About this activity
Eight sentences that carry their own definition if you read them carefully: The coach was adamant — he refused to change the lineup no matter who argued. Rainfall was scarce that summer, so the reservoir dropped twenty feet. His alibi was corroborated by two coworkers who saw him at the store. Each one is written the way a textbook writes, which is the point — this is the skill that lets a student read above their vocabulary.
How to use it in a session
Make the student point to the clue. The answer is much less useful than the words that gave it away — no matter who argued is what makes adamant mean unyielding, and identifying that phrase is the transferable skill. Cover the answer options if there are any and ask for a definition in the student's own words first, since choosing from a list can be done by elimination without any reading at all. Fifteen minutes covers eight items done properly.
What to listen for
Watch which clue types the student can use. A restatement after a dash, as in adamant, is the easiest; a consequence, as in scarce, requires an inference; and a contrast clue is hardest of all. Notice whether the student reads past the target word — many stop at the unfamiliar word, and the clue is almost always after it.
Carrying it home
Any book above the student's level supplies this practice. When they hit a word they do not know, ask them to keep reading to the end of the sentence and then guess, rather than looking it up immediately.
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- Sixth through ninth, using textbook-style sentences rather than narrative ones.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all eight items play with no account.
- Should students always guess from context rather than look words up?
- For reading fluency, guessing and continuing is usually right — stopping at every word destroys comprehension. Looking up is for words that turn out to matter, which is a decision the student can only make after reading on.