Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Context clues have been around since Momma Shmoop was teaching her Smooplettes to read. And even before then. Teaching kids to use clues from the words surrounding word-stranger is the quickest way to discover the meaning and move on. Who wants to stop and look up a word when there's an evil wizard about to fry our dearest Harry?