A digression after lunch
Context Clues 61% of unknown words can be determined through contextual analysis (Block & Mangieri) Context Semantic features: aspects that give meaning and establish similarities and differences Syntactic clues: order in a sentence Visual images Reader response: absence of related prior knowledge weakens text clues 2 © 2009 Partner in Education
Stages of vocabulary acquisition Stages of word knowledge (Dale 1965 ) Never saw it before Heard it—no knowledge of meaning Recognizes in context Knows it well: uses in conversation and or writing 3 © 2009 Partner in Education
Does context help determine meaning? The river was full of noxious materials such as cleaning agents from factories and pesticides from the nearby farms. The periphery of the river was littered with container trash from the nearby factories. This third grade was full of precocious children. One child had learned to read at two and another could do algebra at age 6. When going to an office party you should show your best decorum; dress your best, drink and eat moderately, and be sure to thank the host before you leave. Some may not approve of the governor’s behavior, but to describe him as nefarious is to go a bit far. Some credit her advancement at the university to an erudition beyond all others; however, others suggest her father’s position at the helm had a significant impact. The professor had one caveat in the syllabus: this document was subject to change. 4 © 2009 Partner in Education
Types of External Context Clues Definition or explanation clue The periphery or outer region, of the river was littered with container trash from the nearby factories. Example clue Like road banks along an interstate highway, the periphery of the river was littered with container trash from the nearby factories. Restatement or synonym clue The periphery or bank of the river was littered with container trash from the nearby factories. Contrast or antonym clue The periphery of the river, unlike the water that flowed within its banks, was littered with container trash from the nearby factories. Inference through general context clue The periphery of the river was littered with container trash from the nearby factories while the fast moving water appeared clear of debris. Punctuation and syntax clues: word order, dashes, quotations, parenthesis The periphery—the perimeter—of the river was littered with container trash from the nearby factories. 5 © 2009 Partner in Education
NAME ______________________ TEXT ______________________ PAGES _______ DATE _______ What Context Clue am I Using to Define this Word? Becoming metacognitive about word meaning. © 2009 Partner in Education
NAME ______________________ TEXT ______________________ PAGES _______ DATE _______ How Well Do I Know These Words? Thinking about words before learning them makes connections that will help me remember. © 2009 Partner in Education
NAME ______________________ TEXT ______________________ PAGES _______ DATE _______ How Well Do I Know These Words? Thinking about words before learning them makes connections that will help me remember. © 2009 Partner in Education
Using Internal Context Clues ComponentDefinitionExample Prefix A word part (affix) added to the beginning of a root or base word to create a new meaning ana- : again, anew, up intro- : in, inside, inward Suffix A word part (affix) added to the end of a root or base word to create new meaning -logy: study, science, theory -sis: process or action -ism: act, process, state, condition Root or base A morpheme or morphemes to which affixes or other bases may be added psych: soul, spirit, mind lyses: gradual decline Cognates Two words have the same ancestral language and meaning associationism (Eng) associationism (Fr) school of psychology holding that content of consciousness is explained by the association and reassociation of irreducible sensory and perceptual elements Word family A group of words sharing a common phonic element spectacles, specter, inspection, perspective © 2009 Partner in Education