Some Common Terms used in Reading Instruction 

                                                

Basal Readers:  Reading textbooks containing stories grouped together by grade level.

 

Blending:  Putting together the sounds of individual letters to say the whole word.

 

Choral Reading:  Teacher and students reading the same text together or slightly after hearing the teacher’s voice.

 

Comprehension:  Constructing meaning from the text – understanding what is read.

 

Decoding:  To translate letters into their sounds in order to sound out words.

 

Echo Reading:  Teacher and students have the same text.  The teacher reads a part first, such as a line or a sentence.  Students immediately reread the same part.

 

Fluency:  The ability to recognize words in sentences with automaticity.  Can refer to the speed and accuracy of reading.

 

Grapheme:  A letter that represents a sound.

 

Guided Reading:  An instructional approach where a teacher works with a small group of students with similar needs.

                 The teacher chooses a text that provides just enough of a challenge and guides the group to use strategies as they read.

 

Phoneme:  The smallest units of sound -when combined, they form syllables and words.

                   For example, c-a-t has three phonemes.

 

Phonemic Awareness:  The understanding that the spoken word is made up of a sequence of phonemes.  This awareness aids in learning to spell, use phonics, and learn to read.

 

Phonics:  An instructional method used to teach the relationship between the spelling of words and their speech sounds.

 

Read Alouds:  Books read aloud to children for enjoyment and to increase their listening comprehension.

 

Sight Words:   Words a student can recognize and accurately pronounce with automaticity.  (Student does not need to sound them out.)