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Narrator: As third grade students independently read a wide variety of texts they will encounter words they don't understand that's why it's so important to teach independent word learning strategies that enable students to figure out unfamiliar words on their own. Let's visit the classroom of Martha Landeros to see how she teaches and models strategies that focus on context clues.
Martha Landeros: Today boys and girls, we're going to learn what to do when you don't understand something that you're reading. Sometimes when you're reading and you come upon on word that you don't know what it means and that confuses you. That's called a "clunk". Say that word.
Students: Clunk.
Martha Landeros: Very good. So the clunk is a word that stops you from understanding what you're reading...
Narrator: In this lesson the teacher introduces two fix-up strategies both using context clues that students can apply on their own to determine word meanings. The first strategy is to reread the sentence with the clunk. Look for key ideas, and think about what makes sense. Another strategy is to reread the sentences before and after the clunk and look for clues.
Martha Landeros: So I'm going to model for you how to use these two strategies, and how to figure out the meaning of the clunk. And I'm going to be looking for a word that might cause me a problem. "Millions of years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, strange creatures swam in the sea."
Narrator: Students listen as the teacher reads the text.
Martha Landeros: "...The ocean boiled and bubbled. Volcanoes erupted underwater, and the floor of the sea came up to form great cliffs." Now here's a clunk, "erupted". "Volcanoes erupted underwater." I do not know the meaning of that word, so what I'm going to do first is I'm going to write the clunk "erupted" on my sticky note.
Narrator: Ms. Landeros teaches students to write down unfamiliar words. Then she thinks aloud for students as she works out the meaning.
Martha Landeros: And now I'm going to use my fix-up strategies to help me find the meaning of this clunk word, "erupted." "Volcanoes erupted underwater." So I know that something happened underwater. "...and the floor of the sea came up to form great cliffs," so something happened under the volcano...
Narrator: The teacher models trying another fix-up strategy when the first one doesn't provide an answer.
Martha Landeros: ...well the sentence before volcanoes is, "Time passed, the ocean boiled and bubbled." I think I have some ideas. I have some key ideas in this sentence that comes before the clunk, "boiled and bubbled." When something boils and it bubbles than that could probably mean, "exploded." Let me see if that makes sense. "Volcanoes exploded underwater, and the floor of the sea came up to form great cliffs." That makes sense. So now that I find the meaning, I'm going to write the meaning of the word "erupted" on my sticky note. That's to remind me that if I read this word "erupted" it means exploded. Do you understand how I'm using these fix-up strategies to figure out the clunk? You reread the sentences, you look for clues/ideas to figure out the meaning, and think if it makes sense. And if clunk card #1 doesn't help, you go to #2 where you have to read the sentences before and sometimes the sentences after to figure out the meaning of a word. Now, let's practice together on how to use our fix-up strategies when we come upon a clunk that keeps us from understanding the story...
Narrator: The teacher guides students through the fix-up strategies again, ensuring that instruction is appropriately scaffolded.
Martha Landeros: What do you do with clunk card #2?
Student: We read the sentences before and after the clunk looking for clues.
Martha Landeros: Very good.
Narrator: The teacher allows time for additional guided practice monitoring as students read with partners and begin to apply the fix-up strategies.
Students: Fragrant is another clunk word. Reread the sentences with the clunk and look for key ideas to help you figure out the word. Think about what makes sense. "The little house smelled of fresh bread and new cut wood and fragrant flowers, which Mary's mother always kept on the counter." Flowers is a clue word...
Narrator: Over time students learn to use this kind of self-monitoring strategy to understand new vocabulary as they read independently. Later, you'll see how students use these and other fix-up strategies to develop their ability to comprehend new words and become stronger strategic readers.
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