Definition of Terms
Balanced Reading Program: A reading program that incorporates all the components of reading: phonemic awareness, decoding, comprehension, vocabulary and fluency
Direct Instruction:
The teacher assigns specific vocabulary words and guides the students in finding the definition
Incidental Vocabulary Learning: Students learn new vocabulary words from independent reading of books, magazines, newspapers , computers etc. Incidental vocabulary learning may also occur from listening to oral language through conversations, movies, television etc.
Paired Reading: Two students read either out loud or silently together and discuss what they have read with each other.
Think-Alouds: Teachers or students verbalize their own
thoughts while reading orally. This
process helps clarify views of reading and use of strategies.
Wide Reading: Students
read books, magazines and newspapers
independently. Fifteen to forty-five minutes of sustained silent reading each
day is an effective use of instructional time.
Wide reading exposes students to more words, increases word recognition
and reading fluency, facilitates word learning and helps expand students'
knowledge base.
Word Consciousness: Word consciousness is a disposition toward words that is both cognitive and affective. The student who is word conscious is interested in words and gains enjoyment and satisfaction from using them well and from seeing or hearing them used well by others. Children who are word conscious know the importance of word learning and where they can learn new words.
Word Wall: Pat Cunningham describes word walls as one component of a four-part instructional strategy in reading. A word wall is a systematically organized collection of words displayed in large letters on a wall or other large display place in the classroom. It is a tool to use, not just a display.
Word walls are designed to promote group learning and be shared by a classroom of children. Word walls let students know that words are important, interesting and worth discovering and learning.
Word Map :A strategy that uses a visual organizer to develop depth and dimension of word knowledge. This can be used to handle new vocabulary as either a pre reading or post reading activity. Maps can be used in large or small groups, although it should be modeled a number of times before students use the maps without teacher direction.
Introduction Background Philosophy Research Project Summary of the Findings Results Additional Resources References Site Map