Reading, Language & Literature Flashcards
Name three reasons to support the following statement: Standard American English is a dynamic language that is constantly changing.
Standard American English is constantly changing due to:
- Modern technology
- Infusion of foreign languages
- Inclusion of slang expressions
What are three factors that inhibit language acquisition?
Insufficient mental, emotional and social growth.
Name at least two techniques an author can use to make a short story more interesting.
- Flashback
- Figurative Language
- Foreshadowing
- Multiple Points of View
What are the stages of reading development? What do they entail? What ages?
- Emergent Reader: Pre-Alphabetic: Early Childhood - PreK: recognize print works, make prediction in stories, “pretend” reads, recognizes letter shapes.
- Beginning Reader: Alphabetic: K-2nd: phonics, phonemic awareness, blending, decoding, spelling, listening, writing.
- Fluent Reader: 4th-8th: Orthographic: fluency in reading, occasionally using decoding skills, using metacognition (thinking about thinking!)
- Remedial Reader: 4th-8th: Lack of Competency: reteaching “beginning reader” strategies, using an individualized plan.
What is a phoneme?
Smallest part of a spoken language. Example: Check = /ch/ /e/ /k/
Give an example of an activity involving Phoneme Manipulation.
Blending, segmenting, adding/subtracting phonemes.
Grapheme
Smallest part of written language that represents a phoneme. (s, k, ch, th)
What is phonemic awareness?
The ability to hear, identify and manipulate individual sounds. The ability to understand that sounds work together to make words.
What is phonological awareness?
In addition to phonemic awareness, it involves awareness activities using rhymes, onsets and rimes (swim = onset (sw) rime (im).
Morpheme
A unit of meaning that cannot be broken down. Example: book
Semantics
Analysis and study of meanings of words, phrases and sentences.
Syntax
Examination of various ways words combine to create meaning (how sentences form, pattern, structure of word order in sentences).
Define holophrase. Give example.
A single word that expresses a complete thought. Example: “Hot”
Define Telegraphic Speech. Give example.
Often a two word sentence spoken by a 2 year old. Using the least amount of words to get the meaning across. Ex: “I cold”
Define phonics.
The understanding that there is a PREDICTABLE relationship between phonemes and graphemes.
Describe good phonics instruction.
Systematic: Plan of instruction which carefully progresses through all letter-sound relationships.
Explicit: Teachers are given and use precise directions for teaching phonics at certain grade levels.
What is one criticism of phonics instruction?
English spelling is too irregular to be taught systematically.
Define fluency.
The ability to read a text accurately, at an appropriate pace, and with appropriate expression.
Name at least three things a teacher can do to encourage fluency in the classroom.
- Model fluent reading
- Have students read aloud the same text REPEATEDLY
- Frequently assess child’s reading level (they should not be misreading more than 1 in 20 words)
- Use a variety of reading material (nonfiction, poetry, fairy tales, etc.)
What marks an “easy” “challenging” or “difficult” text?
Easy - reader error is 1/20
Challenging - reader error is 1/10
Difficult - reader error is more than 1/10
Name at least three reading aloud exercises.
- Student/Adult Reading
- Choral Reading
- Tape-Assisted Reading
- Partner Reading
- Readers’ Theatre
How can a teacher support vocabulary instruction in class?
- Provide repeated exposure to vocab words
- Use word parts (prefixes/suffixes)
- Use context clues
- Use dictionaries/reference aids
How can a teacher encourage text comprehension?
- Ask questions about text
- Ask students to summarize
- Ask students to make predictions
- Use graphic and semantic organizers
- Ask students to connect the reading to something in their personal lives.
- Model or “think aloud” how you would like the students to think about the text.
Name the stages of writing.
- Prewriting
- Drafting
- Revising
- Editing
- Proofreading
What is the difference between dialect and idiolect?
Dialect: refers to a distinctive variety of vocab, grammer, pronunciation spoken by an identifiable regional GROUP, nation or social class.
Idiolect: refers to a distinctive variety of language used by an INDIVIDUAL.
What qualities contribute to effective speech?
- Eye contact
- Volume/Tone of voice
- Pacing/clarity
- Hand gestures
- Posture
Name some novel types.
picaresque, epistolary, gothic, romantic, realist, historical, etc.
Name the dramatic elements of a short story in order.
- Exposition
- Rising action
- Climax
- Falling action
- Denouement (resolution)
Define a folk tale and name three types of folk tales.
A folk tale is a traditional narrative with no known author that has been orally passed down through generations.
- Legends: creation stories and explain tribal beginnings
- Fairy tales: entirely fictional
- Animal Folk Tales: animal characters are anthropomorphic
What is a myth?
A myth evokes a time long past and generally concern the adventures/misadventures of gods, giants, heroes, nymphys, and larger than life villains. It is considered a “sacred” narrative, as it tends to hold religious/spiritual significance.
Name the three types of poetry.
Narrative, dramatic and lyric.
Analogy
comparison of similar traits between dissimilar things to highlight the point similarity
Figurative language - 2 examples
Metaphor: example - robert frosts road not taken
Simile: example - you are quiet as a mouse
Allegory - Define and give example
A story in which people, things and events have another meaning.
Examle: Orwell’s Animal Farm
Define a parable.
A story designed to suggest a principle, illustrate a moral or answer a question. A parable is an allegorical story.
Define “rhetorical technique”. Give examples.
Devices used in effective or persuasive language. Examples include contrast, repetition, paradox, understatement, sarcasm, rhetorical question.
What is the difference between satire and a parody?
Satire: writing that seeks to arouse a reader’s disapproval of an object/subject by ridicule.
Parody: a composition that imitates the style of another composition, normally for comic effect.
Define syllogism. Give an example.
A form of reasoning in which two statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from them.
Example: “All tragedies end unhappily” + “Hamlet is a tragedy” = Hamlet ends unhappily”
