Scaffolded reading. Reading a text with the guidance or support of a teacher. The provision and gradual withdrawal of teaching support through modeling, questioning, feedback, and so forth for a student's learning growth across successive attempts, thus transferring more and more responsibility to the student.
Schema theory. An explanation or theory about how readers use their background knowledge of a text topic and their skills as a reader to interact with and make sense of or comprehend the information in the text.
Science of reading. A term that, in the broadest sense, refers to a corpus of peer-reviewed research on how we learn to read and develop as readers. The International Literacy Association defines SOR as a convergence of accumulated and evolving findings from research regarding reading processes and reading instruction (pedagogy) and how the two are implemented across contexts that interactively bridge cultural, social, biological, psychological, linguistic, and historical bases of learning.
Scope and sequence. Structure of a curriculum that includes the skills, strategies, content, and the order in which it will be taught.
Scripted instruction. Structured lessons that contain word-for-word scripts teachers are expected to use and time allocations teachers are expected to use to support implementation.
Second-language acquisition (vs. second-language learning). The process by which people learn a second language. Second-language acquisition is also the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process.
Self-regulation. The ability to stop oneself from acting impulsively during reading and writing by keeping disruptive thoughts and emotions in check.
Semantics. The study of meaning in language, as the analysis of the meanings of words, phrases, sentences, discourse, and whole texts. In semiotics, semantics can also denote the study of the relationships between signs and their objects.
Semiotic resources. All the means available to people useful for communicating with others. For students from diverse backgrounds, these include all their linguistic capabilities, such as dialect, languages other than English (LOTE), gesture, and use of objects and other materials as well as the context where communication takes place.
Sentence. A set of words that follows the rules of syntactic formation (inclusion of subject and predicate) that conveys a statement, question, exclamation, or command. (Note: A sentence is more easily identified in writing than in speech, yet most speakers of a language appear to know what a sentence is, even though grammarians and linguists continue to grapple with its definition.)
Sentence frames. Also known as language frames, these templates are temporary scaffolds used to support language and writing learning. Usually appearing in the form of a sentence with a few missing words, sentence frames enable students to produce complex sentences that include key vocabulary within a subject area or discipline, function words, and phrases that describe, compare, sequence, argue, show cause and effect, and so forth. Although appropriate for all students as they learn and expand their academic language, language templates are especially appropriate for English learners, reluctant writers, and students with disabilities as a way to support their producing language that would otherwise be difficult and frustrating for them at a given point in time. As students become more proficient producing academic language, scaffolds can be eliminated or expanded to paragraph length. The key is that they are temporary.
(Based on our reading, I believe that_____________. The advantages of_____________ seem to outweigh _________________ that could be possible consequence. In the first phase____________________, then____________, finally ____________.)
Sequence. In curriculum organization, sequence can be thought of as the arrangement or ordering of subject matter content for presentation and study over a selected period, as a unit, semester, year, and so forth. (Note: In its fullest sense, sequencing of content is not merely a linear arrangement but involves provision for revisiting key concepts and skills so that each successive encounter deepens students' understanding or proficiency.) Common approaches to sequencing are chronological, developmental, easy to difficult, part to whole, simple to complex, thematic, and whole to part. (adj. sequential). The word sequence can also refer to temporal ordering (as in a timeline) of information.
Shared reading. An early childhood instructional strategy in which the teacher involves a group of young children in the reading of text in order to help them learn aspects of beginning literacy, such as print conventions, print tracking, the concept of a word, and beginning reading strategies.
Sheltered English instruction. An instructional approach for English learners that integrates language and content learning through grade-level experiences designed to expand both content knowledge and language proficiency.
Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). SIOP is an instructional model for English learners. The model includes guidance for lesson preparation, building background, teaching strategies, using comprehensible input, participation structures, lesson delivery, and review and assessment. (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2000)
Sight vocabulary. Words that a person can recognize and read quickly and automatically without the support of decoding.
Signal words. Words or word phrases that alert a reader that a smooth transition from one idea to the next is occurring. These clue words often appear to indicate addition, emphasize, illustrate, compare or contrast, and identify that cause and effect is occurring (e.g., likewise, first, second, finally, to illustrate, in the same way as).
Silent period. A period of time during second-language acquisition when learners, usually children, do not attempt to speak but instead are more comfortable listening.
Silent reading. Reading without evident vocalization of the printed text.
Simple View of Reading (SVR). A theory of reading comprehension associated with Philip Gough and William Tunmer and is represented by the formula D × LC = R, which proposes that readers' comprehension of text depends on their capabilities to decode (D) and their oral language comprehension (LC). The theory indicates that if decoding and understanding of oral language are strong, readers will comprehend the text read. If either decoding or language understanding is weak, reading comprehension will be significantly reduced, and in some cases may not occur.
Situated learning. A matter of creating meaning from the real activities of daily living. This notion suggests that learning takes place through social relationships, within a cultural milieu, and by connecting prior knowledge to new contexts.
Sketchnoting. A generative process to document key concepts, ideas, and thoughts with digital tools or with paper and pencil.
Social context. Refers to the milieu or immediate physical and social setting in which people live or in which something happens or develops. It includes the culture that the individual was educated or lives in and the people and institutions with whom they interact.
Social-emotional learning. Noncognitive development including a wide range of affective or behavioral functions such as emotional regulation, prosocial behavior, positive character traits, or mind-sets. It is important in terms of literacy education because many of these abilities are correlated with learning and reading achievement.
Social justice. The way in which human rights are manifested in the everyday lives of people at every level of society. A number of movements are working to achieve social justice in society.
Speaking. The act of communicating through producing oral–aural language.
Spelling. The process of representing a language by means of a writing system.
Spoken language. Language used in speaking as distinct from writing. It can also imply a style of language that is written as if spoken, as in conversation or dialogue. (See also written language)
Standard English. One of a variety of forms of spoken and written English, which is characterized by formal grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and meaning. It is generally considered the language of the educated and is most privileged in schools.
Standards. The learning goals or what students should know or be able to do at each grade level. States have identified a set of competencies (as the Common Core State Standards) expected of students across the grade levels for literacy in fiction and informational reading as well as in writing, speaking, and listening.
Standards-based instruction. A system of instruction identifying a progression of learning goals and objectives for students to master as they progress through the grades. Curriculum, instruction, and assessments are aligned to these goals.
Stereotype threat (and literacy). The risk of confirming negative stereotypes about an individual's racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural group.
Story structure. The ways that stories or narratives are put together compose their structure. This grammar includes the introduction of the characters and setting, a problem or set of obstacles that the main character must confront, a series of attempts to resolve the problem, and a resolution.
Strategy. A systematic plan, consciously adopted, adapted, and monitored, to improve one's performance in learning.
Striving reader. A term sometimes used to describe students in grades 4–12 who may be struggling with reading.
Struggling readers. Readers who exhibit problems with decoding, comprehension, or both.
Subgenre. A subcategory within a particular genre is a subgenre. For example, subcategories in the genre of fiction would include historical fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, and science fiction.
Summarizing. Giving a brief statement of the main points in a text.
Summative assessment. The final evaluation, usually quantitative, of the degree to which the goals and objectives of a program have been attained. Different types of evidence, as the final test score of students and the statistical analysis of program results, may enter into summative evaluation. (cf. formative assessment)
Sustained silent reading. A designated time in the school day when readers engage in silent reading of self-selected material.
Syllable. A unit of speech, either a word or part of a word, containing a vowel or vowel sound. The word reading has two vowel sounds: the long e sound in read and the short i sound in -ing. Hence, it has two syllables.
Syntax. Syntax is the pattern or structure of word order in sentences, clauses, and phrases, or the rules for determining how a language will be used to formulate a thought. (adj. syntactic(al))
Synthesis. Mentally combining ideas to form a theory, system, or representation.
Synthetic phonics. An approach to phonics instruction that emphasizes teaching the sounds of letters or groups of letters in isolation and how to blend or synthesize these separate sounds into pronunciations of the words. R sounds like r-r-r in rat. A-a-a is the middle sound in rat. T-t-t is the final sound of t in rat.
Systematic instruction. Systematic instruction in reading is a plan of instruction (e.g., scope and sequence) that takes students through an explicit sequence of learning activities.