Understanding unknown words within text is a skill all students need to develop. This resource helps them learn to use context clues to determine the meaning of a word within a paragraph.

This file includes a literacy center activity and a worksheet/assessment.

The literacy center is a sorting activity in which students read paragraphs that contain a target word. They use the context to help them understand what the word means and then match it up with a synonym.

For example, one paragraph is about a girl singing in front of an audience. The target word in the paragraph is petrified. Students use clues within the text such as the girl's shaking hands and the large crowd to figure out that petrified means scared. There is another paragraph containing the word startled. Students would also match this one up with the word scared.

The second part of this resources is a worksheet/assessment. It has six short paragraphs with a target word in each. Students use context to understand the word and then choose the best meaning from four different choices. Includes answer key.

File includes:
• 24 paragraph cards
• 12 synonym cards
• Recording sheets
• Worksheet/assessment
• Answer key

Using CONTEXT CLUES to Determine Word Meaning

  • Grade Level

    3 to 4

  • Pages


  • File Type