NY Next Generation ELA 6L4.d

ELA6th GradeDetermine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

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).

New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students verify a preliminary word or phrase meaning after making an inference. They check the meaning against the surrounding context, a dictionary, or another reliable source and revise when necessary.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student states an initial meaning and names the evidence that supports it. The student performs a genuine check, notices agreement or conflict, and records a justified final meaning.
Common Misconceptions: Students may call rereading verification without testing the meaning or search only for evidence that confirms the guess. They may ignore a dictionary sense that reveals the inference was incomplete.
How to Assess It: Give students a target word in a paragraph. Ask for a preliminary meaning, a named verification step, the evidence found, and a final confirmed or revised meaning.

Lesson moves

Complete four-column cards for preliminary meaning, verification source, evidence, and final meaning for each word.
Ask, ‘What evidence would disprove your first meaning, and where can you check for it?’
Play Confirm or Revise by revealing new context or dictionary evidence after students record initial meanings.
Verify an unfamiliar term from health information before using it in a class explanation.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6L4.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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