Literacy Glossary
We know that all of the terms and vocabulary can be overwhelming in education. This page will be dedicated to providing explanations of terms you may hear associated with literacy and learning in Hubbard Schools. - Please check back, terms with definitions are continually being added.
Alphabetic Principle - connecting letters with their sounds to read and write
Background Knowledge - the amount of information or knowledge someone has on a particular topic
Blend - when two or more consonants are blended together, but you still each each sound, such as in the word black
Digraph - a combination of two letters representing one sound, as in ph and ey
Fluent Reading - generally considered to have thee components: accuracy, rate and prosody (or expression)Reading Comprehension - the ability to read text, process it and understand its meaning. It relies on two interconnected abilities: word reading (being able to decode the letters/words on the page) and language comprehension (being able to understand the meaning of the words and sentences)
Grammar - the study or use of rules about how words change their form and combine with other words to express meaning
Grapheme - the letter or group of letters that represent a sound
Morpheme - smallest unit of meaning that cannot be further divided
Morphology - the study of words, how they are formed , and their relationship to other words in the same language
Phoneme - smallest unit of sound
Phonemic Awareness - the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
Phonics - matching the sounds of spoken English with individual letters or groups of letters
Early - syllables, alliteration and onset-rime
Basic - phoneme blending and phoneme segmentation
Advanced - phoneme deletion, substitution and reversal
Phonological processing - manipulating sounds to form words
Phonology - the study of sound structure in language
Rapid Visual-Verbal Responding - quickly recognizing printed letters or words
Semantics - the study of meaning in language, including the relationships between words and how readers build meaning from these relationships
Structured Literacy - instructional approach that describes the type of explicit and systematic reading instruction supported by research
Syntax - the way words or parts of words combine to form phrases, clauses and sentences
Vocabulary - words and their meanings that a learner must understand to comprehend texts and communicate effectively
Word Attack Skills - strategies that help students decode, pronounce and understand unfamiliar words
Screener/Diagnostic Test – a screener or diagnostic test is given to each student, to help us understand where they are currently at in their learning
Benchmark Test – a test given generally at three points during a school year to see the progress/growth of students
RIMP – a Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plan is put in place for any student who may need additional support based on the screener/diagnostic testing
Title I Reading – support for students that can happen in the classroom or in a small group “pull-out” session
Intervention – small group or one-one help for students who need additional support for a skill or topic
Flexible grouping – when groups change throughout a school year based on student needs