Year 3 — Reading

Using reference and context

Use a dictionary to check a word's meaning, and use the words around a new word (context) to work out its meaning before reaching for a dictionary.

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💡Understand

A DICTIONARY gives us the exact meaning of a word. But often, we can work out a word's meaning just from CONTEXT — the sentences around it — without needing to look it up at all. Trying context first is a faster, useful first step.

“The fragile vase shattered the moment it hit the floor.”

Even without knowing 'fragile', the word 'shattered' right after it gives a strong clue: fragile probably means easily broken. We could confirm this in a dictionary, but the context already gave us a good guess.

🔍Spot it

Can you guess the meaning from context, or would you need a dictionary?

Question 1

"The exhausted runner collapsed at the finish line, gasping for breath." What does 'exhausted' probably mean?

💡 Collapsing and gasping for breath are strong clues pointing to extreme tiredness.

Question 2

"The word 'photosynthesis' appeared with no other clues in the sentence."

💡 Without any surrounding clues, a specialised word like this may need a dictionary check.

Question 3

"The ancient castle, crumbling and covered in moss, had stood for centuries." What does 'ancient' probably mean?

💡 'Crumbling', 'covered in moss' and 'centuries' all point to something very old.

🧠Think about it

Why is it useful to try guessing a word's meaning from context BEFORE reaching for a dictionary?

✍️Try it

Guess the meaning from context.

The furious customer demanded to speak to the manager, slamming her hand on the counter.

Question 1

What does 'furious' probably mean, based on the context clues?

💡 Think about what demanding and slamming a hand usually shows.

📝Practise

Guess the meaning of the underlined word from context.

Question 1

"The enormous whale was far bigger than any boat nearby." What does 'enormous' mean?

Question 2

"The timid mouse hid the moment it heard any noise." What does 'timid' mean?

Question 3

"The chef's dish was absolutely delectable, and everyone asked for seconds." What does 'delectable' mean?

Question 4

In one word, what do we call the words around a new word that help us guess its meaning?

💡 It's the key idea explained throughout this lesson.

Question 5

"The vast desert stretched for miles with nothing in sight." What does 'vast' mean?

Question 6

When might you need to use a dictionary instead of context clues?

🎯Apply

Read the passage, then answer the questions below.

The meticulous scientist checked every measurement three times, refusing to move on until each detail was perfectly correct.

Question 1

What does 'meticulous' probably mean, based on the context?

💡 Think about what checking measurements three times and demanding perfection shows.

Question 2

Which words give the strongest clue to the meaning?

Question 3

How many times did the scientist check each measurement? (number)

💡 It's stated directly in the passage.

🏆Challenge

Can you write a sentence that gives strong context clues for the word 'reluctant' (meaning unwilling)?

🔄Review

A quick mastery check — 3 questions.

Question 1

"The jubilant crowd cheered and threw their hats in the air." What does 'jubilant' mean?

Question 2

Why try context clues before using a dictionary?

Question 3

"The frigid wind cut through his thin jacket." What does 'frigid' mean?