Context Clues in High School Reading

Seven sentences with academic words such as verbose, scarce and feasible; the student uses context clues to choose the meaning.

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The speech was so verbose that the audience lost track of the main point. What does verbose mean?

This pass0 correct · 0 cued · 0 incorrect · 0/7
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Session summary (SOAP)

Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.

Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.

How to run it

Read the sentence and ask the student to point to the clue before looking at the answers. After they choose, ask what type of clue it was: an example, a cause, a result or a restatement. Then ask them to use the word in a sentence about something from their own classes or life.

Cueing ladder

Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.

  1. Step 1IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
  2. Step 2HintGive a clue about the word's category, what it does, or where you find it.Log as cued
  3. Step 3Two choicesOffer two answers, the right one not always second.Log as cued
  4. Step 4ModelGive the answer in a sentence; the student says it back and uses it once more.Log as cued

Adjust it

Easier

Use fewer items and start with the ones the student already knows.

Harder

Ask for the word in a sentence of the student's own, or a second example from the same group.

Matching IEP goal

Given vocabulary cards, Student will name, sort or define target words in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than an indirect cue.

Send it home through the parent portal →

About this activity

Seven sentences with academic words that turn up in high school reading: verbose, inconclusive, scarce, frugally, contentious, candid and feasible. Each sentence carries a clue: an audience losing track of the point, families using only a little water, parents arguing for weeks. The student picks the meaning from three choices. The words are worth knowing, but the board is built to practise working out any unfamiliar word from the sentence around it.

What to listen for

Notice whether the student reads the whole sentence or only the target word. Inconclusive and feasible are abstract and tend to need the most support. Listen for whether the student's own sentence shows real understanding or just copies the frame from the board.

Carrying it home

When your teen reads for a class, ask them to mark one word they did not know and say what they think it means from the sentence before looking it up. Comparing their guess with the dictionary is useful whether the guess was close or not.

What's in this activity

  • The speech was so verbose that the audience lost track of the main point. What does verbose mean?
    • using too many words
    • very quiet
    • angry
  • Scientists found the results inconclusive. They said more testing was needed. What does inconclusive mean?
    • completely clear
    • not settling the question
    • fake
  • The drought made water scarce. Families could only use a little each day. What does scarce mean?
    • dirty
    • frozen
    • in short supply
  • Marcus lived frugally. He cooked at home and bought used clothes. What does frugally mean?
    • spending little money
    • carelessly
    • alone
  • The new rule was contentious. Students and parents argued about it for weeks. What does contentious mean?
    • popular with everyone
    • causing disagreement
    • easy to follow
  • The witness gave a candid account and even admitted her own mistakes. What does candid mean?
    • made up
    • very short
    • honest and open
  • The plan was not feasible because it cost far more than the school could afford. What does feasible mean?
    • possible to do
    • exciting
    • fair

Questions

Who is this for?
Students in grades 9 through 12 working on academic vocabulary, context clues and reading comprehension.
What if the student already knows the word?
Ask them to point to the clue anyway. Explaining how the sentence supports the meaning is the transferable skill.
Is it free?
Yes. It plays free in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment to a student.

Use this board with your caseload

With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.

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Free for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.