Context Clues
Read the sentence: "The puppy was tiny, so it fit inside a small basket." What does tiny mean?
very small
The students were practicing their spelling words when the bell rang. They packed their bags and got ready to go home for the day.
What is the setting of this story?
School/ a classroom
What does the word replay mean? Think about the prefix re-.
to play something again
Mia loves reading books about animals. Ben also loves reading books, but he prefers books about outer space.
Name one similarity between Mia and Ben.
They both like reading books.
Read the sentence: "After running five laps, Marcus was exhausted and needed to sit down and rest." What does exhausted mean?
Very tired
Dear Molly,
I watched a movie I really think you would like yesterday. It was called "Piggy Goes to the City." It made me laugh a lot! It went perfectly with a buttery bag of popcorn and some M&Ms. I hope you give it a try.
Your friend, Max
Who is telling the story in this letter?
Max
What does the prefix un- mean in the word unfair?
not fair; opposite of fair
Emma walks to school every day. Jake rides the bus to school every day. Name one difference between Emma and Jake.
Emma walks and Jake rides the bus.
Read the sentence: "The classroom was silent during the test. Nobody spoke or made a sound." What does silent mean?
Making no noise; completely quiet
Mason wanted to build a tall tower, but his blocks kept falling over. He decided to use the larger blocks on the bottom and the smaller blocks on top. This time, his tower stayed standing.
How did Mason solve his problem?
He placed larger blocks on the bottom and smaller blocks on top to make his tower more stable.
What suffix is added to jump to show that it is happening right now: jumping or jumped?
jumping (-ing means right now; -ed means in the past)
In a story, Lily practices her spelling words every night and earns a perfect score. Her brother Max studies only the night before the test and earns a lower score. How are Lily and Max alike, and how are they different?
They both are studying for a spelling test. Lily works hard and gets a perfect, but Max gets a lower score because he did not study consistently.
Read the sentence: "The path was slippery after the rain, and Mia had to walk carefully so she would not fall." What does slippery mean?
Smooth or wet in a way that makes it easy to slide or fall.
Sophie packed her backpack and hurried outside. The school bus was waiting at the end of her driveway. She waved goodbye to her dad before climbing aboard.
Where is Sophie, and what clues help you identify the setting?
Sophie is at home, near her driveway, on a school morning. The backpack, school bus, and driveway are clues.
Read the sentence: "Liam reread the directions because he did not understand them the first time."
What does the prefix re- tell you about what Liam did?
He read the directions again.
I am excited to see you at camp. My house has been so boring lately. None of my siblings want to play with me, and it is so quiet around here. I can't wait to play with you soon!
Your friend, Mandy
Dear Mandy,
My house is SO loud. My little sister is always crying and my dogs are always barking. I can't wait to go to camp and relax a little bit and have fun with you, too!
See you soon, Hannah
What is the main difference between Hannah and Mandy's home?
Mandy's home is quiet and Hannah's home is much louder.
Read the passage: "When the class entered the museum, the students were astonished by the enormous dinosaur skeleton. Their eyes widened, and several students gasped in surprise because they had never seen anything so huge before."
What does astonished mean? Identify a clue from the passage that help you figure out its meaning.
Meaning: Very surprised or amazed.
Clues: The students' eyes widened, they gasped in surprise, and they had never seen anything so huge before. Any two of these clues are acceptable.
Daniel looked at the dark clouds gathering overhead. He wanted to finish playing soccer, but he knew a storm was coming. He quickly gathered the equipment and asked his teammates to help carry it inside. A few minutes later, the rain began.
Tell the problem, solution and whether the story is told from the first-person (character in the story) or third-person (narrator) point of view.
Problem: A storm was approaching while Daniel and his teammates were playing soccer.
Solution: Daniel gathered the equipment and asked his teammates to help carry it inside.
Point of view: Third person, because the narrator refers to Daniel as "he" rather than telling the story as "I."
Read the passage: "Olivia was nervous about the school talent show, but she practiced her piano song every day. Her friend Grace was also nervous, but she practiced her dance routine with her older sister. On the day of the show, both girls performed successfully. Olivia played the piano, while Grace danced on stage."
Explain one similarity and one difference between Olivia and Grace.
Similarities: Both girls were nervous about the talent show, and both practiced to prepare for it.
Differences: Olivia practiced the piano, while Grace practiced dancing. Olivia performed a piano song, while Grace performed a dance.