Understand the Meaning of Words in a Text

This activity is all about the meaning of words we come across in texts.

When reading a story or non-fiction text, we may come across a completely new word.

This may leave us feeling a bit stuck as we don't know what the new word means.

Have no fear as we can use the words around the new word to help us make a clever guess about its meaning.

Read the opening of the story below.

A Triathlon to Remember

Jay looked into the saltwater lagoon.  It was sparkling under the sun like a diamond ring. He had spent six months training for this triathlon and finally, the moment had arrived. Carefully, Jay tested the water, listening for the starting horn. As the horn sounded, Jay dived into the water like a dolphin searching for food. His powerful arms pulled him forwards with every stroke. When he heard the splashing of other swimmers getting nearer, he pushed himself harder. Quickly reaching the finishing line, Jay pulled himself out from the water to see that he was in first place. The water lapped up and down on the rocks like it was giving him a well-done clap before he began the next section of the race.

What does the word lagoon mean?

Let's look at some of the clues in the sentences around it.

The lagoon is a saltwater lagoon, it is sparkling and Jay entered the water of the lagoon.

So, the next two sentences help us to work out that a lagoon is a body of water. 

It's like a lake but filled with seawater as it's by the sea.

In this activity, we'll be using clues in sentences to work out the meaning of words.