Bible Language Arts Ms. Meek Lesson # 58 Context Clues

When good readers use clues in the passage to learn the meaning of a word or phrase, the reader is using context clues.

Context clues are words around an unfamiliar word. They give important clues about what the word means. In this lesson we are going to use context clues to help us understand unfamiliar words in the sentences that we read.

My dog Skeeter would really like to run free in a yard. He does not like being walked on a leash. However, where we live, there is busy traffic on the streets. We live in an urban neighborhood with tall buildings. When we walk out our front door, all we see is concrete and people. He doesn’t seem to care. He just wants his freedom.

Unfamiliar Word: The passage says, “We live in an urban neighborhood with tall buildings.” What does the word urban mean?

When looking for the meaning of an unfamiliar word, follow three steps to help you find the meaning for the word you don’t know. 1.Look for words that offer clues in the sentence before the sentence with the unfamiliar word. 2.Look for words that offer clues in the target sentence. 3.Look for words that offer clues in the sentence after the sentence with the unfamiliar word.

My dog Skeeter would really like to run free in a yard. He does not like being walked on a leash. However, where we live, there is busy traffic on the streets. We live in an urban neighborhood with tall buildings. When we walk out our front door, all we see is concrete and people. He doesn’t seem to care. He just wants his freedom.

Unfamiliar Word Meaning: The passage says, “We live in an urban neighborhood with tall buildings.” What does the word urban mean? City

Once there was dishonest tax collector named Zacchaeus. He was a very greedy and deceitful man. He often fooled those he collected taxes from, and kept a lot of it for himself instead of giving it to the Romans. One day, Jesus came to Jericho, and Zacchaeus felt the need to see him. He was a small man, and had to climb into the highest tree he could find to get a glimpse of Jesus. Everyone was overjoyed to see Jesus. Jesus, it turns out, turned to Zacchaeus for a place to stay and something to eat.

The crowd was surprised that Jesus chose Zacchaeus! Zacchaeus knew he had not been doing the right thing, but was so moved by Jesus that he changed his ways. He not only stopped being dishonest, but he returned four times as much money than he had collected to the people that he had taken the money from. He also gave half of his possessions to the poor! Every day after his encounter, he lived his life for Jesus.

Unfamiliar Word: The passage says “He was a very greedy and deceitful man.” What does deceitful mean?

Once there was dishonest tax collector named Zacchaeus. He was a very greedy and deceitful man. He often fooled those he collected taxes from, and kept a lot of it for himself instead of giving it to the Romans.

Unfamiliar Word: The passage says “He was a very greedy and deceitful man.” What does deceitful mean? Untruthful, or not honest.