Students will read faster and with better comprehension when they learn how to find word meaning

independently. While there will always be a need for a dictionary and help from the teacher, students will become better readers when they learn how to unlock word meaning using context clues. Context Clues Lesson Plan Objectives Students identify context clues, i.e. synonyms, antonyms, restatements, definitions, examples

Students use context clues to find the meanings of new words

Hints About Meanings of New Words Tell students that they are going to be word detectives. Explain that when they come to a new word in their reading the first thing they should do is decide whether they have to know the word in order to get the meaning of the paragraph. As word detectives they may not have a case. If they can understand the meaning of the story or article without knowing a certain word, its okay to skip over that word and keep reading. Tell them there is a way for word detectives to find the meaning of new words by themselves. Authors sometimes give clues called context clues. Context clues are hints that help readers discover the meaning of unfamiliar words. Different Kinds of Context Clues Explain that context clues are words that come before or after the new word and that there are several different kinds of context clues. Write these words on the dry erase board, saying them and reviewing their meanings as you write. 1. definition 2. synonym 3. antonym 4. example 5. explanation Write these sentences on the dry erase board, underlining the unfamiliar words. Do not write the answers in parentheses. The joey, which is a baby kangaroo, peeked out of his mother's pocket. (definition) The beach was covered with debris like paper and cans,and the children picked up all the trash. (synonym) The ancient dress looked like new after she washed it. (antonym) Every day he brought a delectable, delicious, wonderful, yummy lunch to school. (example)

My mother used to pull across the bay to catch flounder. Pull is a word that is sometimes used to mean row. (explanation) Ask students to identify the meaning of each new word and tell which kind of context clue the author used to unlock the words meaning. Write the correct answers after each sentence. Hints Around Unfamiliar Word Give each student a copy of a worksheet with two or three paragraphs. The worksheet should have several nonsense words like gluck, silubble, and crange in place of some of the words. Place context clues before or after the nonsense words to help the students guess their meaning. Form groups of four and tell students to work together to guess the meanings of the unfamiliar words. Tell them to work together and write the meaning of each nonsense word and the context clue that helped them. When all the groups have completed the activity, have them share their work with the class. When readers have to stop reading to ask the teacher for word meaning or use the dictionary, the flow of reading comprehension is interrupted and sometimes lost. When students learn to skip over words that are not important and to figure out words on their own using context clues, they are better able to comprehend what they are reading.

Contextual Clues.
Context Clues are hints that the author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word. The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers, or it may be in a preceding or subsequent sentence. Because most of your vocabulary is gained through reading, it is important that you be able to recognize and take advantage of context clues. Types of context clues. There are at least four kinds of context clues that are quite common. Synonym A synonym, or word with the same meaning, is used in the sentence. My opponents argument is fallacious, misleading plain wrong. Antonym A word or group of words that has the opposite meaning reveals the meaning of an unknown term. Although some men areloquacious, others hardly talk at all. Explanation The unknown word is explained within the sentence or in a sentence immediately preceding. The patient is so somnolentthat she requires medication to help her stay awake for more than a short time. Specific examples are used to define the term.Celestial bodies,such as the Example sun, moon, and stars, are governed by predictable laws. Read the following sentences and define the bolded word based on the context clue. Then identify which of the four types of clues is used. 1. The girl who used to be very vociferous doesnt talk much anymore. 2. Pedagogical institutions, including high schools, kindergartens, and colleges, require community support to function efficiently.

3. He was so parsimonious that he refused to give his own sons the few pennies they needed to buy pencils for school. It truly hurt him to part with his money. 4. His pertinacity, or stubbornness, is the cause of most of his trouble. 5. Rather than be involved in clandestine meetings, they did everything quite openly. 6. Ecclesiastics, such as priests, ministers, and pastors, should set models of behavior for their congregants. 7. The girl was churlish rude, sullen and absolutely ill-mannered. 8. Because the conflagration was aided by wind, it was so destructive that every building in the area was completely burned to the ground.
When authors write, they often include context clues to the meaning of words they use but think that some of their readers may not know. The context clue is usually presented in the sentence or paragraph in which the word occurs. Sometimes a visual such as a picture is provided. Here are six types of context clues used by authors to help the reader understand the meanings of words. An example is provided for each.

1. Definition context clue

The author includes a definition to help the reader understand the meaning of a word. In the following example, "tainted" is defined as having a disease. The people of the town were warned not to eat the tainted fish. The local newspaper published a bulletin in which readers were clearly told that eating fish that had a disease could be very dangerous. This was especially true for fish caught in Lake Jean.

2. Synonym context clue

The author includes a synonym to help the reader understand the meaning of a word. A synonym is a word that means the same as or nearly the same as another word. In the following example, the synonym "pity" helps the reader understand the meaning of "compassion." After seeing the picture of the starving children, we all felt compassion or pity for their suffering.

3. Antonym context clue

The author includes an antonym to help the reader understand the meaning of a word. An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. In the following example, the antonym "eager" helps the reader understand the meaning of "reluctant." Joe was reluctant to take on the position of captain of the basketball team. He was afraid that the time it would take would hurt his grades. On the other hand, Billy was eager for the chance to be captain. He thought that being captain of the team would make him very popular in school.

4. Description context clue

The author includes one or more descriptions to help the reader understand the meaning of a word. In the following example, descriptions of President Kennedy as having charm, enthusiasm, and a magnetic personality help the reader understand the meaning of "charismatic."

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, our 35th president, improved human rights and equal rights for all people. He was a very charismatic president. People were attracted to his charm and enthusiasm. His personality was described as magnetic.

5. Summary context clue

The author makes a number of statements that help the reader understand the meaning of a word. In the following example, statements about being rude, showing no respect, having poor manners, and being impolite help the reader understand the meaning of "impertinent." Andrea was a very impertinent young lady. She was so rude that she talked while her teacher was explaining a lesson. She showed no respect for other students. Her manners were very poor. Even her parents thought that Andrea was impolite.

She was exultant

6. Visual context clue

The author includes a picture, drawing, chart, graph, or other type of visual to help the reader understand the meaning of a word. In the following example, the picture and its caption that is close to the sentence helps the reader understand that "exultant" means great joy. Peggy had an exultant look on her face. Using the context clues provided by authors can help you learn the meaning of many new words.