Strand: Reading
Context Clues
Grade: 5th
Score 4.0 / In addition to Score 3.0, in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught. / Sample Tasks
3.5 / In addition to score 3.0 performance, in-depth inferences and applications with partial success.
Score 3.0 / The student:
  • Use context clues (for example, those that provide an example, a definition, or a restatement) to generate the meanings of unfamiliar and multiple-meaning words.
The student exhibits no major errors or omissions. / Teacher will give examples from passages where students are likely to not understand a vocabulary word. Students will locate and explain embedded examples, definitions, or restatements to demonstrate ways context clues are used to generate meanings of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words. Some examples follow:
  • “While floating in the harbor, the buoy lit the water and warned the ship to stay away from the rocks.”
(The students would need to explain that a buoy is something that floats, lights the water, and warns the ship to stay away.)
  • “The food was stored in a large larder, or pantry.”
(The student should identify that the unknown word larder is defined as pantry.)
  • “The food was bland. In fact, everyone called it tasteless.”
(The student should determine that bland is restated in simpler terms in the second sentence and means tasteless.)
2.5 / No major errors or omissions regarding 2.0 content and partial knowledge of the 3.0 content
Score 2.0 / There are no major errors or omissions regarding the simpler details and processes as the student:
  • recognizes or recalls specific terminology such as:
  • context clues –words around the unknown word that help determine the meaning
  • multiple-meaning words - words with more than one meaning
  • performs basic processes, such as:
  • matching unfamiliar words with definitions given
However, the student exhibits major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes. / Students will read given passages (Erika’s Gift, page 118) and will match the words sloped, exclaimed, and adjusted to the correct definition on their sheet. They may then also answer the following question about each word: “Which definition best matches how the word _____ is used in paragraph _____?”
1.5 / Partial knowledge of the 2.0 content but major errors or omissions regarding the 3.0 content
Score 1.0 / With help, a partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes and some of the more complex ideas and processes.
0.5 / With help, a partial understanding of the 2.0 content but not the 3.0 content
Score 0.0 / Even with help, no understanding or skill demonstrated.