ORELA key terms

The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words, as when blending or segmenting /k/ /a/ /t/. It is an oral skill and does not involve printed letters.

The correspondence between letters and the sounds they represent, and the instruction that teaches readers to decode unfamiliar words by applying those letter-sound relationships systematically.

Reading text accurately, at a suitable rate, and with appropriate expression. Fluent reading frees attention for comprehension because the reader spends little effort decoding individual words.

The principle that a digit's value depends on its position in a numeral; in 352 the 3 represents 300 and the 5 represents 50. It underlies regrouping and multi-digit computation.

A sequenced mathematics approach in which students first manipulate physical objects, then work with drawings or diagrams, and finally use abstract symbols and numerals for the same concept.

Ongoing checks during instruction, such as questioning, exit tickets, or quick quizzes, used to adjust teaching and give feedback, as distinct from summative tests that grade learning at the end.

Vygotsky's term for the gap between what a learner can accomplish alone and what the learner can accomplish with guidance from a more capable person; instruction is aimed at this range.

The organizational pattern an author uses, such as compare-contrast, cause-effect, sequence, description, or problem-solution. Recognizing it helps readers predict and organize incoming information.

The central point that a paragraph or passage conveys, supported by details. Summarizing it requires separating essential information from secondary examples and elaboration.

Nonliteral wording such as simile, metaphor, personification, and idiom, used for effect. Readers must interpret it beyond the dictionary meaning of the individual words.

A firsthand record created at the time of an event, such as a letter, photograph, diary, artifact, or interview, as opposed to a later interpretation like a textbook summary.

The economic model in which price balances how much of a good producers offer and how much consumers will buy; shifts in either curve change equilibrium price and quantity.

The process of asking testable questions, forming hypotheses, designing controlled investigations, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions that are supported by evidence.

Reasoning about quantities that change together at a constant ratio, applied in scale drawings, unit rates, and percent problems. It marks the shift from additive to multiplicative thinking in middle grades.

Composing a clear claim supported by relevant evidence and explained reasoning, often while acknowledging a counterclaim. It is a literacy skill expected across middle-grades subjects.

Instruction that begins with student questions and investigations rather than direct explanation of facts. The teacher facilitates while students gather, analyze, and interpret evidence themselves.

A legally required written plan for a student eligible for special education under IDEA, stating present levels of performance, measurable annual goals, services, accommodations, and placement.

The IDEA entitlement of eligible students with disabilities to special education and related services, at public expense, designed to provide meaningful educational benefit under proper supervision.

The requirement that students with disabilities be educated with peers who do not have disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate, with separate placement used only when supports in general education are insufficient.

A change in how a student accesses content or shows learning, such as extended time, read-aloud, or preferential seating. It does not alter what is taught or the standard being measured.

A change to what a student is expected to learn or to the level of the standard, such as reduced content or simplified text. It changes expectations rather than only the route to them.

A multi-tiered framework of increasingly intensive, evidence-based instruction with progress monitoring, used to support struggling learners and to inform decisions about special education evaluation.

Frequent, brief measurement of a student's skill growth, such as words read correctly per minute, used to judge whether an intervention is working and to adjust instruction.

Cummins's distinction between basic interpersonal communicative skills, which typically develop in one to three years, and cognitive academic language proficiency, which often takes five or more years.

Teaching grade-level content in English with deliberate language supports, such as visuals, sentence frames, and modeled language, so English learners can access the curriculum while building proficiency.

A planning framework that builds multiple means of engagement, representation, and action or expression into lessons from the start, so varied learners can access the same content.

The constitutional guarantee of fair procedures, including notice, a hearing, an impartial decision-maker, and appeal rights, before a public school deprives someone of rights or benefits.

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which gives parents and eligible students rights to inspect education records and restricts disclosure of personally identifiable information without consent.

The federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal funds, covering areas such as athletics, admissions, and the handling of sexual harassment complaints.

The Rehabilitation Act provision barring disability discrimination in federally funded programs. It provides accommodations and services for students who need support but do not qualify for IDEA special education.

The 1954 Supreme Court decision holding that racially segregated public schools are inherently unequal and violate the Equal Protection Clause, overturning the separate-but-equal doctrine.

The principle that learners have the right to seek and receive information and ideas without censorship, applied in school libraries alongside district policy and community standards.

The planned process of selecting, acquiring, evaluating, and weeding library materials to match curriculum needs and student interests, guided by a written selection policy.

The ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively and ethically, including judging the credibility of sources and citing them accurately.

A limited legal exception permitting use of copyrighted works without permission for purposes such as teaching, scholarship, or criticism, judged by four factors including purpose and market effect.

Responsible, safe, and ethical behavior when using technology, encompassing privacy, cyberbullying, respectful communication, and critical evaluation of online information.