Using Context Clues: Fun With Nonsense Words and 'Jabberwocky'

In this class, students will recognize the value of using context clues for decoding the meanings of unfamiliar words. This valuable skills will give them a confidence in reading that will serve them well throughout life. Even as adults, we continue to come across words that we don't know. This foundational skill will give students the strategies they need to make intelligent guesses about meaning so that they can become successful readers.

Our class will be fun and interactive. Students will be introduced to the topic with an excerpt from the Lewis Carroll nonsense poem, "Jabberwocky". The lesson will include power point slides as visual reinforcement for the material. Students will learn four major types of context clues and will have ample opportunity to practice what we are learning. We will be word detectives together, searching for the clues that help us decipher the meaning of new words, both real and nonsense words.