CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.4d
The Standard
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
What This Standard Means
Students need to make an educated guess about an unfamiliar word or phrase, then check that guess against evidence. They should use context, word parts, dictionaries, glossaries, or trusted digital tools to confirm or adjust their meaning.
Mastery looks like a student saying, “I thought it meant this because of the sentence, but the dictionary shows a better fit here.” Students often stop after the first guess, choose the first dictionary definition, or ignore how the word is used in the passage.
Ways to Teach It
- Give pairs a short article with five challenging words, and have them record an inferred meaning, evidence, dictionary check, and final meaning.
- Ask students to write: When has a word looked familiar but meant something different in context? Use one example from reading.
- Use an exit ticket with one sentence, one underlined word, and three possible dictionary meanings; students choose and justify the best fit.
- Have students compare how a legal, medical, or technical term changes meaning between everyday speech and a field-specific source.
Before This Standard
If students are struggling here, check these first.
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Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.4d
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4d
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4d
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).