Context Clues

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• Context Clues

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Context Clues

• Clues to a words meaning provided by the
  sentence or passage in which the word is found
• Clues may be found in the sentence preceding or
  following the sentence in which the word is found

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LA. A. 1.2.3

• The student selects from a variety of simple
  strategies including the use of
• Phonics
• Word structure
• Self-questioning

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LA. A. 1.2.3

• Confirming simple predictions
• Reading and visual clues
• Base words
• Illustrations
• Graphics
• Charts

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Strategies and Tips

• Look for prefixes, suffixes, and root words
• Is there any part of the word you recognize
• Look for an answer choice close to that meaning
• Read the sentence with your word choice to see if
  it makes sense

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Strategies and Tips

• Read the sentence before and after the sentence
  that contains the word
• Guess a synonym for the word
• Read the sentence with your synonym in it to see
  if it makes sense

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Types of Clues

• Definition
• Synonym
• Antonym
• Comparison

• Example
• List or Series
• Cause and Effect
• Inference

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Definition
The unknown word is equated to a more familiar
word or phrase. Sometimes the definition is in
the next sentence.
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Definition

• is called
• are called
• is known as
• are known as
• means

• Signal Words
• is
• are
• was
• were

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Definition
Entomology is the study of insects. By 1700,
whales had become very important for
their blubber. Blubber is the fat under the skin
of the whale.
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Synonym
The meaning is usually right after the unfamiliar
word and often separated from the rest
of the sentence with commas, dashes,
or parenthesis.
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Synonym

• Signal Words
• or
• that is
• in other words
• also
• look for( )

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Synonym
Meat eaters, or carnivores, are at the top of the
food chain. She enjoyed biology (the
study of living things).
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Antonym
The unfamiliar word is shown to be different from
or unlike another word and is often an
opposite.
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Antonym

• Signal Words
• but
• however
• although
• otherwise
• not
• no

• unless
• instead
• on the contrary
• on the other hand
• while
• never

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Antonym
Mikes parrot was loquacious but Marias said
very little.
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Comparison
The unfamiliar word is shown to be the same as or
like another word.
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Comparison

• Signal Words
• too
• like
• as
• similar to
• in the same way

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Comparison
My brother is enthralled by birds in the same way
that I am interested in insects.
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Example
The unfamiliar word is clarified by giving an
example.
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Example

• Signal Words
• for instance
• such as
• for example

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Example
The archeologist found different amulets, such as
a rabbits foot and bags of herbs,
near the ancient altar.
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List or Series
The unfamiliar word is included in a series of
related words that give an idea or the words
meaning.
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List or Series
North American predators include grizzly bears,
pumas, wolves, and foxes.
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Cause and Effect
The meaning of an unfamiliar word is signaled by
a cause and effect relationship between ideas in
the text. This is a very difficult type
of context clue.
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Cause and Effect
Due to a dearth of termites, the aardvark starved
to death.
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Inference
The meaning of an unfamiliar word can be inferred
from the description of a situation or
experience. Say blank for the unknown word,
fill another word that makes sense and keep
on reading. This is the most difficult
type of context clues.
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Inference
The hungry campers began to devour their bread
and cheese quickly and silently.
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What is Assessed

• Prefix
• Suffix
• Root word
• Multiple meanings
• Antonyms
• Synonyms

• Homophones
• Compound words
• Contractions
• Idioms
• Figurative language

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Passage AttributesGrades 3-5

• Passages may be literary or informational text.
• Other stimuli include, but should not be limited
  to, illustrations, graphics, and charts with
  captions.
• Passages must contain a word or phrase unfamiliar
  to most grade level students, and sufficient on
  text must be present to enable students to infer
  meaning of the word or phrase. Passages must
  contain appropriate words to assess knowledge of
  prefixes, suffixes, root words, multiple
  meanings, antonyms, synonyms, homophones,
  compound words and contractions.

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Response AttributesGrade 3

• Distracters may include, but are not limited
  to, the following
• Incorrect meaning of words or phrases
• Correct meanings of words or phrases that do not
  fit the context
• Words with construct similar to correct response
  (e.g. same prefix)
• Incorrect interpretations of contractions
• Items containing antonyms should not include
  synonyms as distracters similarly, items
  assessing synonyms should not include antonyms as
  distracters

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Response AttributesGrades 4 5

• Distracters may include, but are not limited
  to, the following
• Incorrect meaning of words or phrases
• Correct meanings of words or phrases that do not
  fit the context
• Words with construct similar to correct response
  (e.g. same prefix)

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Question Type

• Multiple choice

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Key Question Phrases

• In which sentence does the word ____________ have
  the same meaning as the above sentence?
• Look at the word____________. Use surrounding
  words to help you figure out what it means?
• What does _____________ mean?
• Which context clue helps the reader figure out
  the meaning of _________?

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Sample Question

• Read the sentence from the story. Listen
  here! I said. This is the most delicious
  tasting thing in the world! I waved the stick
  and threw it. Go fetch!
• When Jordy tells Blooher to fetch the
  stick, he want Blooher to
• A. get the stick
• B. toss the stick
• C. hide the stick
• D. drop the stick

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Sample Question

• If a north pole and south pole of the magnet
  get near each other, they will snap together.
  However, two north poles will repel each other.
  They will push away from each other.
• The word repel means
• A. dislike
• B. attract
• C. move apart
• D. burn

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Sample Question

• When penguins are on shore, they cluster
  together in a big group called rookeries.
• The word that means the opposite of cluster
  is
• scatter
• gather
• run
• sleep

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Sample Question

• Half of everything we throw away in the
  landfill could be recycled.
• What is a landfill?
• a factory
• a valley that has been filled
• a place for garbage
• a recycling center

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Sample Question

• He knew for sure the boy would die without
  the shot. So the doctor gave him the vaccine and
  the boy lived.
• What does vaccine mean?
• A. vitamin
• B. pill
• C. prescription
• D. shot

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Sample Question

• These cables are hooked onto towers. The
  cables hold the road up so it actually hangs in
  mid-air. When it was new, it was the longest
  suspension bridge in the world.
• What does suspension mean?
• old
• working
• hanging
• failed

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Sample Question

• The desert is a harsh environment. It is
  extremely hot during the day and then freezing
  cold at night.
• The opposite of harsh is..
• A. warm
• B. cold
• C. pleasant
• D. dry

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Sample Question

• The dog snarled at the mailman as he tried to
  deliver the package to the house.
• What does snarled mean in this sentence?
• A. jumped
• B. stuck in traffic
• C. barked
• D. growled

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Sample Question

• At first the running was easy. But somewhere
  around the 20 mile mark, I seemed to hit the
  wall. I felt like I could not move another step!
• What does hit the wall mean?
• A. you hit a brick wall
• B. your body becomes paralyzed and cant
• move
• C. your mind stops functioning
• D. your body reached a point that where it
• cant go on anymore

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Sample Question

• Johnny was quite a character! He would do
  things to make everyone laugh and was always
  playing practical jokes!
• What does character mean in this passage?
• A. a person in a story
• B . a person who is different from
• others
• C. a person who is angry
• D. a person who laughs