Kentucky Reading and Writing L.3.4.d

ELA3rd GradeLanguage

The Standard

L.3.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading and Writing (2025) · Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use a book’s glossary or a children’s dictionary to check key words and phrases they do not understand. They choose the meaning that makes sense in the passage.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student finds entries using alphabetical order and reads past the first definition when needed. They point to a clue in the passage and explain the word or phrase in their own words.
Common Misconceptions: Students may choose the first dictionary definition, even when another meaning fits the sentence. They may copy a definition without checking whether it explains the whole phrase.
How to Assess It: Give students this sentence: “The crane lifted a steel beam onto the roof.” Ask them to use a children’s dictionary to find crane, then write which meaning fits and what clue helped them decide.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a science book and sticky notes; have them mark two bold words and find each meaning in the glossary.
Have students check bank in a children’s dictionary, then discuss which definition fits a river story and why.
Play definition match: give teams sentence cards and dictionary entries for words with two meanings, then have them pair each sentence with its meaning.
Read a local weather report, look up forecast in a children’s dictionary, then explain the report to a partner.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to L.3.4.d, 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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