Word Detective Agency

A sequence designed for 7th-grade ESL students to master the art of inferring unknown academic vocabulary through context clues, morphology, syntax, and tone analysis. This unit transforms vocabulary gaps from roadblocks into solvable puzzles using a "Word Detective" theme.

Clue Spotters

Students learn to spot specific punctuation and transition words that signal definitions, synonyms, or antonyms. They practice swapping out difficult words for simpler placeholders to check for understanding.

Word Architects

Students analyze common Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes to deconstruct complex academic words. They create 'word math' equations to deduce meanings of words they haven't seen before.

Sentence Engineers

This lesson focuses on using grammar to identify if a missing word is a noun, verb, or adjective. Knowing the part of speech helps narrow down possible meanings.

Mood Investigators

Students look beyond the sentence level to the paragraph's overall mood or tone to infer vocabulary. They connect macro-comprehension to micro-vocabulary skills.

Test Masters

Students apply all previous strategies to answer comprehension questions in a text filled with intentionally difficult vocabulary, proving they don't need to know every word to succeed.