Foundations of STR

Vocabulary / Vocabulary Development

the ability to effectively know and use words in their listening, speaking, reading, and writing

Instructional Interventions

additional focus on a specific skill in an effort to improve it

Example

A class struggles with focus, so the teacher incorporates more movement breaks into the daily lesson plan.

Reading Comprehension

the ability to read a text and understand its meaning

Example

Jessie read the book and was able to explain to me why the character lied in Chapter 3.

Asset / Strength-Based Approach

an educational approach, which builds learning around a student's strengths and existing knowledge, rather than focusing on what they lack

Example

When using an asset-based approach, teachers need to get to know students well to identify each child's academic assets and build on those strengths.

Complexity (Text Selection)

the level of difficulty appropriate for students on any given assignment

Example

the first assignment of the year for students of unknown reading ability might be of low complexity

Syntax

rules that govern the construction of words in order to make phrases, clauses, and sentences

Dysgraphia

language-based disorder, in which one struggles with the mechanics of writing resulting in impaired or illegible handwriting

Example

Messy handwriting (due to issues such as poor formation of letters, improper size, spacing between letters or words, or slant of words) is the main sign of dysgraphia.

Alphabetic Principle

the understanding that there is a logical/systematic relationship between the sounds of spoken English and the letters and letter–patterns of written English

Environmental Print

the print students encounter in their everyday surroundings

Example

signs, logos, labels

Phonemic Awareness / Sound Awareness

the ability to hear, identify, and re-create individual sounds in spoken words

Example

A student can hear that /b/ makes first sound in the word blue.

Dyslexia

a disorder manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity

Cultural Sensitivity

the awareness, understanding, and respect for cultural differences, norms, and values, allowing individuals to effectively navigate and interact with diverse cultural contexts while minimizing misunderstandings and promoting inclusivity

Culturally Responsive Teaching

teaching that recognizes students' cultural references

Example

using culturally familiar examples to explain new concepts

Tiers of Accommodation

Tier 1 - universal tools available to all students

Tier 2 - designated supports for some students

Tier 3 - specialized accommodations for students with IEPs or 504 plans

Example

Examples:

Tier 1 - visual schedule

Tier 2 - breaks, calculators, screen readers

Tier 3 - paraprofessional support, speech-to-text software

Standards-Based Instruction

instruction designed to align with given standards

Example

The teacher consulted the state standards for her grade level in order to make sure she was using standards-based instruction when teaching her lessons.

Alphabetic Knowledge

the ability to recognize, name, and write letters

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

a label applied to individuals who have great difficulty concentrating on what they are doing AND are extremely active, impulsive, distractible, and excitable

Appropriateness

whether the subject matter is appropriate for a student's maturity level

Instructional Flexibility

ability to modify instructional plans in response to student needs, unexpected events, or new insights gained during the unit

Print Concepts

general rules governing text

Example

A text is read from left to right and top to bottom.

Universal Theme

common ideas that appear in literature across all cultures

Example

Some common universal themes include love, courage, friendship, and good succeeding over evil.

Direct Instruction

a teacher-led approach to instruction in which the instructor provides information on a concept and is the sole expert in the room

Example

lectures and demonstrations

Morphology

the study of forms of words, including affixes, roots, stems, and parts of speech

Example

The word "bicycles" is made up of three individual morphemes. The prefix bi-, the stem cycle, and the suffix -s.

Literature Circles

strategy in which a teacher organizes students into small groups to discuss a common text

Learning Objectives

specific, measurable goals that define what learners are expected to know, understand, or be able to do as a result of instruction, guiding both teaching and assessment

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

educational framework for diverse learning needs

Example

offering materials in multiple formats to support all learners

Differentiation - Pacing

how much content is presented and how fast the content is presented

Example

Teachers may need to adjust pacing to allow students time to comprehend difficult text.

Response to Intervention (RtI)

a process to monitor and measure student progress in the general education curriculum after instructional intervention is provided

Example

small group pull-out, tutoring

Phonics

the teaching of how phonemes connect to symbols

Formative Assessments

ongoing evaluations to monitor student progress

Example

using exit tickets to check understanding of the day's lesson

Differentiation - Complexity

how difficult the vocabulary, sentence structure and organization is to understand within a text

Example

When assessing the complexity of a task, a teacher should determine if the skill or content be broken down into more simple components.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

a data-driven intervention approach with a layered framework to support the needs of every learner

Leveled Questions

a framework used to classify questions by complexity, moving from basic recall to higher-order thinking

Reading Fluency

ability to read with appropriate speed, accuracy, and prosody

Folktale

stories that are orally passed through generations

Example

"The Three Little Pigs" and "Little Red Riding Hood" are examples of folktales featuring animals.

Culturally Responsive Materials

educational content that respects students' cultural backgrounds

Example

including diverse perspectives in history lessons

Flexible Grouping

grouping students based on their learning needs or interests

Example

After reviewing the student test results, a teacher can use flexible grouping to organize groups based on students' areas of weakness.

Deficit-Based Approach

a traditional educational approach, which focuses on strengthening a student's weak areas

Example

When using a deficit-based approach, teachers try to identify problems and work to fix them.

Phonological Awareness

the understanding and ability to hear individual words, syllables, and sounds in spoken language apart from print

Scaffolded Learning

supporting students with gradually reduced assistance

Example

providing step-by-step guidance before encouraging independent work

Orthography

the standards present in a language's conventions

Example

spelling, capitalization, punctuation, emphasis

Multisensory Instruction

engages learners with different modalities

Example

hands-on activities, movement, auditory learning

Ongoing Assessment

an assessment that guides the pace and content of instruction

Example

Ongoing assessments are used to determine student knowledge and dictate whether the class is prepared to move on to a new skill.

Backward Design / Planning

lesson planning that begins with the desired outcome in mind

Syllable Awareness / Syllabication / Syllable Segmentation

the ability to hear individual parts/syllables of words

Example

“Education” has four syllables “ed-u-ca-tion”