Using context clues is an important skill when mastering reading comprehension. A cloze activity prompts learners to read each sentence in a short passage and fill in the blanks, based on what the rest of the sentence says.

Concepts

cloze reading, reading comprehension, reading comprehension strategies, context clues

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Add to a reading assessment when finding the correct reading level for each learner
• Include in a homework packet for the week
• Have kids write their own stories with certain words left out, and see if their peers can complete the activity
• Introduce the worksheet with a fun activity featuring Mad Libs

Classroom Considerations

• Does not include a word bank, which will make the activity more challenging for learners, but may give you a more accurate idea of reading level
• May be difficult to assess, given the range of possibilities for each blank space; consider creating a rubric or general answer key to help you properly assess each passage

Pros

• A strong way to ensure that kids are using context clues to define unfamiliar words or to understand what they are reading
• Automatically differentiates between reading levels by offering opportunities for basic or advanced vocabulary within each sentence

Cons

• None