Root
the core element of the word and contains the basic meaning
Prefix
begins a word and changes the words meaning or makes a new
... [Show More] word
suffix
ends a word and can indicate if a word is a noun, verb, adjective or adverb can modify and extend meaning
context clues
using sentence structure and syntax to find meanings of difficult words
restatement
the meaning of a difficult word is clarified within a sentence
In the following sentence, which context clue could the reader use to understand the word Proterozoic?
It was cold in the Proterozoic Age; why do you think they called it the Ice Age?
Restatement
adage
A pithy phrase or saying people adopt over time because they believe it holds some validity or truth."You can't judge a book by its cover."
Connotative Words
Connotative refers to the implied meanings words have and are oftentimes dependent on to be correctly understood.
Denotative Words
Denotative refers to words that are specific in meaning and lack connotative overtones, such as the names of objects.
Idiom
A colorful word or expression used to convey an idea in an alternate way, idioms are figures of speech, colloquial terms whose meaning is not literal and doesn't follow the definition of the words of which it is composed. "I've got a bone to pick with you."
Figurative Language
Figurative language refers to an author's use of a word or phrase in a way that is not intended to be interpreted literally."My dog, Rainbow, likes to fetch."
Metaphor
Metaphors are a type of figurative language. When an author compares two things by using one kind of object in place of another to suggest the likeness between the two, it is a metaphor."My dog, Rainbow, has a cast-iron stomach."
Simile
Similes are a type of figurative language often confused with metaphors. When an author uses "like" or "as" in a comparison, it is a simile."My dog, Rainbow, is as pretty as the morning sun."
In the following sentence, which word is connotative?
It was a bittersweet moment. I was leaving home, starting a new life, and leaving childhood behind.
Bittersweet
He was my best friend, good as gold.
simile
Synonym
Words that have the same or similar meanings. movie/film
Antonym
Words that have opposite meanings fat/thin
Homophone
Words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different definitions. There was a heavy rain the day King Henry VIII began his reign.
Homonym
Words that sound alike but have different definitions. They are sometimes, but not always spelled differently. It was too bad that only two of us could make it to the party.
Homograph
Words that are spelled the same, but have different meanings and often different pronunciations. The tear in his new shirt brought a tear to my eye.
Analogies
statements that pair words or concepts to highlight similarities in patterns or meaning
Comprehension strategies
restatement, comparison, contrast, and cause and effect
Active reading strategies
context clues provided by sentence structure, word relationships, and syntax.
Identifying cause and effect
helps readers process sequencing and develop their ability to infer meaning
Types of Informational texts
newspapers and magazines, to blogs and biographies, to road signs and receipts
access
Early exposure to a wide variety of texts not only hones vocabulary and language skills but also gives students an opportunity to choose their own material and develop personal preferences.
expository text
writing in which an author explains a thought or idea.
skimming
allows reader to identify main ideas when they have a lot of text to cover and a short time to do it.
scanning
technique to identify key words or ideas
"I was born in a log cabin. I came to my pioneer mother in one of Wisconsin's bitterest winters. Twenty-one years later I was sailing for England, the wife of a diplomat who was one of Boston's wealthy and aristocratic sons."
What do we know about the person telling the story?
She was born in Wisconsin and is the daughter of a pioneer
"The first thing I remember is being grateful for windows. I was three years old. My mother had set me to play on a mattress carefully placed in the one ray of sunlight streaming through the one glass window of our log cabin. Baby as I was, I had ached in the agonizing cold of a pioneer winter. Lying there, warmed by that blessed sunshine, I was suddenly aware of wonder and joy and gratitude. It was gratitude for glass, which could keep out the biting cold and let in the warm sun."
Why is the author telling us this story?
To share her experience growing up in a log cabin
Informational texts
incorporate visual elements we don't always encounter in narrative text. Graphics, such as diagrams, charts, illustrations, and graphs support facts and ideas with important details that students must learn to identify and reference during reading if they are to understand the whole of the information provided [Show Less]