General
What are the critical components of our interrelated linguistic system? These are listed and addressed in the ELPS.
Listening, speaking, reading, and writing
Two words that vary by only a single sound, usually meaning sounds that may confuse English learners, like the /f/ and /v/ in 'fan' and 'van', or the /e/ and /i/ in 'desk' and 'disk'. What is this called?
A minimal pair
A language teaching approach in which students physically respond to language input (e.g., commands) to internalize the meaning and demonstrate their comprehension of the language.
Total Physical Response (TPR)
Writing instruction in which the teacher, in collaboration with the students, constructs an enlarged text (e.g., on chart paper). Students suggest sentences and revisions and the teacher models the use of a variety of writing strategies students are expected to use in their own writing.
Shared Writing
A form of writing instruction in which students go through the five stages: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing, and often taught in Writers' Workshop.
The Writing Process (5 stages)
Notebooks in which students write regularly to practice and develop their writing skills. Writing prompts can focus on a wide range of issues: daily observations about something students have learned each day; reflections on what a poem means to students.
Journals
An approach where students examine vocabulary for phonemic awareness, phonics, and spelling. Students also examine the meaning of the word(s), connections, connotation, and usage. Students develop knowledge of spelling in general AND also increase their specific understanding of lexicon.
Word Study
A literacy instruction approach in which students dictate stories based on their own experiences and teachers transcribe the students' dictations into texts and then use those texts for reading instruction.
Language Experience Approach (LEA)
In this literacy instruction, the teacher addresses writing skills that students need to develop. Typically, these writing lessons start with a mini-lesson on some aspect of writing; students practice the writing strategy they were just taught under the teacher's supervision; and some may share their writing piece.
Guided Writing
In literacy instruction, refers to strategies used before, during, and after reading a text to maximize students’ comprehension. Also referred to as into, through, and beyond.
Before, During, After (BDA)
These are examples of sheltered instruction items which include pictures, realia, and video. Concrete representations of the content presented are essential for English learner comprehension. What are these items called?
Visuals
Developmental spelling, transitional spelling, or temporary spelling, refers to a temporary stage emergent writers may go through as they rely on their knowledge of sound-symbol correspondences to write words as the words sound to them.
Invented Spelling
This approach to literacy aims to incorporate the best aspects of the two systems: phonics and whole language methods. Texas teachers currently implement this approach to literacy instruction.
Balanced Literacy Approach
A form of literacy instruction in which small groups of students who read at about the same level are matched to texts at their appropriate instructional level. The teacher provides support as the students attempt to read the texts independently.
Guided Reading
A form of independent recreational reading that means devouring various texts on the same topic. They might be books written by one author or just a selection of stories around a student's scope of interests.
Narrow Reading
This sheltered instruction technique or active learning strategy occurs when the teacher poses a question, then asks students to think before responding. Students pair up with a partner to discuss their responses and share the answers with the whole class.
Think-Pair-Share
This instruction teaches the relationships between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language. Children "decode" the text by sounding out the words.
Phonics
A process in which small groups of students collaborate and interact to accomplish a specific learning task or activity.
Cooperative Learning
In reading instruction, the teacher reads a big book or another source of enlarged text together with the students. The teacher models various reading strategies and later uses the text (once the students are familiar with it) to teach reading skills.
Shared Reading
Reading and writing that students can do on their own with little or no support. This usually occurs during Readers' and Writers' Workshop.
Independent Reading and Independent Writing
A sheltered instruction technique in which the teacher poses a question and allows students 2-3 seconds to think about the question and develop a response. Particularly important for ELLs who may need extra time to process input and formulate output in their L2.
wait time
This procedure, from the 1950s, is a technique for omitting words from a passage so that the reader is forced to use background experience, knowledge of syntax, vocabulary, interest, and, generally, higher-order thinking skills to fill in the blank and complete the thought.
Cloze Reading
Refers to the way students engage in the reading of a text, particularly a complex text, to fully comprehend the information it contains and the inferences that may be drawn from it.
Close Reading
The teacher is the focus of this type of instruction. The teacher demonstrates the thoughts and actions that go into creating a text. It is an opportunity for students to observe a proficient writer going through the process of putting ideas into a written form.
Modeled Writing
During sessions, a teacher, parent, or other proficient reader reads audibly from a book or text to one or more students. Often the first reading is for enjoyment, and later the teacher may use the book for instruction.
Read-Alouds