MTLE Reading Teacher (Grades K-12) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Simple View of Reading

Reading comprehension equals decoding multiplied by language comprehension. A weakness in either component limits comprehension, so instruction and assessment must target both separately.

Phonemic awareness

The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual phonemes in spoken words. It is the most advanced level of phonological awareness and a strong predictor of later decoding success.

Alphabetic principle

The understanding that speech is composed of sounds and that letters represent those sounds systematically. It is the foundation for decoding and spelling in an alphabetic writing system.

Orthographic mapping

The process by which readers bond letters and sounds to store words for instant, automatic retrieval. It requires phonemic proficiency and alphabetic knowledge, and it underlies sight-word reading.

Ehri's word-reading phases

Pre-alphabetic, partial alphabetic, full alphabetic, and consolidated alphabetic. Readers move from visual cues to full phoneme-grapheme mapping and then to chunking letter patterns.

Scarborough's Reading Rope

A model showing word recognition strands (phonological awareness, decoding, sight recognition) and language comprehension strands (background knowledge, vocabulary, syntax, verbal reasoning, literacy knowledge) weaving into skilled reading.

Phonological awareness

The broad awareness of the sound structure of language, including syllables, onsets and rimes, and phonemes. It develops before phonemic awareness and supports later phonics learning.

Screening assessment

A brief measure administered to all students to identify those at risk for reading difficulty. It is administered early and quickly, then followed by diagnostic assessment.

Progress monitoring

Frequent, brief assessment that quantifies a student's rate of improvement during intervention. Slopes of growth are compared with benchmarks to judge response to instruction.

Diagnostic assessment

An in-depth measure that identifies specific skill strengths and weaknesses after screening flags a concern. Results guide the selection and intensity of intervention.

Standard error of measurement

An index of the uncertainty in an individual score. It defines a confidence band around the observed score and reminds educators that small differences may not be meaningful.

Reliability versus validity

Reliability is the consistency of scores across occasions or forms; validity is the extent to which a test measures what it claims. A test can be reliable but not valid for a purpose.

Miscue analysis

Examination of oral reading errors such as substitutions, omissions, and insertions. Teachers judge whether errors preserve meaning and whether self-corrections indicate active monitoring.

CBM oral reading fluency

A curriculum-based measure of words read correctly per minute. Benchmarks and slopes of growth are compared with expected rates to identify inadequate response to intervention.

Formative versus summative assessment

Formative assessment occurs during instruction to adjust teaching; summative assessment occurs at the end to document achievement. Both inform instructional decisions at different points.

Explicit systematic instruction

Teaching that states the skill clearly, models it, and sequences skills cumulatively with guided practice and feedback. It is a core feature of effective structured literacy programs.

Gradual release of responsibility

A sequence moving from teacher modeling to shared practice, guided practice, and independent application. Support is withdrawn as students gain competence and confidence.

MTSS tiered intervention

A framework with Tier 1 core instruction for all, Tier 2 small-group targeted support, and Tier 3 intensive individualized intervention. Increasing tiers mean greater intensity, duration, and frequency.

Scaffolding

Temporary instructional support such as graphic organizers, sentence frames, or modeling that is removed as learners gain competence. It keeps tasks within reach without lowering expectations.

Structured literacy

Instruction that is explicit, systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic, with direct teaching of phonology, sound-symbol correspondence, syllables, morphology, syntax, and semantics. It is supported for students with word-reading difficulties.

Differentiation

Adjusting content, process, or product based on readiness, interest, and learning profile. It may involve flexible grouping, varied texts, and multiple response options.

Flexible grouping

Temporary, data-driven student groupings that change as needs change. Groups are formed for specific instructional purposes rather than fixed ability levels.

High response rate strategies

Techniques such as choral responding, partner work, and whiteboard responses that require every student to respond frequently. They increase engagement and reveal misunderstandings immediately.

Vocabulary tiers

Tier 1 contains everyday words; Tier 2 contains general academic words useful across many texts; Tier 3 contains domain-specific terms. Direct instruction should prioritize Tier 2 words.

Text complexity

The difficulty of a text judged by quantitative readability, qualitative features such as structure and knowledge demands, and reader and task considerations. All three should be weighed.

Close reading

Repeated readings of a complex text focused on text-dependent questions. Students cite evidence from the text rather than relying on personal opinion or prior knowledge.

Reading fluency components

Accuracy, rate, and prosody. Fluent reading is accurate and appropriately paced with meaningful expression, freeing attention for comprehension.

Repeated reading

Rereading a short passage several times with feedback and modeling. It improves accuracy, rate, and prosody and is among the best-supported fluency interventions.

Comprehension strategy instruction

Explicit teaching of predicting, questioning, monitoring, summarizing, and using text structure. Strategies are modeled with think-alouds and practiced until students apply them independently.

Matthew effect in reading

Early successful readers read more and improve faster, while struggling readers read less and fall further behind. The gap widens without targeted intervention and increased reading volume.

Text-dependent questions

Questions answerable only by referring to the text itself, requiring evidence and inference. They build comprehension of complex texts rather than eliciting personal reactions.

Prosody

Appropriate expression, phrasing, and intonation during oral reading. It reflects comprehension and is a component of fluency alongside accuracy and rate.