WORD ATTACK SKILLS Learning new vocabulary is an active process.

It is a process in which you interact with words in order to understand their meaning as it relates to the passage. As you come across new words, remember to use the following strategies:

LOOK IT UP: The simplest, most straight forward way to understand a new word is to look it up in a dictionary. Keep in mind: Look at multiple definitions and identify the definition that makes most sense. Identify the part of speech. Use a thesaurus to find related words to deepen your understanding. MAKE A GUESS: Words are surrounded by other words, so use them! Gathering hints from other words in the sentence can help this is called using context clues. Keep in mind: Start by reading the sentence before and then after the unknown word. Find words that you definitely understand. Identify possible patterns and use logic to make a guess. DISSECT THE WORD: Words have parts. If you are able to identify one of these parts, you may be able to define the word. Keep in mind: Identify prefixes (part of the word that comes before the root). Identify suffixes (part of the word that comes after the root). Identify roots (the main part of the word). NARROW IT DOWN: Sometimes knowing what a word does not mean helps you to understand what a word actually does mean. Keep in mind: Use parts of speech to find antonyms, create analogies, and create categories. MAKE CONNECTIONS: In order to integrate a word into your speech and writing in the future, you need to be able to form connections with the word. This means more than memorizing a definition; it means understanding all elements of a word. If you have made connections, you should be able to use the word naturally. Keep in mind: Compare the new word to other words you already know. Use parts of speech to find synonyms, create analogies, and create categories. Analyze connotations (the emotional response, tone, or mood of a word). Use the word frequently in a variety of forms to deepen connections.