CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.4
The Standard
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Informational Text
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use nearby words and ideas to work out what an unfamiliar word or phrase means. They distinguish literal meanings from figurative, emotional, and subject-specific meanings.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students select a meaning that fits the passage and point to words that support it. They explain whether the language is literal, figurative, connotative, or technical.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may choose the first dictionary definition without checking the sentence. They may read figurative phrases literally or confuse a word’s feeling with its technical meaning.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: In “The new dam proposal sparked a heated debate,” explain the meanings of “sparked” and “heated,” then cite context clues.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs sentence strips with one word used differently, then have students match each sentence to the correct definition card.
Ask students to explain how replacing “slim” with “skinny” changes the tone of a sentence.
Run a context clue relay where teams identify meanings, underline evidence, and label each use as literal, figurative, connotative, or technical.
Have students examine a weather report and identify technical words whose meanings differ from everyday use.
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Printable RI.6.4 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.4, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetLearning progression
Where This Standard Sits
See the whole path on the Reading: Informational Text progression map.
Before This Standard
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What This Unlocks
Mastery here sets students up for these next.
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Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choi...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choice...
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