Build Sentence Comprehension: Evaluate Word Meanings
1. Break students into groups based on need
2. Students who scored low in Sentence Comprehension and who
have trouble figuring out word meanings will benefit from this task
3. Go over signal words, context clues, and inferred meaning with
students (see instructions on student handout)
4. As students read the passage, ask them to identify unfamiliar
words from the text, along with signal words and context clues,
and then infer a meaning of the word from the signals and clues
5. Students should work in pairs or groups of four to complete the
reading and the task
6. Students are to discuss the assignment with their partner/group as
they are completing the task; however, all students are to complete
their own assignment and have their own finished product to turn
in
Build Sentence Comprehension: Evaluate Word Meanings
Instructions: As your group reads the passage, identify unfamiliar vocabulary words from the
reading and record them in the “Unfamiliar Word” column below. As you try to figure out the
meanings of the words, identify the following to complete the graphic organizer:
 Signal Words – other words in the sentence that signal the word’s meaning.
 Context Clues – clues from the rest of the sentence that give ideas about the word’s
meaning.
 Inferred meaning – what do you think the word means, based on the clues and signals?
Unfamiliar Word
Signal Word(s)
Context Clue(s)
Inferred Meaning