Praxis 5001 key terms

The ability to notice and work with the individual speech sounds in spoken words - blending, segmenting, or substituting them, as in /k/ /a/ /t/. It involves hearing sounds only, not printed letters.

The set of letter–sound relationships used to read and spell words, and the instruction that teaches them. A reader uses phonics to decode an unfamiliar printed word such as "ship".

Reading text accurately, at a reasonable pace, and with expression. Fluent reading uses little mental effort on decoding, leaving attention free for understanding.

The smallest unit of meaning in a word. "Unhelpful" contains three: un- (not), help (base meaning), and -ful (full of).

Information in the words and sentences around an unfamiliar word that hints at its meaning - a definition, example, synonym, or contrast. Readers use these hints to keep comprehension going.

A conclusion a reader reaches by combining details from the text with prior knowledge, going beyond what is stated directly.

The central point a passage makes about its topic, supported by key details. A summary states the main idea in the reader's own words.

The pattern an author uses to organize ideas, such as chronological sequence, comparison, cause and effect, or problem and solution. Recognizing it helps readers predict and remember content.

Wording that means something other than its literal sense, such as simile, metaphor, personification, or hyperbole, used to create images and emphasis.

The flexible stages writers cycle through: planning and gathering ideas, drafting, revising for ideas and organization, editing for conventions, and sharing the finished piece.

The value a digit has because of its position in a number. In 4,208 the 4 is worth 4,000, the 2 is worth 200, and the 8 is worth 8 ones.

A step-by-step written procedure that computes with digits by place value, such as regrouping in addition or the long-division format.

A rectangular arrangement of objects in equal rows and columns. Arrays model multiplication and division and connect directly to area.

Fractions that name the same quantity, such as 1/2, 2/4, and 3/6. Multiplying or dividing the numerator and denominator by the same nonzero number produces one.

The amount of surface a flat shape covers, measured in square units. For a rectangle, area equals length times width.

The total distance around the outside of a closed flat shape, found by adding its side lengths. It is measured in linear units such as centimeters.

A comparison of two quantities by division, such as 3 cups of flour to 2 cups of sugar. Equivalent ratios describe the same relationship at different scales.

The arithmetic average of a data set: add all the values, then divide by how many values there are. It is pulled strongly by outliers.

The middle value in a data set ordered from least to greatest; with an even number of values, it is the mean of the two middle values.

A whole number greater than 1 whose only factors are 1 and itself, such as 2, 3, 7, and 11. Every composite number can be written as a product of primes.

Firsthand evidence from the time of an event, such as a diary, letter, photograph, artifact, or interview with a participant. Historians analyze it for bias and point of view.

An account made later by someone who did not experience the event, such as a textbook, biography, or documentary. It usually interprets primary sources.

A relationship in which one event or condition makes another happen. Historians trace these links to explain why things changed and what followed.

Two sets of imaginary grid lines used to locate places on Earth. Latitude lines run parallel to the equator; longitude lines run between the poles.

An area grouped together because of shared features, such as climate, landforms, language, or economy. Geographers use regions to compare and organize places.

The ways people depend on, adapt to, and change their natural surroundings - for example, irrigating a desert or wearing heavy coats in a cold climate.

The arrangement by which each branch of government can block or limit actions of the others, such as a presidential veto or a court ruling that a law is unconstitutional.

A system in which power is divided and shared between a national government and state or local governments, each with its own responsibilities.

The relationship between how much of a good producers offer and how much buyers want. Prices tend to rise when demand exceeds supply and fall when supply exceeds demand.

A testable statement predicting what will happen in an investigation, worded so that evidence could support or contradict it.

An investigation in which the researcher changes one variable while keeping all other conditions the same, so any change in the outcome can be linked to that variable.

A model of overlapping food chains showing which organisms eat which in an ecosystem; arrows point in the direction energy flows.

The process plants and algae use to make sugar from carbon dioxide and water, using light energy captured by chlorophyll and releasing oxygen.

An inherited body feature or behavior that improves an organism's chance of surviving and reproducing in its environment, such as a thick coat or seasonal migration.

A change in a substance's size, shape, or state of matter that leaves its identity the same, such as tearing paper or melting ice.

A change in which substances combine or break apart to form new substances with different properties, often signaled by gas, color change, heat, or light.

The continuous movement of water between Earth's surface and atmosphere through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection in bodies of water and soil.

Weathering breaks rock into smaller pieces in place; erosion then carries those pieces away by water, wind, or ice. Together they reshape landforms.