Today is rung 5 of 7 on this topic
Working out a word from context
Can do: Meets an unknown word and uses the surrounding sentence to get a workable meaning.
Why it matters
No child can be pre-taught every word they'll meet. Context is the tool that lets vocabulary grow by reading, which is how most vocabulary is actually learned.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Stops dead at an unknown word, or skips it and loses the sentence.
⏱️ Two-minute check
"The path was so narrow we had to walk in single file. What does narrow mean?"
Solid looks like: Thin, not wide — plus a reason drawn from the rest of the sentence.
The full activity for this topic · 10 minutes
Cover the Word
- 1Cover one interesting word with a sticky note.
- 2Read the sentence. "What could the hidden word be? What kind of word is it?"
- 3Read the sentence after it too — the meaning is often in the next line.
- 4Uncover and compare their guess with the real word.
- 5Use the new word yourself three times over the next two days.
If it's too hard
Choose sentences where the meaning is spelled out right after the word.
If it's too easy
Use a word with two meanings and work out which one the sentence needs.
Say this
"Read the rest of the sentence first, then guess. What would make sense there?"