Vocabulary is one of the biggest struggles my students face in my room. They often just skip over unknown or difficult words because it is easier than trying to figure out the meaning.
I strongly believe that using context clues is one of the biggest and most important lessons we teach our students. We need them to try to use the clues in the text to identify the meaning of complex words.
Let’s talk about some of my favorite ways to teach context clues.
Explicitly teach what a context clue is and go over five main types.
The five context clues I primarily teach include:
Definition: Gives the meaning of the word
Synonym: a word that means something similar
Antonym: a word that means the opposite
Inference: an educated guess
Examples: samples-lessons
Videos/Songs
I always seem to hook my students. Every year, I make sure to show them both the Context Clues Brainpop and the Flocabulary video. If you haven’t checked out either of these websites yet, you are missing out. Trust me you won’t regret it.
Start with nonsense words.
This allows students to practice using the clues without the potential of having them know the word. I like to project a sentence on the board with a nonsense word. Students figure out the meaning in small groups and identify the type of context clue. I then give a point for the meaning and one for the context clue. Group with the most points at the end wins.
Give students texts to read and practice
Familiar texts are a great starting point and then the texts can get more difficult with practice. This makes it approachable and accessible for students.
Ask students to create their own context clue.
It is so important for students to understand the parts of a word. This can greatly help them identify the meaning of unknown words. This past year, I really tried to prioritize lessons on root words, prefixes and suffixes. I found my students were so much stronger with vocabulary from these lessons.
Consistency is key! This can’t be a lesson you teach for a day or week or even a month. You need to keep spiraling back to it. Kids need repetition and practice. It is the only way they will get better. This past year every Tuesday I made the focus on my do-now around context clues. This way I forced myself to keep giving my students opportunities to practice.
Practice doesn’t always have to be boring. Throw in some games to shake things up. Some of my favorites are: Try Your Luck, Stinky Feet and Jenga.
Context clues are an important skill that will help students in all areas of life. We need to give them tools and strategies to be successful.
How do you teach context clues in your classroom?
