Oftentimes, it is a combination of using context clues, along with phonics strategies, that will lead the student to figure out any unknown words. In addition to helping with decoding, this exercise will develop the student's overall verbal reasoning and recall of known vocabulary. Even if a student is reading with an electronic text, encourage him or her to try to come up with a meaning based on context before looking up the definition to exercise those verbal reasoning skills and increase the likelihood of remembering the new word later.