Tell students they're going to practice determining the meaning of words based on how the word is used in a sentence.
Show students a reading passage or sentence with a vocabulary word they do not know the meaning of. Write the reading passage or sentence on chart paper or display it on an interactive board. TV 411 has an Internet vocabulary activity teachers can use to present a lesson about determining vocabulary meaning based on the context of the word. The activity shows students the different definitions a single word can have and then uses the word in a sentence. Students have to determine which meaning of the word is being used in the sentence based on the clues in the sentence.
Read the passage or sentence to the students or allow them to read it themselves. Distinguish the vocabulary word by highlighting it, writing it in bold or underlining it.
Explain to students to look at the words around the vocabulary word to determine the meaning. Tell them that the other words in the paragraph are clues to help them figure out what the word means. Sometimes the next sentence has a clue that also helps. For example, a sentence with "light" as the vocabulary word may read: The backpack was light and easy to carry.
Direct students' attention to this by modeling aloud how to determine the meaning of the vocabulary word. For example, after reading the first sample sentence with light, the phrase "easy to carry" indicates that light in this sentence means the bag is not heavy. Underline key words and phrases that help determine the meaning of vocabulary words. This helps students specifically see what evidence you're using to determine word meanings. It also gives them a strategy to use when working independently.
Repeat the process for the next sentence. The website English-Zone has an activity teachers can use to check understanding at the end of a lesson or as independent practice for students at a computer. Students read sentences that have vocabulary words in bold and then choose one of the multiple choice answers for the meaning of the word.