CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4

ELA3rd GradeVocabulary Acquisition and Use

The Standard

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Language Standards

What This Standard Means

Students need to figure out unfamiliar words while reading, not just skip them or ask right away. They should use context clues, word parts, sentence meaning, glossaries, dictionaries, and rereading. They also need to notice when a common word has more than one meaning.

Mastery looks like a student saying, “I think this means ___ because ___,” and choosing a strategy that fits the situation. Students often get stuck by guessing from one nearby word, ignoring the rest of the sentence, or choosing the first dictionary meaning even when it does not fit.

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs a short passage with five boxed words, sticky notes, and a dictionary, then have them label the strategy used for each word.
Ask students to write: “The word ___ probably means ___ because the text says ___.”
Use four sentences with the word “light,” and have students match each sentence to the correct meaning.
Bring in a food label, map, or sports article, and have students find two words whose meanings depend on the context.

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The Standard

What This Standard Means

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Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4

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