English Language Arts and Reading

semantics

a. the study of meaning.

b. the study of linguistic development by classifying and examining changes in meaning and form.

syntax

the study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language.

pragmatics

the study of the aspects of meaning and language use that are dependent on the speaker, the addressee and other features of the context of utterance

morpheme

in a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix)

simple sentence

one independent clause

compound sentence

2 independent clauses joined by:

  A.  a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so),

  B.  a conjunctive adverb (e.g. however, therefore), or

  C.  a semicolon alone.

complex sentence

1 dependent clause joined to 1 independent clause

Punctuation patterns (to match A, B, C and D above):

        A.  Dependent clause,  independent clause

        B.  Independent clause  dependent clause

        C.  Independent,    nonessential dependent clause,     clause.

        D.  Independent    essential dependent clause     clause.

compound-complex sentence

2 independent clauses joined to 1 or more dependent clause

scaffolding

an instructional technique where the teacher models the desired learning strategy or task, then gradually shifts responsibility to the students.

Semantic Mapping

relationship between concept and knowledge

phonology

(phonological awareness)

the ability to hear and work with the spoken language

phonemic awareness

The ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words

(Phonemic awareness is not phonics.
Phonemic awareness is auditory and does not involve words in print )
Examples:
Blending: What word am I trying to say?

Mmmm / ooooo / p.
Segmentation (first sound isolation): What is the first sound in mop?
Segmentation (last sound isolation): What is the last sound in mop?
Segmentation (complete): What are all the sounds you hear in mop?

Emergent literacy

"the reading and writing behaviors that precede and develop into conventional literacy," notes Sulzby (1989). Sulzby and Teale (1996, p. 728) state, "Emergent literacy is concerned with the earliest phases of literacy development, the period between birth and the time when children read and write conventionally. The term emergent literacy signals a belief that, in a literate society, young children--even 1- and 2-year-olds--are in the process of becoming literate."

conventional literacy

ability to read and write in ways that most people in our literate society recognize as 'really' reading and writing. For example, they use a variety of reading strategies, know hundreds of sight words, read texts written in a variety of structures, are aware of audience, monitor their own performances as writers and readers, and spell conventionally." (p. 30)

word identification skills

-decoding

-blending
-structural analysis
-sight word vocabulary

factors affecting students' eading comprehension

oral language development, word analysis skills, prior knowledge, language background, previous reading experiences, fluency, vocabulary development, ability to monitor understanding, characteristics of specific texts

metacognitive skills

learners' automatic awareness of their own knowledge and their ability to understand, control, and manipulate their own cognitive processes.

Example:
self-evaluation and self-monitoring

strategies to facilitate comprehension of text before, during, and after

previewing, making predictions, questioning, self-monitoring, rereading, mapping, using reading journals and discussing texts

After what grade do early literacy interventions seem to not have the same impact?

third

Why do some children sometimes need more thorough early literacy screenings?

all of these

The importance of the 'Read Aloud/Think Aloud' strategy is:

It teaches students how to read fluently and think critically about the text as they read

What type of thinking is required to form a sound point of view?

analysis and synthesis

what is synthesis?

putting together information and drawing a conclusion

Which of the following BEST summarizes the approach to teaching vocabulary recommended by researchers?

Immerse students in words.

what is the Star Model?

an explicit vocabulary instruction method for teaching new words to students.

It is a four-step process that involves selecting key words from a text, teaching their meaning and use, activating students' understanding through activities, and revisiting the words to ensure long-term retention

steps in STAR model

select, teach, activate, revisit

What does the KWL strategy ask students to do?

to write what they know, what they wonder, and what they learned

what measure can determine a student's initial fluency before doing repeated readings?

accurate words read per minute

organization patterns of writing 

Description

Sequence (chronological/priority order) 

Cause & effect

Compare & contrast

Problem & solution

stages of spelling development

Pre-communicative Stage (ages 3 – 5)

In this stage, kids are learning that print contains meaning, but have not mastered letter sounds, or phonemic awareness.

Semi-phonetic Stage (ages 4 – 6)

In this stage, kids are beginning to grasp that letters represent sounds, which is the basics of phonics. However, their understanding of letter sounds is still developing.

Phonetic Stage (ages 5 – 7)

In this stage, kids are able to write letters to correctly represent the letter sounds, or phonemes, that they hear.

Transitional Stage (ages 6 – 8)

In this stage, kids begin to shift from phonetic spelling to more conventional spelling patterns.

Conventional Stage (ages 8+)

In this stage, kids have a strong understanding of standard spelling rules and patterns.