CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.4d
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 a smart first guess about a word or phrase, then check that guess. They should use context clues first, then confirm with a dictionary, glossary, or another reliable source. They also need to notice when a meaning does not fit the sentence and revise it.
Mastery looks like a student saying, “I thought it meant this because of these clues, but the dictionary shows it means that here.” Students often stop after the first guess, pick the first dictionary definition, or ignore how the word is used in the sentence.
Ways to Teach It
- Give pairs five sentences with bold words, sticky notes for first guesses, and dictionaries to confirm or revise each meaning.
- Ask students to write: “My first guess was ___ because ___, but I confirmed or changed it when ___.”
- Use one sentence and a bold word as an exit ticket, asking for a guess, evidence, and confirmed meaning.
- Show a restaurant review or sports article with one tricky word, then have students verify its meaning using context and a dictionary.
Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.4d
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What This Unlocks
Mastery here sets students up for these next.
Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.4d
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.9-10.4d
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).