The Common Core Companion: The Standards Decoded, Grades 3-5. Leslie Blauman

or did the author use a synonym to define this topic-specific word?

      4 Gist: Students determine what words and phrases mean in texts relevant to fourth-grade topics or subject areas.

      They consider:

      • What is the topic of this text?

      • What do I know about the topic that can help me figure out the meaning of this sentence/section?

      • How can I use the text and surrounding photos and caption to figure out what this word or phrase means?

      • How can I look at text features (titles, glossary, bolded words, headings, captions) or illustrations to help me figure out what is being explained on this page?

      • Are there words the author uses repeatedly or did the author use a synonym to define this topic-specific word?

      5 Gist: Students determine what words and phrases mean in texts relevant to fifth-grade topics or subject areas.

      They consider:

      • What is the topic of this text?

      • What do I know about the topic that can help me figure out the meaning of this sentence/section?

      • How can I use the text and surrounding photos and caption to figure out what this word or phrase means?

      • How can I look at text features (titles, glossary, bolded words, headings, captions) or illustrations to help me figure out what is being explained on this page?

      • Are there words the author uses repeatedly or did the author use a synonym to define this topic-specific word?

      • When I read aloud the word or sentence, does that help me figure out the challenging word?

      Common Core Reading Standard 4

      What the Teacher Does

      To determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text:

      • Generate a vocabulary chart at the outset of a new nonfiction unit or chapter. Don’t be afraid to explicitly teach key words up front, with the idea that students will take ownership of figuring out plenty of challenging words in the subsequent reading.

      • Think aloud while reading to the class to show how you puzzle out a word or phrase using syntactic, semantic, typographic, etymological, and other types of information to decipher words. Invite students to try a word.

      • Teach students to look all around the words phrase as though they’re hunting for something on their closet floor! Is there a word part they know? What about the other words in the sentence — is the challenging word part of a series of like things (e.g., Lions eat deer, zebras, mice, and ____________ )? What clues are on the page (captions, diagrams, images)? Does the author define it a sentence or two later?

      • Point out the way authors use explanations, synonyms, restatement (e.g., in other words …), contrast, or antonyms, which can help you know a challenging word.

      • Encourage students to mark unknown words in their texts with sticky notes as they are reading independently and then to go back and determine meaning. Check in with students in small group or in conferences on how they are using this strategy.

      • Use a shared text to have students highlight unknown words and annotate in the margins.

      • When working with the whole class or small groups or conferring one-on-one with students, encourage them to acknowledge when they don’t know a word or phrase.