Kentucky Reading and Writing L.6.4.c

ELA6th GradeLanguage

The Standard

L.6.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

Consult print and digital reference materials to find the pronunciation and 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 print or digital reference to find how a key word is pronounced. They use the sentence around a word or phrase to choose the meaning that fits.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given 'a minute crack in the glass,' a student says minute as 'my-NOOT' and explains that it means very small. They can show the dictionary entry or audio that helped them decide.
Common Misconceptions: Students may take the first definition listed, even when it does not fit the sentence. They may pronounce 'minute' like a unit of time in 'a minute crack.'
How to Assess It: Display: 'The scientist spotted a minute crack in the rock.' Ask students to use a print or digital dictionary, then write how to say minute, what it means here, and which word in the sentence helped them decide.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a print dictionary and a tablet dictionary; have them compare pronunciations and meanings of 'minute' in two sample sentences.
Ask students: In 'I revised my draft,' why does 'draft' mean an early version, not moving air? Check a dictionary first.
Play dictionary detective: teams draw a word card and sentence card, find the matching definition, then read the word aloud.
Show a weather forecast with 'chance of precipitation'; students look up 'precipitation,' say it aloud, and explain the phrase to a partner.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to L.6.4.c, 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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