1. Context Clues

2. Context Clues:
are hints that the author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word.

3. The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers,
or it may follow in the next sentence.
Because most of your vocabulary is gained through reading, it is important that you be able to recognize and take advantage of context clues.

4. Using context means to figure out what words mean by how they are used in the sentence or paragraph where they appear.
There are several different context clues you can use to help you figure out unfamiliar words.
Authors often use punctuation clues to help the reader. Punctuation clues might include commas, dashes, or parentheses.

5. Examples:
Mary retained, kept, the deed to her mother's house.
I wonder if that fruit is edible, able to be eaten.

6. Types of context clues
There are at least four kinds of context clues that are quite common.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Explanation
Example

7. Authors may use word clues such as synonyms—words with almost the same meaning—or antonyms—words opposite in meaning—near the unfamiliar term.
Examples:
Reducing cholesterol has a number of beneficial results. One positive outcome is reducing the risk of heart disease. (synonym clue)
I despise liver, but I adore steak. (antonym clue)

8. Synonyms (or definitions)
A synonym, is a word or phrase with the same meaning.
Most castles had high walls and were surrounded by a water-filled ditch called a moat.
The harlequin, like the circus clown, was a fool who loved to perform.

9. Antonym A word or phrase with the opposite meaning.
Jerry is very clumsy, but his sister Jenny is adroit.
Unlike his quiet and low key family, Brad is garrulous.

10. Explanation
Sometimes the meaning of a word or phrase is explained immediately following its use. 
Etymology, which is the study of the origin of words, finds many teachers taking the bull by its horns when unraveling the mysteries of vocabulary studies.
A biographer, or one who writes about people's lives, is an example of an author.

11. Example
Writers use words like: “such as," "for instance," and "for example" indicate examples.
The student was suffering from anxiety. For example, when he first saw the test, he began to tremble.

12. Old Mr. Riley was quite spry for his age
Old Mr.. Riley was quite spry for his age. Daily he walked several blocks to buy a newspaper, and I often saw him working in his garden.
Which words or phrases might help you figure out what
spry means?
Daily he walked several blocks
working in his garden.

13. Wilson put on a heavy coat, a wool scarf, several pairs of socks
inside his boots, and fur-lined gloves to protect himself against the
frigid weather.
“Frigid” means:
(1) very dry
(2) very hot
(3) very wet
(4) very cold
(5) very old
(4) very cold

14. Nippers, spraggers, and mule drivers envied the miners and laborers, whose strength was measured in coal.
What do we know?
Nippers and spraggers are not like miners and laborers.
They envied them, suggesting that their position is lower and less important than the laborers and miners.
If you learn what a word does NOT mean, you can figure out what it means.
Low-level workers in coal mines

15. Acrophobia, or fear of heights, can make life difficult for tightrope walkers who suffer from it.
Bibliographies are often placed at the end of a chapter or textbook to list books in which you may find more information.
Bibliographies are:
List of books
List of chapters
List of words
List of authors
(1) List of books

16. Authors also use bold and/or italics to make a
reader aware of an important term. Often the definition of the word in bold or italics follows.
Examples:
The computer is a machine that accepts input, processes data, stores information, and produces output.
Archaeology is the scientific study of prehistoric cultures by excavation of their remains.

17. Get Back to Your Roots!
Intentional Word Study with Greek and Latin Roots
Tiffany Rose & Cheryl Harrel
WABE Conference, Yakima, WA
April 19, 2013

18. Rationale English language has 1,200,000 – 2,000,000 words!
Estimated that technology is contributing 20,000 new words a year
90% of English words with more than 1 syllable are Latin based
Most of remaining 10% are Greek based
Single root can help us understand 5-20 related English words
Along with point about 90% of English words are Latin based –
Latin roots are important especially for Spanish speakers, but for other languages as well, since many of the roots are cognates which help build a bridge to English
Tiff does welcome & both rationale slides
Rationale

19. A Little Bit of History…
The earliest Greek civilizations
lived around 3,000+ years ago.
Some historians put the earliest dates of Greek society around the time of the first Olympic games – 776 B.C.
Others extend the beginning
to circa years B.C. T

20. GREEK INFLUENCE The Greeks loved philosophy
and art , were interested in
science and medicine,
and were deep thinkers
who loved to discuss
politics. English absorbed
words from ancient Greek
for these intellectual subjects. T

21. A Little Bit More History…
The Roman Influence…
The Roman Empire
circa 44 B.C.
… lasted until circa 1453 A.D.

22. controlled all of these lands for hundreds of years.
Romans, who spoke Latin, came from Rome (now Italy). C
Romans conquered and
controlled all of these lands for hundreds of years.

23. Those who have the power determine the language.
The people of the conquered lands had to learn many Latin words to be able to communicate
with the people who ruled over them.
Latin became the language of religion, medicine, business, and law. C

24. Base root words Affixes Prefixes Suffixes Kinds of Roots
Roots are semantic units that carry meaning – different from phoneme and word families C
Kinds of Roots

25. Roots affixes bases prefixes suffixes
They are all root words, but then they can be broken down something like this C
suffixes

26. Parallel Latin and Greek Roots Parallel Latin & Greek bases
Definition
water
foot, feet
earth
Latin
aqua-
ped-
terr-
Greek
hydro –
pod –
geo -
Parallel Latin and Greek Roots Parallel Latin & Greek bases

27. Broadening the Cognate Approach
English
Innovative
Inovador
Spanish
nov
Nuevo
Nueva
Novice
Novelty
Renovate
Broadening the Cognate Approach

28. Experience the Consensus Board!
“vis/vid” examples as base roots – vis/vid are not words by themselves, but they are roots that mean “see”.
Experience the Consensus Board!
Cheryl explains consensus board procedure with “VIS/VID”
Base Root

29. Some examples… A visionary sees ahead to how the project could unfold.
A visor protects your eyes from the sun.
The vivid colors were so bright, we could see them clearly from far away.
Readers with a good imagination visualize the action or setting of the story.
Because it was so foggy, the visibility was very poor.
It is so fun to watch YouTube videos of the screaming goats!
The girl felt invisible as she started her first day at the new high school. C
Some examples…

30. Prefixes Prefixes – give direction, negate, or intensify
Most English prefixes derived from Latin (about 25)
The four most frequent prefixes account for 97 percent of prefixed words in printed school English…
dis-, re-, un-, & in-, im-, il-, ir-
T – see if teachers can guess 4 most common prefixes…tell them list of 25 most common in their packet…
Reference Teaching Reading Sourcebook: For Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade by Bill Honig, Linda Diamond, and Linda Gutlohn. © 2000 by CORE.
Dis – not/opposite of; re – again; un – not; in, etc, - also means not like “injustice”
Prefixes

31. Parallel Latin and Greek Roots Parallel Latin and Greek prefixes
contra-, contro-,
circu-, circum-
multi-
super-, sur-
sub-
Greek
anti –
peri –
poly –
hyper –
hypo -
Definition
against
around
many
over
under, below
Parallel Latin and Greek Roots Parallel Latin and Greek prefixes

32. Most of the prefixes students encounter in school texts are directional in nature.
Examples:
at-, ad- = to, toward, add to
de - = down, off
dis - = apart, in different directions
con- = with, together
re - = again T
Directional Prefixes

33. Least important component in terms of understanding a word’s meaning
Usually used to indicate a part of speech
Only a few suffixes merit intensive scrutiny
- ology = “study of”
-er = “more”
-est = “most”
-ful = “full of”
-less = “without, lacking”
-able, -ible = “can, able to”
Refer to handout in packet that lists most common prefixes, suffixes and base words. - T
Suffixes