Hello Colleagues, As we've noted from time to time here on LINCS, several of the ELA standards highlight the importance of vocabulary. I recently read a blog by Douglas and Nancy Frey, Content Area Vocabulary Learning. These authors suggest a set of questions to guide teachers' decisions about which vocabulary to teach. One of the questions is "Can students use context clues to determine the correct or intended meaning of the word without instruction?".
Clearly, it is not always possible to get meaning from context. This example from Beck, McKeown and Kucan ( 2002) illustrates the point.
"Sandra had won the dance contest, and the audience's cheers brought her to the stage for an encore. 'Every step she takes is so perfect and graceful,' Ginny said grudgingly as she watched Sandra dance."
The context in this case, does not help a reader to understand the word grudgingly.
What are some useful strategies you can recommend to support students to learn when -- and how to get meaning from context?
Reference: Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York. Guilford Press.
Cheers, Susan Finn Miller
Moderator, College and Career Standards CoP