Finding the Meaning of Unknown Vocabulary
in Biographies and Autobiographies
TEKS: 3.4B Use context to determine the relevant meaning of unfamiliar words or distinguish among
multiple meaning words and homographs
Minilesson Ideas for Finding Meaning of Unknown Vocabulary
Minilesson: Initiating talk about what strategies the children themselves
use when faced with challenging vocabulary or unfamiliar words
(Uncovering the strategies children “know”)
o Talk with students about how when we read biographies and autobiographies we often
come to words that are challenging or unfamiliar. Then explain you are curious about
the strategies they know about how readers figure out the meaning of such words.
o Read a biography or autobiography with students, when you come across a challenging
or unfamiliar word, stop and talk about ways we could determine its meaning
o On chart paper, record the responses they give you throughout the reading and
discussion
o After the reading, discussion, and charting of their strategies, you could talk with the
students about sorting the strategies into 2 categories: strategies we use first,
strategies we use second (using dictionary, glossary, asking teacher, asking friend)
o Students may be able aware of many strategies that could assist them, but rarely use
them. Explicit modeling of the strategies is needed for students to internalize skill.
Possible Responses Children May Give for Determine Meaning of Unfamiliar Words for Chart
Strategies to Use When You Don’t Know the Meaning of a Word
Look in a dictionary
Ask a friend
Ask the teacher
Context clues
o Read back, read forward, read over then stop
and think, look for important words around it
Look in the glossary
Break the word apart
o Think about the meaning of each part
o Put it back together
Use the picture
Minilesson: Modeling & Thinking Aloud to Demonstrate Use of Strategies
for Understanding Unfamiliar Words
o Bring students to carpet, have a (biography or autobiography) text displayed on doc.
camera or a copy for each child
o Explain that as you read the text, children should raise their hand if they hear a word
whose meaning they don’t know
o When a couple of hands go up, stop reading and write the word on chart paper. Refer
students to strategies to use first from yesterday- starting with context clues, model
thinking using words around the unfamiliar word to help you. If there are context clues,
add these to the chart. Then students can turn and talk to a partner about the possible
meaning of the word using the context clues. Possible Meanings can be added to chart.
If the context clue strategy doesn’t help clear the meaning, try breaking word apart. If
this doesn’t help model using glossary or dictionary to find the meaning.
o Continue to read through the text, stopping when hands are raised, and
modeling/thinking aloud using the strategies on the chart to help you determine the
meaning of the unfamiliar word. Also continue to add to anchor chart.
Word Context Clues Possible Meanings
abandoned mistreated hurt
Organizations that work to save left
yelled at
smacked
o The goal is to get learners to start using strategies naturally as they read independently.
To achieve this goal we need to provide ongoing demonstrations.
Word Meaning Logs- Teachers can study over course of unit, etc. to assess students’ use of
strategies they are using when independent reading
Adapted from Reality Checks by Tony Stead