Glossary

after-reading strategies - promote deeper comprehension of a reading. Strategies include asking questions about the story and the sequence of events (Why do you think the grouchy ladybug kept saying 'Oh you're not big enough'?), having children retell the story in their own words, and providing follow-up activities (discussions, writing, and crafts).

alternate reading - is a solo reading technique. The reading partner and the child take turns reading aloud.

beginning readers - rely on print more than illustrations to create meaning. They read a range of early-reader series, and are able to retell the beginning, middle and end of stories. They are able to understand basic punctuation, and apply strategies such as sentence structure, meaning, and phonics to figure out new words.

bridging readers - strengthen their skills by reading longer books with little repetition of vocabulary. They independently read medium-level chapter books (Charlotte's Web, James and the Giant Peach) as well as other non-fiction materials (Eyewitness or Explorer books). They have an increased knowledge of literary elements and genres, understand the importance of setting and plot in a story, and can compare and contrast books.

choral reading - is a paired reading technique. The reading partner and a group of children read aloud together. The partner's voice provides guidance to the children as needed.

context clues - are information found in the immediate textual setting (words, phrases, sentences, illustrations, syntax, etc.) that help to identify a word or word group.

developing readers - can read predictable books (The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Brown Bear Brown Bear ) and participate in book discussions, using personal experience to make connections to literature. They know familiar words, such as labels, and names of classmates. They can identify letters by name, know letter sounds, and begin to use spaces between words in writing, but not consistently.

during-reading strategies - help to maintain understanding and interest in the story. Strategies include: asking questions about comprehension (concepts and vocabulary), elaborating on the story or story elements, making predictions about what will happen next, interpreting the meaning of events or actions, discussing illustrations, and recapping the story so far.

echo reading - is a solo reading technique. The reading partner reads part of the text, then the child reads the same part.

emergent readers - display curiosity about books and reading. They are usually reliant on the pictures to tell the story, but are beginning to focus on print. They know some letters and their sounds, and can write some letters.

English as a second language (ESL) - the field of study of the acquisition of English as an additional language; includes courses, classes, and/or programs.

English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) - learners who are identified as still in the process of acquiring English as a second language; they may not speak English at all or, at least, do not speak, understand, and write English with the same facility as their classmates because they did not grow up speaking English.

expanding readers - read predictable favorites while also stretching into a variety of new materials, such as chapter books and non-fiction. They participate in guided literary discussions and are able to retell major story elements such as characters, setting, problems, and events. They use a variety of decoding strategies to read independently.

fable - a short tale in prose or verse that teaches a moral.

fiction - is an imaginative narrative in any form of presentation that is designed to entertain, rather than explain, argue, or merely describe; specifically a type of literature, especially prose, novels, short stories, plays, and narrative poetry.

folk tale - a narrative form, such as an epic, legend, myth, fable etc., that is or has been retold within a culture for generations and is well known through storytelling.

fluent readers - can deal with more complex issues and topics, analyze and debate the relationships among literary elements. They may read pre-adolescent literature such as Stuart Little, or My Side of the Mountain, and other materials. Fluent readers participate in teacher-guided or student-led literary discussions.

genre - a category used to classify literary works, usually by form, technique or, content. Classic literary genres are tragedy, comedy, epics, lyric, and pastoral. Children quickly learn to identify such genres as fairy tales, and mysteries.

independent readers - select and understand materials of a sophisticated and complex nature, such as The Giver, Watership Down, and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. They evaluate, interpret, question, and analyze literary elements in depth.

language experience approach (LEA) - is an approach to language learning in which children tell a story, the reading partner writes it on paper, and the story is then used as materials of instruction for reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

mystery - a narrative in which the chief element is usually a crime around which the plot is built.

myth - an anonymous story designed to explain the mysteries of life, generally with larger than life awe-inspiring characters.

nonfiction - is prose designed primarily to explain, argue, or describe rather than entertain. For the most part its emphasis is factual.

nursery rhymes - are folk verse for very young children such as, Hey diddle, diddle!/ The cat and the fiddle,/The cow jumped over the moon...

phonics - is a way of teaching reading and spelling that stresses symbol-sound relationships.

picture book - a book in which the illustrations are as important as the text, both contributing to the telling of the story.

preconventional readers - display curiosity about books and reading. They can hold the book and turn the pages as well as show the start and end of the book. They listen and respond to stories and can chose their favorites. These readers know some letters in their names. They are aware of environmental print such as favorite restaurant signs, traffic signs, and cereal boxes.

pre-reading strategies - introduce children to the book before reading. Strategies include: referring to other books by the same author that the children have read, asking children to determine from the cover what the story may be about, providing information about the setting, characters, or story, and setting a purpose for reading and listening by asking a question whose answer may be found in the story.

predictable books - are books in which the language is simple and repetitive, and there is a close relationship between text and illustration.

proficient readers - are avid readers. They independently select challenging and complex pre-adolescent literature (Monkey Island, and Maniac Magee.), and move between genres with ease. They can become deeply involved in complex literary discussions.

science fiction - is imaginary writing based on current or projected scientific technological developments (The Animorphs series or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea).

sight words - are words that are immediately recognizable as whole words and do not require word analysis for recognition.

word analysis - strategies to figure out unknown words using word parts, phonics, and syllabication.

America Reads at Penn State

Contact Priscilla Carman (814-865-1049 or e-mail psc3@psu.edu)