Level 2 • Lesson 44 — Use clues to guess word meanings

Objective

Use picture and sentence clues to guess what new words mean when you read stories and articles.

Materials

Short story or passage that includes a few new words (for example: shiver, grin, scatter, clumsy)
Notebook or sticky notes for writing guesses and final meanings
Pencil ✏️ and highlighter
Optional: simple dictionary for checking meanings at the end

Mini-lesson — Using context clues

When we read, we do not know every single word. Good readers use context clues to guess meanings.

Context means “the words, pictures, and ideas around a word.”

When you see a new word, you can:

Look at the picture (if there is one).
Read the whole sentence, not just the new word.
Check the next sentence for more clues.
Think, “What would make sense here?”

Example:

“Liam forgot his coat. The wind was cold. He began to shiver.”

The wind is cold.
Liam has no coat.
So shiver must mean his body is shaking from the cold.

Today you will practice using context clues to guess what new words mean, and then say the meanings in your own words.

Picture: A sentence with a spotlight on the clue words.

Guided Practice — Context clue mini-book

How to use this mini-book:

On each page, find the bold word that might be new.
Ask, “What clues do I see in the picture or sentence?”
Have your child guess the meaning in their own words.
Optional: write the guessed meaning in the notebook.

After reading, choose two bold words and draw a small picture that shows each meaning.

New words in this mini-book

shiver grin scatter clumsy cozy

Mini-Book: The windy day

1

The cold wind.

The wind was cold at the bus stop. Rosa forgot her hat, and she began to shiver.

2

A big grin.

Her friend Max ran over with a warm hat. Rosa put it on and gave Max a big grin on her face.

3

Snack scatter.

On the bus, Max dropped his snack. The little crackers began to scatter all over the floor.

4

Cozy at last.

At home, Rosa sat in a cozy chair with a blanket. She did not shiver now. She read a book and smiled.

Reading Practice — What does this word mean?

For each question, use the sentence clues to choose the best meaning for the bold word.

1) “The wind was cold. Rosa began to shiver.” Shiver most nearly means…

2) “Rosa put it on and gave Max a big grin.” Grin most nearly means…

3) “The little crackers began to scatter all over the floor.” Scatter most nearly means…

4) “Rosa sat in a cozy chair with a blanket.” Cozy most nearly means…

5) When you see a new word in a story, what should you try first?

Quick Check (10 questions)

1) What are context clues?

Only the first letter of a new word Words, pictures, and ideas around a new word A list of words at the end of the book

2) When you see a new word, what should you do?

Close the book Ignore the rest of the sentence Read the whole sentence and use clues to guess the meaning

3) Which is a good example of using context clues?

Looking at the picture and nearby words to guess a meaning Guessing a meaning with no reading at all Only asking an adult every time

4) “The puppy was clumsy. He tripped over his own paws.” Clumsy most nearly means…

very quiet not moving carefully very smart

5) Why is it useful to guess a word meaning from clues?

So you never need to read the rest of the story So you can skip tricky parts forever So you can keep reading and understand the story better

6) “The tent was cozy. We sat in soft blankets with warm cocoa.” What clue helps you understand cozy?

soft blankets and warm cocoa an empty field loud thunder

7) What should you do after you guess a meaning?

Forget your guess Check if your guess makes sense in the whole sentence Change every word to match your guess

8) Which clue could help most with a new word?

The page number The title of the book only The sentence before and after the new word

9) When might you use a dictionary in this lesson?

After you guess to check your meaning Before you read any sentence Only to look up page numbers

10) What is one goal of this lesson?

To skip every hard word To use clues to understand new words while reading To read only picture books with no words

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Uses picture and sentence clues to suggest reasonable meanings for new words Explains at least 3 new words in simple, child-friendly language Checks guessed meanings against the whole sentence or passage Stays engaged and keeps reading even when new words appear

Exit ticket (student)

😀 I can use clues to figure out new word meanings 🙂 I need a little more practice with context clues 😅 Using clues still feels tricky

I will practice…

Underlining clues around new words in a story Telling a family member what a new word might mean Checking one guessed meaning in a dictionary

Lesson 44: Use clues to guess word meanings