What is the role of context clues in reading comprehension?

Context clues play a vital role in reading comprehension by allowing readers to infer the meanings of unfamiliar words based on the surrounding text. When encountering a new word, readers can analyze the sentence and surrounding passages for hints, such as synonyms, antonyms, or examples, that clarify the word's meaning. This skill enhances vocabulary development and overall understanding of the text, enabling better engagement with the material.

The other options do not align with the primary function of context clues. Encouraging phonetic spelling does not address how context helps with understanding language, while providing summaries of texts pertains more to comprehension strategies than vocabulary learning. Additionally, serving as distractions contradicts the purpose of context clues, which is to aid comprehension rather than detract from it.