Phonics and Decoding
This type of word family group includes 'cat,' 'bat,' and 'hat.'
What is a word family (or -at family)? Short-vowel word families help beginning readers decode and spell new words quickly by recognizing patterns.
A word that means the opposite of another word — like 'hot' and 'cold' — is called this.
Every story has a beginning, middle, and end. The problem that happens in the story is found in this part.
What is the middle?
When a reader uses clues from the text plus what they already know to figure out something the author did not directly state, they are doing this.
What is making an inference?
When an author repeats the same beginning sound in nearby words — like 'Peter Piper picked' — it is called this.
What is alliteration? Alliteration is a sound device that makes writing fun and memorable, and is a common feature in poetry and picture books for early readers.
When two consonants together make one sound — like the 'sh' in 'ship' or 'ch' in 'chin' — they are called this.
What is a consonant digraph? (Blend is an acceptable answer)
The word 'unhappy' is built from 'happy' plus this word part that comes at the beginning and changes its meaning.
What is a pre-fix?
The characters, setting, and problem of a story are the three main parts of this story element.
What is story structure?
In nonfiction text, headings, bold words, captions, and photos are all examples of these features that help readers understand information.
What are text features?
Authors choose words carefully. Words like 'enormous,' 'gigantic,' and 'massive' are all strong examples of this type of word.
What are strong adjectives (or vivid/precise word choice)? Alabama standards emphasize that authors select specific, descriptive words to help readers picture exactly what is described.
The rule 'when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking' describes how this type of vowel sounds.
What is a long vowel? In vowel pairs like 'ea,' 'ai,' and 'oa,' the first vowel usually says its own name (the long sound).
Context clues are hints that help you figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. These clues are found in this location.
In a story, this is the turning point where the main problem is solved or reaches its highest point of tension.
What is the climax?
After reading a passage, summarizing means retelling only the most important ideas. A good summary does NOT include this kind of detail.
What are minor details (or unimportant details)? A strong summary focuses on main ideas and key events, leaving out small or supporting details that don't affect the overall meaning.
A comparison that says something IS something else — like 'the classroom was a zoo' — is called this figure of speech.
What is a metaphor? A metaphor makes a direct comparison without using 'like' or 'as,' helping readers picture an idea in a creative way.
The word 'knight' has letters that are not pronounced. These silent letters are examples of this phonics concept.
What are silent letters?
'The wind whispered through the trees' is an example of this literary device where non-human things are given human qualities.
What is personification?
When an author writes a story from one character's point of view using 'I,' it is told in this narrative perspective.
What is first person point of view?
This comprehension strategy has readers stop during reading to ask themselves if they understand the text, and re-read if they do not.
What is monitoring comprehension (or checking for understanding)? Good readers actively check whether the text makes sense and use fix-up strategies like re-reading when it does not.
When an author is showing that someone is speaking in a story, they use this to show.
Dividing the word 'rabbit' between the double consonants into 'rab-bit' is an example of this syllable-splitting strategy.
When a word has more than one meaning — like 'bark' meaning tree covering and 'bark' meaning a dog's sound — it is called this.
What is a multiple meaning word?
This literary term describes the lesson or message about life that an author wants readers to take away from a story.
What is theme?
When comparing a fiction story and a nonfiction article on the same topic, readers look for how each author's purpose shapes this aspect of the text.
What is the author's point of view (or how purpose shapes content)? Alabama 3rd grade standards ask students to compare and contrast how different genres treat the same topic, recognizing how purpose influences what details the author includes.
An author's reason for writing — whether to entertain, inform, or persuade — is known as this.
What is the author's purpose?