{"id":17161,"date":"2024-05-07T11:44:47","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T18:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aroundthekampfire.com\/?p=17161"},"modified":"2024-05-07T11:44:50","modified_gmt":"2024-05-07T18:44:50","slug":"books-videos-for-teaching-context-clues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aroundthekampfire.com\/books-videos-for-teaching-context-clues\/","title":{"rendered":"Books & Videos for Teaching Context Clues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Calling all teachers of little word detectives! After your students can decode words and read them in context, they will inevitably come across a word or phrase that they do not yet know. By explicitly teaching context clues<\/a>, students can give meaning to the unknown word(s) by using clues around the unknown. Here are my favorite books and videos for teaching context clues!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Best Books for Teaching Context Clues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Books are my favorite tool to use in the classroom. Whether I’m teaching a science concept, or introducing a new grammar skill, I always include fun picture books in my lessons. Here are my top books I use when teaching context clues in the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Baloney (Henry P)<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By, Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is my go-to mentor text for introducing context clues. Baloney is a fun story that centers around Henry, an alien kid who needs to come up with an excellent excuse for being late for school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the story, Henry uses alien vocabulary words surrounded by different types of context clues. Students have so much fun determining the meaning of the crazy words! It\u2019s a fun and engaging text that allows students to practice a critical vocabulary skill.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2. The Boy Who Loved Words<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By, Roni Schotter <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story\u2019s main character, a boy named Selig, is an avid word collector. He wants to find his life\u2019s purpose and a reason for his love for all of these vivid words, so he goes on a journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After helping a poet along the way, Selig realizes that his purpose is to spread these wonderful words to others. This text contains a ton of great, enriching vocabulary, which makes it an excellent choice for teaching context clues!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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3. The Word Collector<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By, Peter H. Reynolds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly to the text above, The Word Collector follows Jermome’s journey of collecting words from various adventures. Students can use the illustrations as clues to determine the meanings of the new words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to being a great supplement to a context clues unit, it’s also great to help reinforce the magic of learning new words. It shows students the “why” behind searching for clues and determining meaning. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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4. Gumption <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By, Elise Broach<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gumption! is a fun picture book that follows Peter and his Uncle Nigel on an adventure through the jungle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After reading Gumption out loud, I like to have students point out context clues to help us determine the meaning of the title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, as always<\/em>, I like to connect this one to social-emotional <\/a>aspects to show the importance of persistence through challenges. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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5. Pirate Pete <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By, Kim Kennedy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pirate Pete will surely have your class laughing and engaged the entire time. They’ll forget they are even learning about context clues! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the text, Pete uses different pirate terminology that your students will enjoy determining the meaning with the help of the other words and vibrant pictures. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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6. Fancy Nancy<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By, Robin Preiss Glasser <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With so many Fancy Nancy stories to choose from, the series is a great addition to your context clues unit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you aren’t familiar with Fancy Nancy, she loves to use “fancy” language throughout. Although the author does explain the language, it’s fun to stop after each “fancy” word to allow your students to decode the unfamiliar vocab. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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7. Weslandia<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By, Paul Fleischman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this story, Wesley creates his own language for his new civilization. The use of higher-level vocabulary and some made-up words makes it the perfect addition to dive into context clues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fun follow-up activity would be to have your students come up with their own secret words and have peers decode them using picture and word clues. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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8. The Spider and the Fly<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By, Tony DiTerlizzi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you happen to be teaching context clues around Halloween, this is a fun read-aloud to add to your collection! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story uses a variety of complex vocabulary words (weary, cunning, dismal, etc) that will lead to great discussions around context clues. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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9. A Walk in the Words<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By, Hudson Talbott<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although this is not my first go-to<\/em> book when teaching about context clues it does have its benefits. However, each year I have students who do not like to put in the effort to determine the meaning of unknown words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like to use this book as a reminder that it’s okay to not know every word and show the importance of using your resources and clues around you to determine unknowns. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Context Clues Activities and Lesson Plans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Find no-prep, ready to teach Context Clues Activities<\/a>, worksheets, teaching PowerPoint, and lesson plans in my TPT shop<\/a> and here in Shop Around the Kampfire<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Best Videos for Teaching Context Clues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although books may be my favorite, videos typically win in my students’ eyes. Here are some helpful videos to help teach context clues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. 4 Types of Context Clues for Kids<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In this video we help kids learn the 4 types of context clues and put them into practice so that they can have an easier time learning hard words while reading. It can be especially frustrating for students when they come across a word that they haven’t seen before. Using context clues is a very valuable skill that helps kids enjoy learning and reading.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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