Glossary Flashcards
Phonics
the relationships between the sounds of a language (phonemes) and the letter combinations used to represent those sounds (graphemes)
Orthography
The spelling system of a language and the rules that govern that system
Phoneme
Smallest unit of sound in a language, shown in slashes / /
Graphemes
Written symbols that represent phonemes
Phonological Awareness
awareness of units of speech - words, syllables, and phonemes
Phonemic Awareness
The awareness of phonemes - the individual sounds that make up words.
Phonemic Segmentation
Splitting a spoken word into its constituent phonemes in the order in which they are heard in the word. This skill is required for a child to invent full phonetic spellings.
Phoneme Blending
Taking given phonemes and combining them to make a word - the opposite of segmentation; this is employed when decoding new words.
Decode
To take written letters/words and translate them into sounds (phonemes) that make up words; to make meaning while decoding, the words must be recognized by the reader from their aural (listening) vocabulary. We use phonics to decode.
Encode
To translate spoken language into written symbols, the opposite of decoding; writing, particularly invented spelling, is an act of encoding as the writer attempts to write letters that represent the sounds present in words. We use orthography to encode.
Consonants
Phonemes where the flow of air is cut off partially or completely.
Voiced: the vocal cords vibrate in creating the sound.
Unvoiced: the vocal cords do not vibrate in creating the sound.
Vowels
Phonemes where air flows through the mouth unobstructed. Vowels are always voiced.
Short Vowels
Alligator Elephant Iguana Octopus Umbrella Graphemes have smiley over letter.
Long vowels
“Say the name” graphemes have line over letter.
R-controlled vowel
A vowel followed by an “r” is always distorted. This makes these words difficult to spell.
Diphthong
Phoneme where the mouth glides from one vowel sound directly into another. /oi/ /ou/ /oy/ /ow/
Schwa
Vowel sound of an unaccented syllable. (A)lyss(a)
Continuing consanant
A consonant that can be “stretched out” with a continuous sound. These are preferred as first letter sounds to learn, because they are more easily heard, particularly the voiced ones.
Consonant digraph
Two graphemes that represent one phoneme: /sh/ /ch/ /ph/ /gh/
Consonant blend
Sequence of 2-3 consonants, each of which can be heard: /st/ /ft/ /mp/
Vowel digraph
Two graphemes that represent one vowel sound. /ea/ Consonants may also act as vowel digraphs: s/ay/
Onset
The beginning consonant sound(s) before the vowel sound in a syllable. Not all words or syllables have onsets.
Rime
The vowel sound and any others that follow in a syllable.
Word families
Words that share an ending, called a rime. These letter combinations are sometimes called phonograms.
Syllable
Phonemes that constitute a larger sound unit within a word. Ever syllable has a vowel sound (onset/rime)
Open syllables
A syllable that ends in a vowel sound (usually long)
Closed syllable
Ends in a consonant sound
Vowel pair
A syllable with two vowel graphemes together
VCe
Ends in a vowel-consonant-silent e pattern
C+le
A consonant followed by an “le”; the vowel sound is typically a schwa
Morphemes
Smallest unit of meaning in a written language.
Whole-part-whole phonics instruction
Students are immersed in authentic texts and build off familiar words. Constructivist approach: known-to-new.
Authentic/analytic/implicit
Part-to-whole phonics instruction
Students are taught letters, letter sounds, and patterns in isolation, proceeding to short words, then sentences, etc. concepts are presented in a pre-determined sequence. Behavioristic/transmissive approach.
Synthetic/explicit/systematic
Ambiguity of vowels
This is a concept which describes the fact that any vowel (letter or digraph) may represent multiple phonemes.
Alphabetic principle
The principle/rule that there is a 1:1 correspondence between graphemes and phonemes.
Morphemic analysis
The process of segmenting a word into its morphemes and analyzing them to better understand the word.
Word study
The process of studying words. This is an instructional approach for teaching learners how to read and spell. It is learner-centered and is based on their developmental stage.
Spelling inventory
An assessment tool which asks students to spell a carefully-selected set of words that grow increasingly difficult. The set of words contains a range of orthographic features, which the students are tested on. The inventory is used to determine a student’s developmental stage in orthographic skills, based on what they “use but confuse”. Students are placed into instructional groups based on the inventory.
Braid of literacy
A representation of literacy as a woven set of skills. Includes: reading, writing, orthography, vocabulary, oral literacy, and familiarity with authentic stories and informational texts.
Affixes
A word part (suffixes, prefixes, inflectional endings) that is attached to a root word.
Prefixes/suffixes: change part of speech
Inflectional endings: change the tense or number
Emergent stage
P-early 1
Learners experiment and imitate in this stage. They explore concepts of print and letter names. They are curious about written language. They have phonemic awareness and are refining it. They began to match phonemes to letters.
Letter-name alphabetic stage
K-early 2
Learners are beginning to read and write in a conventional way. Their knowledge of letter names is solidified, and they often invent spellings based on letter name. They understand the concept of word in a text, and can finger point and read simple words with some fluency. Their consonant knowledge becomes stronger, but vowels are still tricky due to their ambiguity. They gain command over high frequency and sight words.
Within-word pattern stage
Late 1-middle 4
Learners in this stage have a much former grasp of the phonemes they hear in words, and can encode many of them into familiar orthographic patterns. They are transitioning into a more fluent stage of oral reading. They read most single-syllable words correctly, and can spell many of them correctly too. To read multi-syllable words, they need contextual support, and their spellings are less accurate. Their grasp of patterns in words is stronger, and they able to cope with complex patterns.
Syllables and affixes stage
3-6
Learners in this stage have been reading and spelling multi-syllable words already, but now solidly grasping generalizations/rules for how syllables are added on to a root and how the spellings change - how affixes are used. Students need to have strong word consciousness. They begin using morphemic analysis.
Derivations relations stage
5+
Learners have a solid knowledge of spelling and vocabulary which is now growing through the process of derivation. Learners look at the etymology of a word and use morphemic analysis to understand meaning.
