Context Clues

Context is sometimes called “The Big Picture”. People live their lives in the context of the place and time they live. The meaning of events and experiences a person has is determined by the context of the situation—the Big Picture. The more experience people have, the better able they are to use the context of the situation to learn new things.

Perhaps you see a person yelling at another person the street. You might think there will be a fight. If you see a speeding car racing towards the person, the meaning behind the person yelling changes. Knowing all the facts and details helps to understand the “Big Picture”. It helps you understand the new events you experience.

What are context clues?

Reading is similar to the above example. The more experience you have reading, and the greater the size of your vocabulary, the better you will be able to use the “Big Picture” to learn the meaning of new words or phrases. Without understanding the “Big Picture” or the general meaning of what you read, you will not be able to read as quickly, or understand as much.

You will need to rely on the dictionary more often to look up words. When you can’t guess the meaning or when you are unsure of your guess, use a dictionary to find the specific meaning of a new word. Using a dictionary too often means that your reading is interrupted. This makes it more difficult to understand and to remember what you read.

Unlike racing cars and yelling, the context clues writers use involve, words, phrases, clauses, and punctuation.