1. Terms

2. The four steps 1. Positive or Negative Connotation
2. Break the word apart- prefix, suffix, root word
3. Context Clues
4. Word Association- what other words does it sound/look like

3. Positive or Negative Connotation
The Connotation of a word means an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning
You can ask yourself what does it sound like, how does it make you feel, or look at other words in the sentence.
Example:
Appreciate
Positive connotation
Grimaced
Negative Connotation

4. Break the word apart- prefix, suffix, root word
Prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word.
Suffix is (also called ending) is an affix that is placed after the stem of a word.
The root of a word does not have a prefix in front of the word or a suffix at the end of the word. Once you pull off any prefixes or suffixes, the root will be normally what remains
Example:
Grimaced
Root word: Grim or grimace
Suffix: -ed

5. Context Clues
Context Clues are hints that an author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word. The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers, or it may follow in a preceding sentence.
Example:
My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert grimaced. Then my father poked his chopsticks just below the fish eye and plucked out the soft meat.
Context clues: Whole fish, poked, fish eye, plucked

6. Word Association
Word Association is a production of other words in response to a given word
Ask yourself “what does this word sound like, look like, remind me of”?
Example:
Grimaced
What word does it remind you of?
Grim
Grim Reaper

7. Fish Cheeks Vocabulary
Shabby
Positive or Negative Connotation
Negative
Context clues
When I found out that my mother had invited the minister’s family over for Christmas Eve Dinner, I cried. What would Robert think of our Shabby Chinese Christmas?
“I cried”; “terrible disappointment”
Break Apart
Root Word: SHAB Suffix: -y: allowing or characterized by
Word Association
Shady

8. Fish Cheeks Vocabulary
Appalling
Positive or Negative Connotation
Negative
Context clues
She was pulling out black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. The kitchen was littered with appalling mounds of raw food:
“mounds” “the kitchen was littered with…”
Break Apart
Root Word: appall: horrify or dismay Suffix: -ing: expresses action
Word Association
amazing; astounding; shocking