AEPA ELA (NT301) key terms

The ability to notice and work with the individual sounds, called phonemes, in spoken words, such as blending, segmenting, or deleting sounds without relying on printed letters.

A broad awareness of the sound structure of language, including syllables, rhymes, and individual sounds. It develops before and alongside phonics instruction and is entirely oral rather than print-based.

Instruction in the predictable relationships between letters and the sounds they represent, used to help readers decode unfamiliar printed words accurately and automatically.

The process of translating printed letters and letter patterns into spoken sounds and words. Fluent decoding frees attention for comprehension rather than word identification.

The mental process by which readers bond the spellings, pronunciations, and meanings of specific words into long-term memory, allowing instant recognition of those words later.

Words a reader recognizes instantly and effortlessly without needing to sound them out. These are typically stored through repeated exposure and orthographic mapping, not just memorization.

The ability to read text accurately, at an appropriate rate, and with suitable expression. Fluency bridges word recognition and comprehension by freeing attention for meaning-making.

The expressive reading of text through appropriate phrasing, intonation, and stress. It is a component of reading fluency and signals that a reader is constructing meaning from sentences.

The two parts of a syllable: the onset is the initial consonant sound or cluster, and the rime is the vowel plus any following consonants, as in /b/ plus /at/.

Common patterns used to divide and pronounce words, such as closed, open, vowel-consonant-e, vowel team, r-controlled, and consonant-le syllables, which guide decoding of multisyllabic words.

The smallest unit of meaning in a word. Free morphemes stand alone as words, while bound morphemes such as prefixes and suffixes must attach to other units.

The study of how words are built from meaningful units such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Morphological knowledge supports vocabulary growth and spelling.

A bound morpheme attached to a base or root word to change its meaning or grammatical function. Prefixes attach before the base; suffixes attach after it.

The process of forming new words by adding affixes that change a word's meaning or part of speech, such as turning 'teach' into 'teacher' or 'happy' into 'unhappy'.

The branch of language study concerned with meaning in words, phrases, and sentences. It examines how words relate to one another and to the concepts they represent.

The emotional or cultural associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning. Connotations can be positive, negative, or neutral and shape a writer's tone.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, independent of the feelings or associations the word may evoke for readers.

Words and phrases used across disciplines to discuss ideas, such as 'analyze,' 'evidence,' and 'compare.' Mastery supports reading comprehension and effective academic writing.

A model that sorts words into three tiers: basic everyday words, high-frequency general academic words, and low-frequency domain-specific words. It guides instructional word selection.

Hints about a word's meaning found in surrounding text, including definitions, examples, contrasts, and inferences. Readers use them to figure out unfamiliar vocabulary independently.

The underlying message or central idea about life that a literary work conveys, developed through characters, events, and imagery rather than stated outright.

The most important point an informational text makes about its topic. It is usually stated or implied in a topic sentence or summary statement.

The organizational pattern a writer uses to arrange ideas, such as cause-effect, comparison-contrast, chronological order, problem-solution, or description. Structure supports comprehension and analysis.

Visual and organizational aids in informational texts, including headings, captions, bold print, tables, and indexes, that help readers locate and interpret information efficiently.

The reason an author writes a text, commonly to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain. Identifying purpose helps readers evaluate how a text is crafted.

The writer's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice, sentence structure, and imagery. Tone differs from mood, which is the reader's emotional response.

The perspective from which a narrative is told, such as first person, third-person limited, or third-person omniscient. It shapes what information readers receive.

Craft elements writers use to tell stories, including characterization, dialogue, pacing, foreshadowing, and flashback. They shape how readers experience events.

The use of an object, person, or event to represent a larger abstract idea or concept, adding layers of meaning to a text.

Writing that takes a clear position on an issue and supports it with relevant evidence, reasoning, and acknowledgment of counterclaims, aiming to persuade a reader.

A debatable statement or assertion that a writer advances as the central point of an argument and must support with reasons and evidence.

Facts, examples, statistics, quotations, or other information used to support a claim or reason. Strong evidence is relevant, credible, and sufficient.

The stage of writing focused on rethinking and reshaping content, organization, and clarity, often involving adding, deleting, or rearranging ideas before editing for conventions.

The stage of writing focused on correcting errors in grammar, usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling after the content and organization are finalized.

The recursive stages writers move through to produce text, typically including planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing, with movement back and forth among stages.

A scoring guide that lists criteria and performance levels for evaluating student work, making assessment more consistent and transparent for both teacher and student.

Ongoing, low-stakes checks on student learning used to adjust instruction during a unit, such as exit tickets, quick writes, and observation notes.

A formal evaluation of student learning at the end of a unit or course, used to measure mastery against standards and often reported as a grade.

Temporary instructional supports, such as models, graphic organizers, or guided practice, that help students complete tasks they could not yet do independently.

Adapting content, process, or product to meet varied student readiness, interests, and learning profiles while keeping common learning goals in place.

The ways of talking, questioning, and reasoning expected in academic settings, including citing evidence and building on others' ideas during discussion.

Structured small- or whole-group conversation in which students share ideas, listen actively, and respond to peers to deepen understanding of a text or topic.

The range of tasks a learner can complete with guidance but not yet alone. Instruction targeted here, with scaffolds, promotes growth most effectively.