6-STEP Word Identification Technique

This multi-sensory technique is used to help readers identify words they don’t know. The words are in context which often helps them with the decoding. The steps are simple and often taught to young children. It should be reinforced with older students also who have difficulty with new words. Once modeled and learned by a student it can be done independently and quietly previous to asking for help from a teacher or peer.

Instructions:
1. FRAME it. Look at the word carefully. Have you seen it before?
2. BLANK it. Read the sentence with the unknown word and say “Blank” instead of the word.
3. BEGIN it. Try to sound it out. Does it sound like a word you know?
4. SPLIT it. Divide it into parts. Do any of the parts look like words you know?
5. READ ON. Can you use context to figure out the word?
6. ASK. Ask a teacher or another student or check with an “authority” like a dictionary.