CPR Context clues Parts of Words Resources

Context Clues  Using the words and sentences around a word to help determine it’s meaning.  Helps you determine what a word means without having to stop and look the word up, which results in the need to re-read what you have just read.

This shoe was made in Italy. I never realized shoes were manufactured in Europe.  To use context clues to determine the meaning of the word manufactured, you would look at the words in that sentence and the preceding one.  Since is says this shoe was made in Italy and we know Italy is in Europe, we can assume that manufactured means made.

Parts of Words  We can often use parts of words to determine the meaning of an unknown word.  If the word as a prefix or suffix that we are familiar with, it will help us define the word.  If the word is a compound word, knowing the meaning of the two original words can help us define the word.

You should redecorate your room.  The word redecorate has a prefix– re-.  The prefix re- means to do again or to do over.  We know that decorate means to fix up in a way that is pleasing to look at.  So, redecorate must mean to fix up in a way that is pleasing to look at again.

Those vegetables are homegrown.  The word homegrown is a compound word.  The words home and grown were put together to form this word.  We know that the word home means a place where you live, and grown means to raise up from a seed or small plant.  Therefore, homegrown must mean to raise up from a seed or small plant at the place where you live.

Resouces oResources are any outside source you can go to for help defining a word you don’t know. oA dictionary, thesaurus, web site, encyclopedia, or your textbook are all resources. oA person, such as your parents, classmates, or teachers are resources. oYour own brain may even be a resource, if you are able to figure the word out once you hear it pronounced and realize you have heard the word before.

Using CPR At the beginning of each Expedition or novel, you will be given a CPR chart. You will be expected to use this chart to define the words you are given. You will also be expected to use this chart to define any words you do not know as you are reading. You are to first determine if you can use parts of words to define the word; if you can not, you will try to use context clues; if you can not, you will use resources. Use resources only as a last resort, as this interrupts the flow of your reading.