Unlocking the world of words context clues and word parts

1. Reading Strategies
Workshop
“Unlocking the World of
Words”
Interpret and Increase
Vocabulary by Using
and

2. Questions???
How many of you have more than five
uninterrupted hours a day to devote
to reading?
How many of you always understand
every word you read?
How many of you have/use a cell
phone?

3. PURPOSE Affects Reading Rate!
Factors that Affect Reading Rate
–Your reading purpose
–Prior knowledge
–Your interest level
–Complexity of material
Factors that
Affect
Reading
Rate
Your
reading
purpose
Prior
knowledge
Your
interest
level
Complexity
of material
Learning Reading
Rate
100-200 words per
minute
Average Reading
Rate
200-350 words per
minute
CasualReading
Rate
350-600 wordsper
minute

4. Wittgenstein
“The limits of my
language mean the
limits of my world.”

5. If language creates our
understanding of the world……
•Probably the one activity that will
most improve your vocabulary is
reading.
•One important skill you need to
develop is figuring out the meaning
of words you do not know from
the contextof the reading
itself.

6. To Be the Best WORD
DETECTIVE You Can Be……
1.Identify your purpose
2.Identify your previous knowledge
3.Preview the reading
4.Predict what you will learn and pose
questions.
5.In other words, find your TOPIC
and MAIN IDEA and turn the
MAIN IDEA into a question.

7. Practice:
•Purpose:please read following
paragraph to determine the
author’s main point/idea.
•Previous knowledge: What
experience do you have with
childhood friends?
•Preview and Predict: With a quick
scan, identify what you think the
paragraph might be about.
•Attempt to determine topic and
ask a guiding question…

8. Childhood Friends
Yesterday, when I went to the
osmotleto buy some wattishfor
dinner, I saw a slampferI knew when I
was 10 years old. He smiled and was
very ovishto see me, but I was amvish
to see him because I had some bad
dosilumsfrom the last time I had seen
him. We exchanged flabruations, and
it seemed as if the previous
montafottapottafellwas no longer an
issue. Happily, we parted chritswith a
promise to schgropagain sometime in
the future.
Practice Paragraph
for Context

9. What the what?!
•Based on the paragraph on the slide before, please
use context clues to define what the following words
could be:
•osmotle
•wattish
•slampfer
•Ovish
•amvish
•dosilums
•flabruations
•montafottapottafell
•chrits
•to schgrop

10. There are FOUR types of
Context Clues
•Four types of context clues:
–Definition and synonym
clues
–Example clues
–General Information
clues
–Contrast clues

11. Definition and Synonym
Clues
•Synonym: A word that has a
similar meaning to another word
•Clues:
–Between or after commas
–After certain words (is, are, means,
refers to, consists of, is called, that is, etc.)
–Between dashes
–In parentheses

12. •Sometimes you can figure out the
meaning of a word because you
understand the examples or
because both a definition and
examples are provided in the
reading.
Example Clues

13. General Information Clues
•Often you can understand an
unfamiliar word because you
already comprehend the rest of the
information in the surrounding
sentence or group of sentences.

14. Contrast Clues
•Contrast Clues:
–but
–in contrast to
–although
–on the other hand
–however
–unlike

15. Directions: Next to each word on this list indicate the
following by marking either a 1,2,or 3 in the first blank
to the right of the word.
 1–I don’t know this word
 2–I think I know the meaning of this word
 3 –I can define this word
indolent ___ ___
alfresco ___ ___
canopy ___ ___
donnybrook ___ ___
antagonists ___ ___
posthaste ___ ___
CONTEXT CLUES –practice again

16. •It was a gorgeous day in late October, and
because I was sure this would be one of the last
great days before the onset of winter, I was
feeling extremely indolentand unwilling to
work. So I called my friend Jeanne and asked
her to play hooky from her job too and go out
to lunch. We decided to dine alfrescoat a little
Italian café in our neighborhood. As we were
sitting under the striped canopyenjoying our
meal, a donnybrookbroke out at a nearby
table. The antagonistswere a group of
teenage boys who were evidently also playing
hooky that day. Because this tussle ruined the
serene and peaceful mood of our day, we asked
for the check and left the café posthaste.

17. Can you define the words below
based on the context clues in the
story?
•Indolent
•Alfresco
•Canopy
•Donnybrook
•Antagonists
•Posthaste

18. •Indolent –wanting to avoid activity
•Alfresco –taking place outdoors
•Canopy –covering of cloth held
with poles
•Donnybrook –a public brawl or
dispute
•Antagonists –one who opposes or
contends against another
•Posthaste –as fast as possible

19. An EASYWay to Remember
Context Clues…
Context clues
often appear in
the following
places:
•The sentence
with the
unknown
word
•The sentence
before
•The sentence
after

20. But What if I Cannot Figure Out the Meaning of
the Words from CONTEXT CLUES?!!

21. Never fear!
WORD PARTS are here!
(apologies to Edvard Munch)

22. If language creates our
understanding of the world……
•Probably the other activity that will
most improve your vocabulary is
exposure to new words. (see AWL list
at end)
•One important skill you need to
develop is figuring out a strategy for
when you encounter (yay!) new words,
such as the strategy of using word
parts.

23. Word Parts Activity
Directions:
-Please get into groups and assign
each person a number 1-4.
-Please have assigned members go to
envelopes that correspond with
number and pull out a secret piece
of paper.
-Follow instructions on paper, and
the group who comes up with the
most examples wins!

24. WORD PARTS
•Prefix: Changes the meaning of the
root.
•Root: Carries out the main meaning
of the word. A word usually has at
least one root.
•Suffix: Changes the way a word is
used in a sentence.

25. Prefixes
Number
prefixes
Meaning Example 1 Example 2
Mono- One Monotonous
uni- One Unify
Bi- Twoor TwiceBiweekly
Tri- Three Triangle
Quad- Four Quadratic
Multi- Many Multipurpose
Poly- Many Polygamy
Semi- Half,Part Semicircle
Dec- Ten Decade

26. Prefixes
Negativeor
Negation
prefixes
Meaning Example 1 Example 2
Ab- Away from,
from
Abnormal
Contra- Against Contradict
De- Reverse,
undo
Deactivate
Dis- Apart from,
Reversal of
Disapprove
Il- Not Illegible
Im- Not Immortal
In- Not Incomplete
Un- Not Unimportant
Mal- Bad,wrongMalfunction
Mis- wrong Mistake

27. Prefixes
Time
prefixes
Meaning Example 1 Example 2
Post After,
behind
Postpone
Pre Before Prefix
Proto First Prototype
Re again rewrite

28. Prefixes
Place or Position
prefixes
Meaning Example 1 Example 2
Circum Around Circumference
Peri Around Perimeter
Co With, together Cooperate
Col With, together Collaborate
Com With, together Communicate
Con With, together Connect
Sym With, together,similarSympathetic
Syn With, together,similarSynonym
En In, put into Enclose
E Out, from Evade
Ex Out, from Expel
Inter Between, among International
Sub Follow, under, belowSubmarine
Tele Far off, distant Telepathy
Trans Across, over transfer

29. Other Common Prefixes
prefixes
Meaning Example 1 Example 2
Bene Good, wellBenefit
Hyper Over,
excessive
Hyperactive
Pro In favorof,
forward
progress

30. ROOTS

31. Suffix Salad…
Suffix Meanings Sample Words and Definitions -ableable to be excitable, portable, preventable -ac pertaining to cardiac, hemophiliac, maniac -acity (-ocity)quality of
perspicacity, sagacity, velocity -adeact, action or process, product blockade, cavalcade, promenade, -age action or process passage, pilgrimage, voyage -aholic (-oholic)one with
an obsession for workaholic, shopaholic, alcoholic -alrelating to bacterial, theatrical, natural -algiapain neuralgia, nostalgia, -an (-ian)relating to, belonging to Italian, urban,
African -ancestate or quality of brilliance, defiance, annoyance -anta person who applicant, immigrant, servant inclined to, tending to brilliant, defiant, vigilant -arof or relating
to, being lunar, molecular, solar a person who beggar, burglar, liar -arda person who does an action coward, sluggard, wizard -ariana person who disciplinarian, vegetarian,
librarian -arium (orium)a place for terrarium, aquarium, solarium -aryof or relating to literary, military, budgetary -atestate or quality of (adj.) affectionate, desolate,
obstinate makes the word a verb (different pronunciation) activate, evaporate, medicate -ationaction or process creation, narration, emancipation -ativetending to (adj.)
creative, preservative, talkative -cideact of killing homicide, suicide, genocide -cracyrule, government, power bureaucracy, aristocracy, theocracy -cratsomeone who has power
aristocrat, bureaucrat, technocrat -culediminutive (making something small) molecule, ridicule, -cystate, condition or quality efficiency, privacy, belligerency -cyclecircle, wheel
bicycle, recycle, tricycle -domcondition of, state, realm boredom, freedom, wisdom -dox belief, praise orthodox, paradox -ectomysurgical removal of appendectomy,
hysterectomy -edpast tense called, hammered, laughed -eereceiver, performer nominee, employee, devotee -eerassociated with/engaged in engineer, volunteer -emiablood
condition anemia, hypoglycemia, leukemia -enmakes the word a verb awaken, fasten, strengthen -encestate or condition, action absence, dependence, negligence -encycondition
or quality clemency, dependency, efficiency -entinclined to performing/causing, or one who performs/causes competent, correspondent, absorbent -ermore bigger, faster,
happier action or process flutter, ponder, stutter a person who does an action announcer, barber, teacher -ernstate or quality of eastern, northern, western -escencestate or
process adolescence, convalescence -eserelating to a place Chinese, Congolese, Vietnamese -esquein the style of Kafkaesque, grotesque, burlesque-essfemale actress, heiress,
lioness -estmost funniest, hottest, silliest -eticrelating to (makes the word an adj.) athletic, energetic, poetic -ettediminutive (makes something smaller) cigarette, diskette,
kitchenette -fulfull of helpful, thankful, cheerful -fymake, cause (makes the word a verb) amplify, falsify, terrify -gam/gamymarriage, union monogam, polygamy -gon/gonic
angle hexagon, polygonic, pentagon -hoodstate, condition, or quality childhood, neighborhood, motherhood -ialrelating to celestial, editorial, martial -ianrelating to Martian,
utopian, pediatrician -iasisdiseased condition elephantiasis, psoriasis -iatrichealing practice pediatric, psychiatric, -ibleable to be audible, plausible, legible -ic/icalrelating to,
characterized by analytic/al, comic/al, organic -ilerelating to, capable of agile, docile, volatile -ilyin what manner sloppily, steadily, zanily -inerelating to canine, feminine,
masculine -ingmaterials bedding, frosting, roofing action or process dancing, seeing, writing -ionaction or process celebration, completion, navigation -ioushaving the qualities
of, full of ambitious, cautious, gracious -ishrelating to, characteristic apish, brutish, childish -ismstate or quality altruism, despotism, heroism -ista person, one who does an
action artist, linguist, pianist -iteresident of, follower, product of suburbanite, luddite, dynamite -itisinflammation, preoccupation appendicitis, tonsillitis, frontrunneritis -itystate,
condition, or quality abnormality, civility, necessity -iveinclined to; quality of; that which attractive, expensive, repulsive -izationact or process of making colonization,
fertilization, modernization -izecause, treat, become antagonize, authorize, popularize -lesswithout fearless, helpless, homeless -letversion of booklet, droplet, inlet -like
resembling, characteristic childlike, homelike, lifelike -lingyounger or inferior duckling, underling -loger/logistone who does astrologer, cardiologist, chronologer -logspeech
dialog, monolog, -lyin what manner badly, courageously, happily -mentaction, result movement, placement, shipment -nessstate or quality (makes a noun) kindness, shyness,
weakness -oidresembling humanoid, tabloid, hemorrhoid -ologystudy of, science of anthropology, archaeology, biology -omatumor, swelling carcinoma, osteoma, hematoma -
onymname, word synonym, antonym, homonym -opiaeye defect myopia, nyctalopia, hyperopia -opsyexamination biopsy, autopsy, necropsy -ora person who inventor,
legislator, translator -oryrelating to armory, dormitory, laboratory -osisprocess, diseased condition diagnosis, prognosis, neurosis, psychosis -ostomy/otomysurgical colostomy,
lobotomy, craniotomy -ousfull of hazardous, humorous, wondrous -pathone who engages in homeopath, naturopath, psychopath -pathyfeeling, diseased sympathy, apathy,
neuropathy -phileone who loves bibliophile, audiophile, pyrophile -phobiaabnormal fear of acrophobia, claustrophobia, xenophobia -phonesound homophone, telephone,
microphone -phyteplant, to grow zoophyte, cryptophyte, epiphyte -plegiaparalysis paraplegia, quadriplegia, hemiplegia -plegicone who is paralyzed paraplegic, technoplegic,
quadriplegic -pneaair, spirit apnea, hyperpnea, orthopnea -scopy/scopevisual exam arthroscopy, gastroscopy, microscope -scribe/scriptto write transcript, describe,
manuscript -sectto cut dissect, insect, bisect -shipstate or condition of, skill of authorship, citizenship, friendship -sionstate or quality confusion, depression, tension -some
characterized by, group of cumbersome, quarrelsome, foursome -sophy/sophicwisdom, knowledge philosophy, theosophy, anthroposophic -thstate or quality depth, length,
strength -tionstate or quality attention, caution, fascination -tome/tomyto cut hysterectomy, epitome, tonsillotome -trophynourishment, growth atrophy, hypertrophy,
dystrophy -tudestate, condition or quality fortitude, gratitude, magnitude -tystate, condition or quality ability, honesty, loyalty -ularrelating to or resembling cellular, circular,
muscular -uousstate or quality of arduous, tumultuous, virtuous -ureaction, condition closure, erasure, failure -wardspecifies direction backward, eastward, homeward -ware
things of the same type or material hardware, software, kitchenware -wisein what manner of direction clockwise, lengthwise, otherwise -y made up of, characterized brainy, fruity,
gooey

32. Putting it all together?
Priceless. Although, it also helps to
know how parts of speech work.

33. Remember…
Prefix= affects the meaning of the root.
Root= carries the meaning of the word.
Suffix= determines the way the word is
used in a sentence.

34. A Final Tip…
Make your book work for you!
Textbook Aids and Specialized
Vocabulary
•Textbooks usually explain specialized vocabulary (words that
relate to a specific academic discipline) when it is introduced.
They may contain the following aids:
–Boldfaced print that emphasizes words when they first appear
–Definitions in the margins of the reading itself
–“Key words and concepts”sections at the end of the chapter
–Vocabulary questions in the chapter reviews
–Glossaries at the end of the chapter and/or at the end of the
book

35. Putting it all Together
Context Clues
•Definition and synonym clues
•Example clues
•General information clues
•Contrast clues
Word Parts
•Prefixes
•Roots
•Suffixes
Four Main Parts of Speech
•Verbs
•Nouns
•Adjectives
•Adverbs
Dictionary Skills
•Parts of dictionary entries
•Finding the correct
dictionary meaning from the
context of the reading
Textbook Aides and
Specialized Vocabulary
•Recognizing textbook
vocabulary aids
•Organizing a system for
learning specialized
vocabulary