Vocabulary Focus:
Context Clues
Teachers often tell their students to use context clues without taking the time to teach the specific kinds of clues that
students might encounter in the text. To determine the meaning of unknown words using this skill requires a
sophisticated interaction with the text that many readers have not yet achieved.
Types of context clues:
Definition/Explanation
These are the most direct clues. The author actually defines the word for the reader.
Acids are a special group of chemicals that share certain characteristics, or properties.
Restatement/Synonym
These are clues that explain the unknown words by using synonyms or text that is common language. This type of clue
is often found in content area textbooks. These clues may or may not be located in the same sentence as the word to
be defined.
Cowboys often wore chaps, leather trousers without a seat, over their pants to protect their legs from thorns.
The food was bland. In fact, everyone called it tasteless.
Contrast/Antonym
These clues give an opposite meaning for a word. Students must be able to catch and understand the signal word.
These clues may or may not be located in the same sentence as the word to be defined.
The scientist was proud and loyal, but his assistant was despicable.
Gist
These are the most difficult clues for a student to grasp. These clues require the student to infer the meaning of a
particular word from the general context, or gist, of the passage. Sometimes a reader may have to go through the
entire passage before understanding the meaning of the word. This type of context clue requires the greatest amount
of teacher modeling. Be sure to think aloud through your strategies to determine gist definitions. Students need to
know, understand, and feel comfortable with the process.
John burst out of the woods and found himself at the edge of a precipice. Clinging to a boulder, he gazed down dizzily
at the blue ribbon of river below.
Think-Aloud: If he is gazing down, he must be up higher. If he is clinging to something, he must be afraid of falling,
which makes me think he is up really high. If the river looks like a blue ribbon, I know he is up high. The word edge
gives me a clue to the location. Now I know that a precipice is an edge of a mountain that is up very high. I also know
that you can look over it and see what’s below.
Source: Beers, K. When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do, pages 183–187.
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