The CSSD strategy in vocabulary

The CSSD strategy combines a number of approaches for learning vocabulary words and meanings
(Dulin, 19xx). This four-step procedure is outlined below.
Context
The first step is to consider the context of the word.
In what setting does the word appear? How is the word used? Based on the rest of the
sentence or paragraph, what should the word mean in orde for the text to make sense?
Refer to the Predictions Based on Context section of this page for more details.
Structure
Break the word into smaller parts and look for familiar prefixes, root words, and suffixes.
Can you think of other words whose meanings you know that contain the word elements?
More information on word elements may be found elsewhere in this page.
Sound
Analyze the word phonetically by breaking it into units of sound. Are any sounds familiar?
Dictionary
If these methods do not work, consult the dictionary.