As students read informational texts, they often encounter unknown words. They usually just want to keep on reading without worrying about what those words mean. Here are some tips for getting your students to stop at those new words and use context clues in informational texts.
Tips for Teaching Context Clues in Informational Texts
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The first thing we need to do is to break down the standard at the different grade levels. It is really helpful to know what your students are expected to do in the grade level before yours and the grade level after yours. This allows you to differentiate your lessons and meet the needs of all your students.
First Grade
Important Skills to Teach:
- How to identify new words in a text
- What kinds of questions to ask yourself when you come to a word you don’t know in a text
- How to use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases
I Can Statements:
- I can stop and ask myself questions to find out the meaning of a new word.
- I can read on and use my background knowledge to determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases.
Download a week of 1st grade lesson plans to teach this standard.
Download a digital slideshow to assign for distance learning or as a center activity.
Second Grade
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
Important Skills to Teach:
- How to identify new words in a text
- Strategies for determining the meaning of new words and phrases in a text
I Can Statements:
- I can use pictures, text features, and definitions to define unknown words.
- I can use examples and surrounding sentences to define unknown words.
Download a week of 2nd grade lesson plans to teach this standard.
Download a digital slideshow to assign for distance learning or as a center activity.
Third Grade
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.4 – Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Important Skills to Teach:
- How to identify new words in an informational text
- How to use context clues and other strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases
I Can Statements:
- I can use pictures, text features, and definitions to define unknown words.
- I can use synonyms and surrounding sentences to define unknown words.
Download a week of 3rd grade lesson plans to teach this standard.
Download a digital slideshow to assign for distance learning or as a center activity.
Fourth Grade
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4 – Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Important Skills to Teach:
- How to identify new words in an informational text
- How to use different types of context clues to determine the meanings of unknown words
I Can Statements:
- I can use definitions, synonyms, and surrounding sentences to define unknown words.
- I can use examples and inferences to determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases.
Download a week of 4th grade lesson plans to teach this standard.
Download a digital slideshow to assign for distance learning or as a center activity.
Fifth Grade
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.4 – Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Important Skills to Teach
- How to identify new words in an informational text
- How to use different types of context clues to determine the meanings of unknown words
I Can Statements:
- I can use synonyms, antonyms, and surrounding sentences to define unknown words.
- I can use examples and inferences to define unknown words.
Download a week of lesson plans to teach this standard.
Download a digital slideshow to assign for distance learning or as a center activity.
Suggested Books
Most informational books are going to have new words that your students don’t know. I like to choose books that relate to a unit we’re studying in social studies or science. That way, the students have some background knowledge about the topic. Plus, any new information they learn will help them gain a better understanding of the content area material.
Exploring Earthquakes: Seismologists at Work
Erupt! 100 Fun Facts about Volcanoes
Frog or Toad? How Do You Know?
Tips for Teaching Context Clues in Informational Texts
- Become word detectives. Tell the students that as they read their informational books, they are going to become word detectives. I like to give my students a word wall sheet that has the letters of the alphabet with lines underneath each one. As they find a new word, they add it to the word wall under the correct letter. During our share time, the students love telling everyone the new words they discovered.
- Break down the types of context clues. Authors include many different types of context clues in their books. Introducing the students to each one is a great way to help them see all the different ways to determine the meaning of an unknown word. I like to create an anchor chart of all the different types of context clues, like picture clues, definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and examples. That way, the students can refer to it when they come to an unknown word in their informational books.
- Create a glossary. After the students have read an informational text and identified unknown words, have them use those words to create a glossary. They should use context clues to determine the meaning of the words. Then, they should write the words in alphabetical order with their definitions to create a glossary.
Other Helpful Resources
If you have students who are struggling with this standard, strategy groups and one-on-one conferences are a great way to differentiate and help all your students master it. These assessments will show you which students have mastered the standards and which students need extra practice.
1st Grade Common Core Literature Standard Assessments
1st Grade Common Core Informational Texts Standard Assessments
2nd Grade Common Core Literature Standard Assessments
2nd Grade Common Core Informational Texts Standard Assessments
3rd Grade Common Core Literature Standard Assessments
3rd Grade Common Core Informational Texts Standard Assessments
4th Grade Common Core Literature Standard Assessments
4th Grade Common Core Informational Texts Standard Assessments
5th Grade Common Core Literature Standard Assessments
5th Grade Common Core Informational Texts Standard Assessments
Get all the lesson plans you need to teach every Common Core Reading Standard for your grade level.
1st Grade Common Core Standards Bundle
2nd Grade Common Core Standards Bundle
3rd Grade Common Core Standards Bundle
4th Grade Common Core Standards Bundle
5th Grade Common Core Standards Bundle
For more tips on teaching the reading standards, join the Rock the Reading Workshop Facebook Group.
What Do You Think?
What are your best tips for teaching your students about context clues in informational texts?
Let us know in the comments.
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