CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.4c
The Standard
Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use dictionaries, glossaries, and thesauruses in print or online. They find how a word is pronounced and choose the exact meaning that fits its context.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can locate a word in a print or digital reference tool. They can use pronunciation symbols or audio and select the meaning that best fits the context.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often choose the first definition without checking the sentence. They may think every thesaurus synonym is interchangeable or mistake pronunciation symbols for regular spelling.
How to Assess It
- Give students a sentence with an underlined word and a dictionary entry containing pronunciation and several meanings. Ask them to mark the pronunciation and choose the matching meaning.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs print dictionaries and word cards, then have them find each entry, note its pronunciation, and match its meaning to a sentence.
Ask students to write why the first dictionary definition may not fit every sentence, using one multiple-meaning word as evidence.
Run a reference relay where teams locate a word, record its pronunciation, and choose the correct meaning for a posted sentence.
Have students use a school handbook glossary to clarify one unfamiliar term, then explain that term to a classmate.
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Printable L.5.4c Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.4c, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
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Where This Standard Sits
Before This Standard
If students are struggling here, check these first.
What This Unlocks
Mastery here sets students up for these next.
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Related Standards
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- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4c
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