourself if the word: LOOKS RIGHT SOUNDS RIGHT MAKES SENSE
home \|Using Context Clues\| Parents' Corner