Lesson on Context Clues

Context Clues

A Study Island Lesson

Objective

I will be able to use clues in a passage to determine the meaning of a word with 80% accuracy or higher.

Open Ended

What do you think a context clue is?

Context Clues

Context: anything around a word or phrase in a passage

Context clues: hints in a passage that help you determine what a word means

Multiple Choice

What is context?

• a clue

• a type of structure

• anything around a word or phrase in a passage

• a story

Multiple Choice

What are context clues?

• fingerprints

• Blue's Clues

• hints in a passage

• context

Context Clues: Punctuation

Punctuation like commas and dashes can help you understand a word's meaning.

Example: During the song's crescendo, the part where the music gets louder, the trumpets can be heard over the singer's voice.

Multiple Choice

In this example, what do you think "crescendo" means?

During the song's crescendo, the part where the music gets louder, the trumpets can be heard over the singer's voice.

• the part where the music gets faster

• the trumpets over the singer's voice

• the part where the music gets louder

• the man leading the concert

Context Clues: Key Words

Key words like "or," "and," or "that is" can also give you a hint that a word's definition or denotation is nearby.

Example: Blake studied every facet of the statue, and every part of it impressed him.

Multiple Choice

In this example, what do you think "facet" means?

Blake studied every facet of the statue, and every part of it impressed him.

• impressed

• statue

• part

• him

Tips to Using Context Clues

1. Read the entire paragraph to make a definition clearer.

2. Look for punctuation like commas and dashes near unfamiliar words.

3. Look for key words that may direct you to hints.

4. Use inferences and your understanding of the passage to guess meanings, and then use clues to support your guess.