Sunday, August 30, 2015

5 Secrets to Solve Any Problem in your Classroom

5 Secrets to Solve Any Problem in your Classroom and School


Problems arise in schools when parents, students, staff or policy decisions compromise the student's ability to thrive socially, emotionally and academically. High-stakes test and punish, bureaucratic top-down solutions, motivating students through fear and embarrassment, endless school reforms, school austerity and 30 years of devastating attacks on poor public schools. The teaching profession has created endless problems that seem unsolvable. The teaching profession has endless problems that must be dealt with every minute of the day, some may seem unsolvable, immovable or out of our control. Teachers that appease, compromise or blame others to avoid conflict will not find harmony and job fulfillment or real student success. 

What methods do you and your colleagues use for classroom and school success? Sean Taylor

“There is a way to solve the toughest problems we face, even those that look unsolvable. There is a path that cuts through nearly all life’s dilemmas and deep divisions. There is a way forward. It’s not your way, and it’s not my way. It’s a higher way. It’s a better way than any of us have thought of before. I call it the 3rd-Alternative” (Stephen Covey).

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. Albert Einstein

If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges. Pat Riley

My message, especially to young people is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. These are great qualities that they must work towards. This is my message to the young people. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam


1. Teacher Leadership and Teacher Training

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially

when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership. Nelson Mandela

Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish. Sam Walton

No matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto.
W. Clement Stone

2. Classroom Management and Classroom Organization 

The bottom line is, when people are crystal clear about the most important priorities of the organization and team they work with and prioritized their work around those top priorities, not only are they many times more productive, they discover they have the time they need to have a whole life. Stephen Covey

First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination. Napoleon Hill

3. Motivation and Selling your Ideas

Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek. Mario Andretti

Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. Dwight D. Eisenhower

4. School Operations and Logistics

As someone who flew two space capsules and twice landed in the ocean, I can attest from personal experience how much logistics work is needed to get you home. Buzz Aldrin

The two operations of our understanding, intuition and deduction, on which alone we have said we must rely in the acquisition of knowledge. Rene Descartes

The intellectually sophisticated person is indifferent to all genuine individuality, because relationships and reactions result from it which cannot be exhausted with logical operations. Georg Simmel.

5. Flexibility, Collaboration and a Growth Mindset Built IN!

As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life. Amy Poehler

If people work together in an open way with porous boundaries - that is, if they listen to each other and really talk to each other - then they are bound to trade ideas that are mutual to each other and be influenced by each other. That mutual influence and open system of working creates collaboration. Richard Thomas.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

4th Grade NC EOG Reading Test | Reading Released Practice Test

NORTH CAROLINA EOG READING COMPREHENSION TESTS GRADES 3–8 2015-2016

North Carolina CCSS ELA 4th Grade Practice EOG Reading Test and Reading Test Vocabulary | Printable PDF EOG Grade 4 Reading Test

NC 4th GRADE EOG Reading test prep starts with Tier 2 and 3 Academic reading test vocabulary word-work! Students that lack a deep understanding of Academic Reading Vocabulary will struggle passing end of grade standardized reading test. This can be exacerbating to student, teachers and parents. Success on all NC EOG Test relies on studying over time critical academic vocabulary that is embedded in rich text based reading lessons. Academic reading vocabulary is king when you want your students to succeed on today's rigorous reading assessments.

Tier 1 Academic Vocabulary: Basic words that commonly appear in spoken language. Because they are heard frequently in numerous contexts and with nonverbal communication, Tier 1 words rarely require explicit instruction.Examples of Tier 1 words are clock, baby, happy and walk.

Tier 2 Academic Vocabulary: Less high frequency words used by mature language users across several academic content areas. Because of their lack of redundancy in oral language and their multiple meaning or descriptive nature, Tier 2 words present challenges to students who primarily meet them in print and on test. Examples of Tier 2 words are obvious, complex, establish and verify. Blooms and Webb's DOK verbs are integral to any successful reading instruction or intervention.  http://www.opsu.edu/www/education/BuildAcademicVoc.pdf

Tier 3 Academic Vocabulary: Low Frequency words that are not frequently used except in specific academic content areas or domains. Tier 3 words are central to building backgrounds knowledge and conceptual understanding within the various academic domains and should be integral to instruction of content. Medical, legal, biology and mathematics terms are all examples of these words.

Links to PDF Academic Word List 
The Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Project
NWEA MAP Test VOCABULARY for the Web-based MAP® system
Oklahoma Academic Vocabulary Suggested Words and Terms Marzano based list
The Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Project Prepared for the State of Tennessee Department of Education by Marzano & Associates

NWEA Academic Vocabulary
http://www.hasd.org/cms_files/resources/MAPs%20Vocabulary.pdf
NWEA Academic Vocabulary
NWEA Reading Test Questions
CST and CAHSEE Academic Vocabulary
Academic Vocabulary At a Glance – New Vocabulary Words by RIT Bands for Reading
ISAT Reading Vocabulary List (Word) doc

ISAT Language Usage Vocabulary List (Word)
ISAT Math Vocabulary List (Word)

NC READING EOG WORD WALL WORDS 
End-of-Grade -.EOG READING COMPREHENSION TESTS
Grade 3
Fiction (pdf, 457kb)
Fiction (pdf, 121kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 438kb)
Poetry (pdf, 439kb)
Content (pdf, 443kb)
Content (pdf, 463kb)
Consumer (pdf, 489kb)
Grade 4
Fiction (pdf, 464kb)
Fiction (pdf, 430kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 443kb)
Poetry (pdf, 439kb)
Content (pdf, 525kb)
Content (pdf, 447kb)
Consumer (pdf, 457kb)
Grade 5
Fiction (pdf, 432kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 497kb)
Poetry (pdf, 443kb)
Content (pdf, 604kb)
Content(pdf, 649kb)
Consumer (pdf, 458kb)
Grade 6
Fiction (pdf, 495kb)
Fiction (pdf, 455kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 448kb)
Poetry (pdf, 460kb)
Content (pdf, 528kb)
Content (pdf, 453kb)
Consumer (pdf, 444kb)
Grade 7
Fiction (pdf, 446kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 449kb)
Poetry (pdf, 432kb)
Poetry ( pdf, 441kb)
Content (pdf, 444kb)
Content (pdf, 548kb)
Consumer (pdf, 458kb)
Grade 8
Fiction (pdf, 482kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 461kb)
Poetry (pdf, 480kb)
Content (pdf, 451kb)
Consumer (pdf, 484kb)

Little Angel Teaches us Grace!

This amazing girl can teach us all about grace and perseverance. She has a can-do attitude that is inspiring. She shares her beautiful smile and gives us an inspiring role-model to emulate. 

Please share with your students! 

Friday, August 28, 2015

Reading Harry Potter Raises Standardized Test Scores!

A Tale of a Title I Classroom: The correlation between High Standardized Test scores and reading Harry Potter with Title I students. 

Growing students that love to read and thrive academically is the goal of every classroom teacher. Reading Harry Potter with a group of 34 Title I, 4th graders may not make senses to many teachers in our COMMON Core era. The test and punish mentality has many teachers struggling with meeting the more rigorous reading demands. My theses is "Reading Harry Potter with students is how and why my students have a 95% proficient or highly proficient passing rate!

Reading Harry Potter in 4th grade is not new. Reading Harry Potter, with 34 fourth graders, and asking them to participate in the collaborative readings as advanced, gifted and talented readers is not the norm. I treat all my students as gifted and talented, ready to rise to the high expectations of advanced literature! The secret is turning the struggles with unknown words, phrases, ideas, themes into real questions based on curiosity. The risks vs. rewards of reading advanced literature is turned into a rewarding environment where students learn problem solving, critical thinking and academic curiosity. Students gain the knowledge that they are truly adroit, and the ability to thrive in school with real success is in their hands. 

"J. K. Rowling 2010" by Daniel Ogren. 
Reading great literature is the air we breathe deep in our minds, hearts and souls at school, Harry Potter is the sweet swirling wind that sweeps over our class and stirs our curious spirits and makes us better learners. 

My students come to school with the burdens of poverty, no or low expectations of real academic success, and living in conditions that would make most adults withdraw and shutdown. Many of my students have learned resiliency and coping skills yet they struggle to thrive academically. 

You may ask how does reading Harry Potter and student success equate? The past 12 years my Title I students have read Harry Potter with me as the keystone of our literacy program. I use the word keystone when describing Harry Potter because it opens the doors to a million teachable moments. Harry Potter is a formative lesson on resiliency, friendship, cooperation, sacrifice, and hundreds of ideas and themes that transform students lives. 

"In all 12 years of NWEA MAP test data comparisons involving standardized test scores in reading school-wide, state-wide and nation-wide norms, the Title I students reading Harry Potter as a primary reading source outperformed significantly the children reading from traditional or basal reading programs. It can not be concluded that the Reading of Harry Potter was the only factor of success but was highly effective in raising the performance of these elementary students in Mr, Taylor's Reading class."

Why Every Teacher Should Read Harry Potter with their Class! 
  • The writing structure and style is exemplary
  • Exposure to all literary elements 
  • In si·tu Latin and Greek Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes 
  • Rigorous and challenging prose with expansive vocabulary
  • Complex plots that include (peripeteia) “reversal of intention, a reversal of circumstances, or turning point” and (anagnorisis) "a change from ignorance to knowledge, producing love or hate between the persons destined for good or bad fortune"
  • Building social and emotional intelligence with 100s of teachable themes
  • Characters that are compelling to all children 
  • Laugh out-loud humor and dialog great for readers theater
  • Compelling topics for Socratic seminars 
  • Peer pressure, prejudice, exclusion, bullying and the unspoken truth about schools brought home
I use great literature like Harry Potter as the cornerstone and keystone of my literacy program to build a love of reading also to teach the ins and outs of literary elements in a kid friendly way. WHY Harry Potter! Students that need to make the greatest gains in reading have a limited reading vocabulary, and they are under exposed to quality literature like Harry Potter. Using Harry Potter for core literacy planning and book clubs gives my students access to challenging books, but also the great movie clips and inspirational theme music that can assist with lessons. The HP characters have a special appeal for kids that face daily adversity if taught in an enriching way. In short Harry Potter helps to make reading fun! I tell my kids, “If the don't like reading Harry Potter, you are doing it wrong.”

Students always have a stronger auditory or spoken vocabulary due in part to exposure to Tv and Movies. Using the student's strengths to build connections to literary elements, in a format kids love, watching movies clips and listening to music makes building background knowledge fast, easy and fun for students. Using auditory knowledge to develop areas of vocabulary weakness is one method that helps my students become fluent, excited, erudite readers. Students will quickly transition from the cinematic elements to the literary elements using Harry Potter.

Students will understand settings, characters, plot, theme, mood, antagonist, and protagonist faster when you have a movie clip, or theme music to tie in or build background knowledge and understanding of literary elements.


HARRY POTTER: GOBSMACKED Game!

Have your students stand up, or sit on their desk so they are facing the teacher. Start at either end of room and give a random Harry Potter trivia question to a student (Reading Comprehension question). If they answer correctly they stay standing until all students have a chance to answer a question. The game can be played as a lightning round with just one quick round or many rounds until you have two kids standing for a few Harry Potter HOT (Higher Order Thinking) questions. When students cannot give an answer to a question they have to say "GOBSMACKED" (Brit slang for dumbfounded) and must sit down. Students that answer correctly get a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean if you are playing the lighting round, if playing for a Gobsmacked champion the game continues until you have a winner. The student that wins usually gets Harry Potter popcorn. Extensions: Students can ask for a challenge question that relates to a literary element, HOT questions, or a Tier 3 academic word that relates to HP, and every child that answers a hard vocabulary question correctly gets a nice small sample of jelly beans or pretzels, stamp, or a sticker. Anytime students' answers any question correctly all students including those that are out have to buddy buzz with a partner the question and the answer. Students love this activity and it's a great review (Formative Test) of Harry Potter, and a great opportunity to teach complex literary concepts. We start with a mix of easy and hard questions to get the kids excited and motivated to keep the Harry Potter reading fresh and exciting. I ask my students if they want a hard, medium or easy question to give every child a real chance at answering correctly! Background information: We read all Harry Potter chapters twice before we jumping into games like Gobsmacked.


HARRY POTTER: Latin Spells

We explore all of the Harry Potter books for magic spells, potions, charms, and incantations to teach and introduce prefixes, suffixes and Latin root words. Students use a basic Latin glossary or collegiate dictionary to decode the spells from Harry Potter and make their own.

A sample of my students invented spells using Latin Roots
*Comphotoposhous: It blinds your opponent for 10 minutes.
*Donamorbrev: To make someone fall in love for a short time.
*Liverphill: It gives a person forever love.
*Creadecadem: To create 10 clones of yourself.
*Cosmdokeineiv: To teach people to be wise.
*Viviodeca: It makes people live for 10 more years.
*Chronacide: It kills very slowly.
*Creacosmatic: You can make your own world.
*Filaendo: Gives someone faith-belief.
*Dynamgen: It makes you more powerful.
*Anthropamor: Makes you fall in love with the first person you see.
*Domindynam: Gives power over all you command.
*Pathymor: Suffer death instantly.
*Zodynam: A spell that can give animal power.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Grade 3 NC EOG Reading Test | Reading Released Practice Test

NORTH CAROLINA EOG READING COMPREHENSION TESTS GRADES 3–8 2015-2016

NC CCSS ELA Grade 3 Practice EOG Reading Test and Reading Test Vocabulary | Printable PDF EOG Grade 3 Reading Test

NC GRADE 3 EOG Reading test prep starts with Tier 2 and 3 Academic reading test vocabulary word-work! Students that lack a deep understanding of Academic Reading Vocabulary will struggle passing end of grade standardized reading test. This can be exacerbating to student, teachers and parents. Success on all NC EOG Test relies on studying over time critical academic vocabulary that is embedded in rich text based reading lessons. Academic reading vocabulary is king when you want your students to succeed on today's rigorous reading assessments.

Tier 1 Academic Vocabulary: Basic words that commonly appear in spoken language. Because they are heard frequently in numerous contexts and with nonverbal communication, Tier 1 words rarely require explicit instruction.Examples of Tier 1 words are clock, baby, happy and walk.

Tier 2 Academic Vocabulary: Less high frequency words used by mature language users across several academic content areas. Because of their lack of redundancy in oral language and their multiple meaning or descriptive nature, Tier 2 words present challenges to students who primarily meet them in print and on test. Examples of Tier 2 words are obvious, complex, establish and verify. Blooms and Webb's DOK verbs are integral to any successful reading instruction or intervention.
http://www.opsu.edu/www/education/BuildAcademicVoc.pdf
Tier 3 Academic Vocabulary: Low Frequency words that are not frequently used except in specific academic content areas or domains. Tier 3 words are central to building backgrounds knowledge and conceptual understanding within the various academic domains and should be integral to instruction of content. Medical, legal, biology and mathematics terms are all examples of these words.

Links to PDF Academic Word List 
The Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Project
NWEA MAP Test VOCABULARY for the Web-based MAP® system
Oklahoma Academic Vocabulary Suggested Words and Terms Marzano based list
The Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Project Prepared for the State of Tennessee Department of Education by Marzano & Associates

NWEA Academic Vocabulary
http://www.hasd.org/cms_files/resources/MAPs%20Vocabulary.pdf
NWEA Academic Vocabulary
NWEA Reading Test Questions
CST and CAHSEE Academic Vocabulary
Academic Vocabulary At a Glance – New Vocabulary Words by RIT Bands for Reading
ISAT Reading Vocabulary List (Word) doc

ISAT Language Usage Vocabulary List (Word)
ISAT Math Vocabulary List (Word)

NC READING EOG WORD WALL WORDS 
End-of-Grade -.EOG READING COMPREHENSION TESTS
Grade 3
Fiction (pdf, 457kb)
Fiction (pdf, 121kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 438kb)
Poetry (pdf, 439kb)
Content (pdf, 443kb)
Content (pdf, 463kb)
Consumer (pdf, 489kb)
Grade 4
Fiction (pdf, 464kb)
Fiction (pdf, 430kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 443kb)
Poetry (pdf, 439kb)
Content (pdf, 525kb)
Content (pdf, 447kb)
Consumer (pdf, 457kb)
Grade 5
Fiction (pdf, 432kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 497kb)
Poetry (pdf, 443kb)
Content (pdf, 604kb)
Content(pdf, 649kb)
Consumer (pdf, 458kb)
Grade 6
Fiction (pdf, 495kb)
Fiction (pdf, 455kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 448kb)
Poetry (pdf, 460kb)
Content (pdf, 528kb)
Content (pdf, 453kb)
Consumer (pdf, 444kb)
Grade 7
Fiction (pdf, 446kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 449kb)
Poetry (pdf, 432kb)
Poetry ( pdf, 441kb)
Content (pdf, 444kb)
Content (pdf, 548kb)
Consumer (pdf, 458kb)
Grade 8
Fiction (pdf, 482kb)
Nonfiction (pdf, 461kb)
Poetry (pdf, 480kb)
Content (pdf, 451kb)
Consumer (pdf, 484kb)

Saturday, August 22, 2015

4th Grade Science Test | EOG Science Test Grade 4

Grade 4 Practice Science Test | Printable PDF EOG Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test

GRADE 4 SCIENCE TEST PREPARATION starts with Tier 2 and 3 Academic Science vocabulary word-work! Students that lack a deep understanding of Academic Science Vocabulary will struggle passing standardized science test. This can be exacerbating to student, teachers and parents. Success on all Science Test relies on studying over time critical academic vocabulary that is embedded in hands on science projects. Academic vocabulary is king when you want your students to succeed on today's rigorous science assessments.

4th Grade Science Test Vocabulary Words | 128 Science Test Vocabulary Flash Cards


CRCT Science Test Study Guide Science 

ISAT 2014 Science Sample Book - Grade 4 - Illinois State ...
ISAT science testing in spring will consist of 82 criterion-referenced items ... responsibility of a 4th grade teacher or a 7th grade teacher to teach all of the ...

grade 4 science — released form - Public Schools of North ...
Grade 4 Science—Form A. Released Form. RELEASED ..... D. They help people get energy. This is the end of the multiple-choice portion of the test. RELEASED ...

Grade 4 Sample Questions - State of New Jersey
New JerseyPages 3-37 provide the grade 4 samples of test questions. and Knowledge ... Directions: In this section of the Science test, choose the correct answer for each.

FOURTH GRADE PRACTICE TESTS - Henry County Schools
Henry County School DistrictJump to Science - Science Test # 1 Fourth Grade Science Test.pdf.

Sample Test - Science - TUSD Stats
AIMS Science. Sample Test. Grade 4. Arizona Department of Education ... The item sets, test items, and scoring guides in this publication are representative only ...

Science Grade 4 - National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics2015. GRADE 4. MATHEMATICS READING SCIENCE. Sample Questions .... In the coming year, fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders will participate in NAEP ... subject. The test booklet contains 50 minutes of test questions and brief contextual.2015

4th grade science macmillan mcgraw vocabulary test
Dec 11, 2014 - We provide you 4th Grade Science Macmillan Mcgraw Vocabulary Testin PDF format so you can read and download its to your computer ...

Science - Volusia County Schools
Grade 4 Science Curriculum Map .... Fourth Grade focuses instructional delivery forscience within the following twelve (12) Big Ideas/Standards: ... 04 Volusia Science Test 1 (2015-2016) ... from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of .... refinement, and vocabulary acquisition.

4th grade staar vocabulary science - Manual Network
Nov 9, 2014 - We provide you 4th Grade Staar Vocabulary Science in PDF format so you can .... Read or Download 7th grade staar test vocabulary Online
.


Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (1.01 MB)
Rating Guide (397 KB)
Scoring Key
Conversion Chart
2014 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (813 KB)
Rating Guide (244 KB)
Scoring Key
Conversion Chart
2013 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (648 KB)
Rating Guide (310 KB)
Scoring Key
Conversion Chart
2012 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (649 KB)
Rating Guide (268 KB)
Scoring Key
Conversion Chart
2011 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (313 KB)
Scoring Key (32 KB)
Rating Guide (875 KB)
Conversion Chart (69 KB)
Notice to Teachers - Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Performance Test Form A, Spanish Edition Only (12 KB)
2010 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (1.1 MB)
Scoring Key (32 KB)
Rating Guide* (875 KB)
Conversion Chart (69 KB)
Notice to Teachers - Spanish Edition Only (12 KB)
2009 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (870 KB)
Scoring Key (32 KB)
Rating Guide* (102 KB)
Conversion Chart (720 KB)
2008 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (245 KB)
Scoring Key (1.66 MB)
Rating Guide* (363 KB)
Conversion Chart (444 KB)
2007 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (522 KB)
Scoring Key (27 KB)
Rating Guide* (920 KB)
Conversion Chart (180 KB)
2006 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (180 KB)
Scoring Key (29 KB)
Rating Guide* (213 KB)
Conversion Chart (78 KB)
2005 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (513 KB)
Scoring Key (24 KB)
Rating Guide* (261 KB)
Conversion Chart (77 KB)
2004 Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test
Test (192 KB)
Scoring Key (26 KB)
Rating Guide* (647 KB)

Saturday, August 15, 2015

9th Grade FSA Practice Tests Reading, Writing and Math

9th Grade FSA Printable PDF Practice Reading, Writing and Math Test | Florida Standards Assessments Test Prep

Grade 9 FSA Practice Test 2015-2016 | 9th Grade FSA: Florida Standards Assessments Practice Test Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8. 10 and 11: Reading, Math, Writing, English Language Arts (ELA) and Listening
with 9th Grade FSA ANSWER KEYS

FSA TEST PREPARATION starts with Tier 2 and 3 Academic vocabulary word-work! Students that lack understanding of Academic Vocabulary can be deadly to student success on all FSA academic assessments. Academic vocabulary is king when you want your students to succeed on today's rigorous assessments.
The FSA Test (Florida Standards Assessments) is a series of standardized achievement tests used in Florida designed to assess Grade 3-12  student achievement in reading, language arts, mathematics, writing, listening.

FSA TEST PREPARATION starts with Tier 2 and 3 Academic vocabulary word-work! Student that lack understanding of Academic Vocabulary can be deadly to student success on all academic assessments. Academic vocabulary is king when you want your students to succeed on today's rigorous assessments.

cademic Vocabulary Words

CCSS: Tier 2 and Tier 3 Academic Vocabulary

Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts


Academic vocabulary words are key vocabulary that students must master to understand academic content. Two list predominate (Coxhead 2000/ Marzano 2004) most academic vocabulary list find their origins in one or both. Teachers needing to raise test scores in a content area will find academic word list indispensable. Teachers can select published academic vocabulary list or create their own by doing a word analysis of released state test of published literature. Most states have adopted or will adopt The Common Core State Standards which will simplify the choice of academic vocabulary. Today some states are vague and leave the choice to teachers and schools, so finding the best list to meet the needs of your students is tricky. The links below are a few that seem to have value. I personally use the NWEA Academic Word list daily for reading, science and math vocabulary, and a lesser extent the Tennessee Academic Word List as a supplement. I have also created a academic word list of my own using a crude word analysis of the TAKS released test. 

Common Core PARCC Reading Test Passages with EBSR 2 Part DOK Level 2 and 3 Test Questions!

Grade 11 ELA - Conventions - Sample Student Responses
Grade 11 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Item Set
Grade 11 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 11 ELA - Literary Text Set - Item Set
Grade 11 ELA - M/L Informational Text Set - Item Set
Grade 11 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Item Set
Grade 11 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 11 ELA - Paired Text Set - Item Set
Grade 11 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Item Set
Grade 11 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 11 ELA - S/M Informational Text Set - Item Set

Grade 10 ELA - Conventions - Sample Student Responses
Grade 10 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Item Set
Grade 10 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 10 ELA - Literary Text Set - Item Set
Grade 10 ELA - M/L Informational Text Set - Item Set
Grade 10 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Item Set
Grade 10 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 10 ELA - Paired Text Set - Item Set
Grade 10 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Item Set
Grade 10 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 10 ELA - S/M Informational Text Set - Item Set

Grade 9 ELA - Conventions - Sample Student Responses
Grade 9 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Item Set
Grade 9 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 9 ELA - Literary Text Set - Item Set
Grade 9 ELA - M/L Informational Text Set - Item Set
Grade 9 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Item Set
Grade 9 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 9 ELA - Paired Text Set - Item Set
Grade 9 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Item Set
Grade 9 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 9 ELA - S/M Informational Text Set - Item Set

Grade 8 ELA - Conventions - Sample Student Responses
Grade 8 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Item Set
Grade 8 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 8 ELA - Literary Text Set - Item Set
Grade 8 ELA - M/L Informational Text Set - Item Set
Grade 8 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Item Set
Grade 8 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 8 ELA - Paired Text Set - Item Set
Grade 8 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Item Set
Grade 8 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 8 ELA - S/M Informational Text Set - Item Set

Grade 7 Released Test Item Guide Arts/Literacy Released Test Items:
Grade 7 ELA - Conventions - Sample Student Responses
Grade 7 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Item Set
Grade 7 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 7 ELA - Literary Text Set - Item Set
Grade 7 ELA - M/L Informational Set - Item Set
Grade 7 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Item Set
Grade 7 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 7 ELA - Paired Text Set - Item Set
Grade 7 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Item Set
Grade 7 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 7 ELA - S/M Informational Text Set - Item Set

Grade 6 ELA - Conventions - Sample Student Responses
Grade 6 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Item Set
Grade 6 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 6 ELA - Literary Text Set - Item Set
Grade 6 ELA - M/L Informational Text Set - Item Set
Grade 6 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Item Set
Grade 6 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 6 ELA - Paired Text Set - Item Set
Grade 6 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Item Set
Grade 6 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 6 ELA - S/M Informational Text Set - Item Set

Grade 5 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Item Set
Grade 5 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 5 ELA - M/L Informational Text Set - Item Set
Grade 5 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Item Set
Grade 5 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 5 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Item Set
Grade 5 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 5 ELA - S/M Literary Text Set - Item Set

Grade 3 ELA - Conventions - Sample Student Responses
Grade 3 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Item Set
Grade 3 ELA - Literary Analysis Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 3 ELA - M/L Informational Text Set - Item Set
Grade 3 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Item Set
Grade 3 ELA - Narrative Writing Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 3 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Item Set
Grade 3 ELA - Research Simulation Task - Sample Student Responses
Grade 3 ELA - S/M Literary Text Set - Item Set

The first step in passing any High Stakes Reading or Math test is understanding the types of vocabulary. Tier 3 and Tier 2 vocabulary are the hardest to learn and remember, these words give students the most problems on test!

Tier 1 Academic Vocabulary: Basic words that commonly appear in spoken language. Because they are heard frequently in numerous contexts and with nonverbal communication, Tier 1 words rarely require explicit instruction.Examples of Tier 1 words are clock, baby, happy and walk.

Tier 2 Academic Vocabulary: Less high frequency words used by mature language users across several academic content areas. Because of their lack of redundancy in oral language and their multiple meaning or descriptive nature, Tier 2 words present challenges to students who primarily meet them in print and on test. Examples of Tier 2 words are obvious, complex, establish and verify. Blooms and Webb's DOK verbs are integral to any successful reading instruction or intervention.
http://www.opsu.edu/www/education/BuildAcademicVoc.pdf
Tier 3 Academic Vocabulary: Low Frequency words that are not frequently used except in specific academic content areas or domains. Tier 3 words are central to building backgrounds knowledge and conceptual understanding within the various academic domains and should be integral to instruction of content. Medical, legal, biology and mathematics terms are all examples of these words.

Links to PDF Academic Word List                                                                                                     The Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Project
NWEA MAP Test VOCABULARY for the Web-based MAP® system
Oklahoma Academic Vocabulary Suggested Words and Terms  Marzano based list
The Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Project Prepared for the State of Tennessee Department of Education by Marzano & Associates

Tier 3 Academic Math Vocabulary from Granite Schools Utah
Kindergarten
Kindergarten CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards Kindergarten
1st Grade
1st Grade CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards 1st Grade A-L
Vocabulary Cards 1st Grade M-Z
2nd Grade
2nd Grade CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards 2nd Grade A-L
Vocabulary Cards 2nd Grade M-Z
3rd Grade
3rd Grade CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards 3rd Grade A-L
Vocabulary Cards 3rd Grade M-Z
4th Grade
4th Grade CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards 4th Grade A-L
Vocabulary Cards 4th Grade M-Z
5th Grade
5th Grade CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards 5th Grade A-L
Vocabulary Cards 5th Grade M-Z
6th Grade
6th Grade CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards 6th Grade A-L
Vocabulary Cards 6th Grade M-Z
7th Grade
7th Grade CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards 7th Grade A thru M
Vocabulary Cards 7th Grade N thru Z

Secondary 1 Math

Secondary 1 CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards Secondary 1 A thru L
Vocabulary Cards Secondary 1 M thru Z
Secondary 1 Student Glossary
Math Vocabulary Word List

K-6 CCSS Vocabulary Word List
K-8 CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Sec 1 – Sec 3 CCSS Vocabulary Word List


Tier 2 Vocabulary list
Grades K-12 Tier II Vocabulary Lists
Kindergarten Tier II Vocabulary Word List
Kindergarten - NEW 100 Vocabulary Words - 2014-2015
Grade 1 Tier II Vocabulary Word List
Grade 1 - NEW 100 Vocabulary Words - 2014-2015
Grade 2 Tier II Vocabulary Word List
Grade 3 Tier II Vocabulary Word List
Grade 4 Tier II Vocabulary Word List
Grade 5 Tier II Vocabulary Word List
Grade 6 Tier II Vocabulary List
Grade 7 Tier II Vocabulary List
Grade 8 Tier II Vocabulary List
Grade 9 Tier II Vocabulary List
Grade 10 Tier II Vocabulary List
Grade 11 Tier II Vocabulary List
Grade 12 Tier II Vocabulary List

Mr. Taylor's Kid Friendly Academic Vocabulary

Third Grade

atlas
A book of maps or a book of tables, charts, pictures on one subject.
Mr. Taylor has a world atlas in his classroom.

abbreviation
A shorter form of a word or phrase, i.e. AZ for Arizona.
The abbreviation for the United States of America is U.S.A.

adverb
A word that modifies a verb by identifying time, place, speed, etc.
Quickly is an adverb in the sentence "Jose quickly finished his homework. "

antonyms
A word opposite in meaning to another word.
Cold is the antonym of hot.

apostrophe
The mark used to show a letter or letters have been left out of a word or phrase or to show ownership.
Example of letters left out: You've is short for "you have" and an apostrophe shows that "have" is missing two letters.
Example of ownership: Mr. Taylor's class reads several books each year.
Example of ownership: The apostrophe in the sentence "Mr. Taylor's class reads several books each year." shows the class belongs to Mr. Taylor.

bias
One meaning of "bias" is to like or dislike one thing over another.
Claudia has bias for chocolate over all other candy.

chronological order
To arrange events in the order they occurred.
In chronological order, our class has computer lab on Monday, music on Tuesday, gym on Wednesday, library on Thursday, and art on Friday.

complete sentence
A complete sentence includes at least a subject and a verb.
"Claudia ran." is a complete sentence.

context clues
Words, phrases or sentences around a new word that helps the reader make a logical guess about the meaning of the new word.
Use context clues to figure out what a new word means.

contraction
A word or phrase shortened by leaving out one or more letters or sounds.
"You'll" is the contraction of "you will."


compound word
A compound word is made when two words are joined to form a new word.
The words "shoe" and "string" are joined to form the compound word "Shoestring."

biography
The history of a persons life.
If you become famous, someone will write your biography.

describe
To tell or write about something.
Please describe your backpack.

declarative
A sentence that makes a statement.
"The earth is round." is a declarative sentence.

dictionary
A book of alphabetically listed words with their meanings and other information.
Students need a dictionary when they go to college.

exclamatory
A sudden, angry outcry; to cry out; shout; or speak suddenly in surprise, etc.
"Lillian, be quiet! shouted her mother is an exclamatory phrase.

fact
Something that really happened; truth; actuality; things as they exist.
It is a fact that the moon revolves around the earth.

fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story with fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments.
The story "Jack and the Beanstalk" is a fairy tale.

folk tale
A story or legend originating and traditional among a group of people (folk = people), especially one forming part of the spoken tradition of the everyday people.
The stories about Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are folk tales.

interrogative
Asking a question.
"Do you like chocolate ice cream?" is an interrogative.

index
One meaning of "index" is an alphabetical list of names, subjects, etc., together with page numbers where they can be found--usually placed at the end of a book.
In this book, the index says there is information about the moon on pages 31 and 73.

instructions
Education; teaching; lessons or a list of steps to be followed to complete an assignment.
(1) Every teacher at Rio Vista gives instructions to their students. (2) It is hard to use a TV remote without reading the instructions.

main characteristics
The most important things that identify a person, plant, object--or anything in the universe.
The main characteristics of most cars are four wheels, a body where the driver and passengers sit, a steering wheel, an engine, and headlights and taillights.

nonfiction
Books and stories which only include real people, animals, plants, science, events, etc.
A book about birds in Tucson is a nonfiction book.

main idea
The main idea of a passage or reading is the the most important thought or message. (In contrast to the term topic, which refers to the subject under discussion.)
The main idea of Mr. Taylor's instructions is that it is important to follow directions.

multi-meaning words
Words which have more than one meaning.
Multi-meaning words will have the different meanings listed and numbered (1, 2, 3, etc.) in the dictionary.

opinion
A person's belief based on what seems true, or probable; a person's judgment.
Many people have the opinion that French cooking is the best in the world.

organization
A group of persons organized for some specific purpose, such as a club, business, team, etc.
The Rio Vista band is an organization of students with an interest in music.

personal narrative
A story that tells a story based on a personal experience of the writer.
Jasmine wrote a personal narrative about a trip to visit her grandmother.

plural
More than one of something.
The plural of bone is bones.

plot
The arrangement of the main events in a book, story, poem, or film, also known as the "story line."
The plot of most mysteries starts with a murder.

point of view
A way of viewing things; an attitude or the position from which something is observed or considered; a standpoint.
It is Mr. Taylor's point of view that students must be held responsible for completing their work.

possessive
The form of a word that shows ownership.
The possessive form of John is John's. For example, to say John owns the airplane, you would say "It is John's airplane."

predicate
In a sentence, the verb (action word) or the verb and words that describe the verb.
"Runs fast" is the predicate in the sentence "Magaly runs fast."

prefix
A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to change its meaning.
In the word "unhappy," "un-" is the prefix.

prefixes
Prefixes are placed at the beginning of words to change their meanings.
The prefixes we will see often are "pre-" (before), "post-" (after), "un-" (opposite of), "anti-"(against), "hemi-" (half), "non-" (absence of), "out-" (exceeding), "trans-" (across), etc.
The sentence "John was unhappy in preschool" has two prefixes.

punctuation (commas)
Special marks in sentences or phrases that make the sentences or phrases easier to understand. Some common punctuation marks are: .  ,  '  ;  ?  !
The comma ( , ) tells where to pause or take a breath.
root word
A word that can start to build the meaning of many words.
"Corn" is the root word of : popcorn; cornflower; cornmeal; cornbread; and cornmeal: all the words mean something about corn.

run-on sentence
A run-on sentence is a sentence in which two or more independent clauses (i.e., complete sentences) are joined without appropriate punctuation ( ; ) or a conjunction (and, for, nor, but, or, yet and so).
"Sydney and Sabrina were in the band Sydney played the saxophone Sabrina played percussion" is an example of  three run-on sentences.

introduction
The introduction is at the beginning of a story and it tells you what the main idea(s) will be; it lets you
"meet" the main idea.
An introduction to your teacher lets you meet.

singular
In grammar, the form of a word that says there is only one of something.
In the sentence "There was only one Juliana in the class, but there were two Gabriels," Juliana is singular and Gabriels is plural.

sign
The word "sign" has many meanings. Among them are: to write your name (signature); a symbol with a specific meaning ( $ meaning dollars); and hand gestures that give information (sign language).
When you vote in any election, you have to sign your name.
story elements (character, setting, plot)
The who, what, where and why--the parts that make up a story.
In Harry Potter, the main characters are Harry, Hermione, and Ron; the setting is Castle Hogwarts; and the plot is to learn to be wizards and keep Harry safe from Voldemort.

schedule
The way things are planned to happen in our lives, schools, or work.
Sometimes Mr. Taylor's class schedules a trip to the gem and mineral show in February.

subject
The person, place or thing that does the action in a sentence.
In the sentence "Michael finished his report before lunch," "Michael" is the subject, and "finished" is the action (verb).

suffixes
Letters or syllables added to the end of a word to change its meaning.
Suffixes such as "-ish" and "-er" can be added to the word "small" to change its meaning to smallish and smaller.

summarize
To state briefly; to shorten to its most important parts.
Mr. Taylor asked us to summarize the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone.

supporting details
They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph. What do they do? They give details to develop and help the reader better understand the topic sentence (main idea).
If your topic sentence is "Harry Potter has a special wand," you could add supporting details about the wand, such as where he got it, what it's made of, and why it's a special wand.

synonyms
Different words that have the same meaning.
Synonyms of "bend" are curve and twist.

verb (types and functions)
A word that in a sentence that  tells you the action (bring, read, walk, run, learn), or a state of being (be, exist, stand).
In the sentence "Anthony ran his race and is now standing next to the track," "ran" (the action) and "standing" (state of being) are both verbs.

Fourth Grade

acronym
A word that is made by putting together parts of other words.
The word "radar" is an acronym that was built from "radio detecting and ranging"
( "ra  + d  +  a  +  r" ).

adjective
A word or phrase that  modifies (describes) a noun .
The word "brilliant" is an adjective in the sentence "Yatzari is a brilliant student".  "Brilliant" describes the noun "student".

adverb
A word that Modifies (describes) a verb.
"Suddenly" is an adverb in the sentence "Anthony suddenly remembered his homework assignment".  "Suddenly" describes the verb "remembered."

almanac
A book that gives useful information about a particular subject;  sometimes published  in a month-by-month order.
For example, a gardening almanac might tell when to plant different flowers and vegetables.

analogy
A phrase or sentence that shows how different things may be alike in some ways.
"A human heart is like a pump" is an analogy.  The heart and pump are alike in one way:  they each pump something.

anthology
A book that is a collection of different writers' works (essays, stories,  poems, etc.).
"Mr. Taylor had so many interesting stories to tell.  One day he was going to publish his collection as 'An Artist's Anthology.' "

antonym
A word that has an opposite meaning.
An antonym of  "hot"  is  "cold";  an antonym of  "fast"  is  "slow".

aphorism
A short, clear, wise statement that tells an opinion or a saying that many people believe is true.
An aphorism about a famous musician is the sentence "Irving Berlin has no place in American music - he IS American music."

audience (as listeners and readers)
A group of people that gather to see or hear a performance  -  when the performance is an "out-loud" reading, the performers are the readers and the audience are the listeners.
For example:  "Mr. Taylor and Maria were taking turns reading 'The Chamber of Secrets' to the class.  The audience was very quiet as the readers reached a scary part of the story."

author's purpose
The reason for writing  - to inform, to question, to entertain.
"Fernando worked hard on his first prompt.  His author's purpose was to entertain his readers with his funny story."

autobiography
The story of someone's life, written by that person.
"Mr. Taylor had given the students their first assignment of the year:  a one-page autobiography."

bibliography
A list of the books and materials consulted;  appearing at the end of the text. 
"Leslie was sure to include her bibliography at the end of her science report."

brochure
A booklet or pamphlet that describes a subject; often an advertisement.
"Mrs. Kuhn carefully read the brochure that announced the opening of the  University Science Fair."

caption
A short description or title of an illustration in a text.
"Gloria had written the caption  ' What I Want to be When I Grow Up ' under her drawing of a jet pilot ."

category
A set of things that are grouped together because they have something in common.
"Eric had lots of homework to do.  Which category would he start with?  Reading, Writing, Science, Math ...? "

cause/effect characteristics
Cause is the action that makes something happen;  Effect is the something that happens.
"Sarah knocked over a glass of water onto her homework pages.  Knocking over the glass was the cause of soaking her homework.  Wet homework was the effect  of knocking over the glass."
conclusion
The part that brings something to an end  OR
a decision that is made after looking at all the facts.
"Andrew thought the conclusion of ‘Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets‘ was really exciting!"
"After much thought, Anthony came to the conclusion that  the answer to  the long division problem  was '286'  "
 
conjunction
A connecting word that links sentences or words ("and",  "or",  "if",  "but" ...).
"David and Jose wanted to talk to Gage or Sam before school, but the bus was late."
Conjunctions in this sentence were "and",  "or",  and "but".

contest
An organized test among entrants to find out which is best at doing something.
"On Tuesday there was a contest between the two fourth grades to see which class was best at playing cricket."

conversation
A  talk with someone.
"Mrs. Kuhn would have a conversation with the "Wheels in Motion" people to learn whether their contest would come to Rio Vista this year."

diary
A book of a person's daily happenings and thoughts.
"George Washington's diary was full of interesting things that happened before the United States became a nation."

double negatives
 Using two negative forms together in a phrase or sentence;  not good English.

"I won't never use double negatives when I write a story!"

drama
Works written for performance on stage, television, or radio;  usually serious subjects and manner of performance.  Sometimes anything that is not a comedy is called a drama.
The book “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” was dramatized into a movie.

drawing conclusions
Reaching a conclusion, or a final decision, about something. 
"After Mr. Taylor sees the results of the test, he will be drawing conclusions on  on the next homework assignment."


encyclopedia
A reference book or set of books giving much information on all areas or specialized areas of knowledge.
"Jade, did you find 'Mount St. Helens' in the encyclopedia?"

fable
A make-believe short story that teaches a moral, especially with animals as characters.
 In the fable “The Tales of Peter Rabbit“, a young rabbit has adventures and learns about the world.

genre
A category of artistic works, based on form, style or subject matter.
For example, a detective novel is a genre of fiction.

index....Copied from 3rd and 5th

noun
A word (or group of words) that names a person, place, or thing.
The sentence "Ellie quickly gathered up her books to fill her backpack ,"
contains three nouns.

making inferences
Reaching a conclusion or decision from facts and reasoning.
"Hector and Alexis were making inferences on the cost of their field trip by adding up their lunch expenses."

metaphor...Copied from 3rd and 5th

myth...Copied from 3rd and 5th

outline
A rough plan of a written work or speech; a list of main points or features to be covered.
"Mr. Taylor's drew an outline of his chapter on the smart board."

possessive nouns
Persons, places, or things that show ownership.
In the sentence "Sally’s car is with yellow stripes,"  the possessive noun is  "Sally's" .

preposition
A relation or function word  that connects a noun or pronoun to another part of a sentence ( "in", "by", "for", to", etc.).
In the sentence "Steven hit the ball and ran for first base,"  the word "for" is a preposition that joins "first base" to the rest of the sentence.
pronoun
A word that may be substituted for a noun ("I", "you", "them", "who", "ours", "he", "she", "anybody", etc.).
"Adriana has been working hard on long division, and it has been worth the effort because she scored high on her math test!"  The three pronouns in this sentence are "it",  "she",  and "her".

proofread
To check written work for errors and mark the changes to be made.
"Pedro just needed to proofread and correct his 'Read and Response' chapter, and he would be finished."

sentence fragment
Words that do not form a complete sentence of subject and verb.
"Mr. Taylor for the first time." is a sentence fragment because it has no verb.

simple predicate
The verb or action word of a sentence or phrase, without words that modify the verb.
"Ran" is the simple predicate of the sentence "Monique expertly ran the cotton candy booth for the Rio Vista's Fantasy Fair."

simile
A figure of speech that compares two different things (often with "as" or "like") .
"Red as a beet" is a simile in the sentence "Tim's face was red as a beet."

simple subject
The subject of the verb of a sentence, without words that modify the subject.
In the sentence "The shiny spotted horse frisked around the pasture," the word "horse" is the simple subject.

synonym
A word that means the same, or almost the same, as another word.
The word "scholar"  is a synonym for "student".

tall tale
A story with characters or happenings that are exaggerated or made bigger than real life.
"Pecos Bill" is a tall tale of a cowboy who could  do unbelievable  things, like rope a tornado with his lariat.

thesaurus"...Copied from 3rd and 5th

title page (parts of)
A title page is a page at the beginning of a book that gives the book’s title, the author, and the publisher.
The title, “HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE”; the author, “J.K. ROWLING”; and the publisher, “Arthur A. Levine Books” all appear on the title page for the first Harry Potter book.

 verb tense
The form of a verb that shows not only the action, but when the action happens  (in the past, present, or future).
In the sentence “ Mr. Taylor’s class will leave for lunch in 15 minutes”, the verb tense is future;  In the sentence “The class is leaving now”, the verb tense is present;  In the sentence “The class left,”  the verb tense is past.

Fifth Grade Reading and Language Arts Academic Vocabulary
Common Core State Standards: Tier 3 Vocabulary

alliteration
Repeating the same sounds at the beginning of words for two or more words in a row.
Many men may meet monthly.
Girls gladly go gliding.


caption (identify)
A title, short explanation, or description accompanying an drawing or a photograph, or words on the bottom of television or movie.
The caption under the picture read: "Mr. Taylor's 4th grade, 2011-12."


comparative
A form of an adjective or adverb which compares one thing to another.
He is taller than his father.
There is less water in Arizona than in Louisiana.


coordinating conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, and clauses.
The bowl of cereal is hot and delicious. (The coordinating conjunction is "and.")


excerpt
A passage, quotation, or segment taken from a longer work, such as a literary or musical composition, a document, or a film.
Mr. Taylor's Eclectic Spelling Book has excerpts from many books and poems.
fiction
Books and stories that come from the imagination of the writer.
Novels, short stories, detective mysteries and science fiction are fiction.


foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is the use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story.
There are many examples of foreshadowing in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.


glossary
A list at the back of a book that explains or defines difficult or unusual words and expressions used in the book
Nearly all the science books used at Rio Vista have a glossary in the back.


graphic organizer
A graphic organizer is a you can use to help you plan what you're going to write.
Mr. Taylor does everything he can to get students to organize their thoughts using a graphic organizerbefore they start a writing.


homonym (also called a homophone)
Words that are spelled and pronounced the same way, but have different meanings.
The metal lead and the verb lead are homonyms.


hyperbole
Extreme exaggeration or overstatement, especially in written work.
Adalberto used hyperbole when he told the class the fish he caught was big as a shark.


idiom
An accepted expression in a given language that is not grammatically standard or cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual constituents.
She heard is straight from the horse's mouth is an example of an idiom.


interjections
Words, exclamations or phrases inserted into a sentence, often expressing an emotion.
???????


introductory paragraph
The first paragraph of an article or student writing should be attention grabbing and make the reader want to finish the article or story.
The introductory paragraph of an article on polar bears might get your attention by telling you that the estimated number of polar bears has grown from 5,000 to 25,000 between the 1950 and 2000.


labels
Descriptive words applied to persons, groups or objects.
Rio Vista Elementary School includes two labels: Elementary School tells you the level of the school; and Rio Vista is the name of a particular school.


magazine
A publication, generally published on a regular schedule (weekly, twice-monthly, monthly, etc.)
Time is a news magazine that has been published weekly for about 80 years.


main point
The most important idea in a piece of writing. a speech or a lecture.
The main point in Mr. Taylor's lecture was that students will be held responsible for completing their assignments.


moral
A moral is the lesson (don't steal, don't cheat, be nice, etc.) to be learned from a story or event.
One moral in the Aesop's fable of the Tortoise and the Hare is that "slow and steady wins the race."


myth
A traditional story that tries to explain nature (origin of man, disease, volcanoes, storms, floods, etc.) in which the main characters are gods and heroes.
In one Greek myth Zeus, the most powerful god, was afraid his wife Metis would give birth to a god more powerful than he was, so he swallowed Metis.


main idea/stated and implied
The main idea is the most important point in a piece of writing or a lecture. The main idea can be clearly explained (i.e., stated), or hinted at (i.e., implied).
The main idea of Mr. Taylor's Reading Boot Camp is stated to be improving student reading abilities sothey can read to learn.


metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that uses an image or story represent an idea or quality.
Her eyes were glistening jewels is a metaphor.


narrative
A narrative is a story that describes a series of fictional or non-fictional events.
Yatzari's narrative of her experience on the roller coaster held our attention.


narrator
The character within a story who tells the story, or a person who tells the story to an audience.
Alivia was the narrator for the 4th grade class play.


news
Current events presented on TV, the internet, twitter, in newspapers or magazines, or shared by word of mouth.
More people get their news from TV and the internet than from newspapers.


novel
A novel is a long, fictional story.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a novel.


onomatopoeia
A word that imitates the sound it describes.
Cuckoo, hiccup, zoom, bang, beep, splash and vroom are examples of onomatopoeia.




parts of speech
In grammar, categories of words.
Nouns and verbs are parts of speech.


personification
Giving animals, objects or concepts human characteristics.
Cartoon animal characters who talk and act like humans are examples of personification.


persuade
Convincing yourself or another to adopt an idea, attitude, or action using logic.
Sydney tried to persuade Frida to join the Rio Vista band.


persuasion
A process of guiding another person to adopt an idea, attitude, or action using logic.
Isaac tried using persuasion to get Hector to play soccer.


purpose
Purpose is a result, end, aim or goal of an action.
The purpose of flash cards is to learn words by reading them over and over.


plot
The order of events in a story.
The plot of a novel or story deals with what happens to the main character.


point of view/perspective
Writer's (or your) view of the world consisting of opinions, beliefs and experiences.
It is Mr. Taylor's point of view/perspective that reading boot camp will improve your reading ability.


prompt
In a writing assignment, the subject you are told to write about.
"What I did during my summer vacation" used to be a common prompt the first day of a new school year.


punctuation marks (colon/semi-colon)
Colon is the punctuation mark (:) used before a long quotation, explanation, example, or list of items.
A semi-colon (;) is a punctuation mark used most often to separate closely related clauses in a sentence.
Mr. Taylor expects at least three things from his students: 1) their attention; 2) completion of assignments; and 3) respect for other members of the class.


reference source
A source of information, the most common of which are: a dictionary; an atlas; a thesaurus; the internet, etc.
One reference source for my science project was the Encyclopedia Americana.


reference book
A source of information in book form, such as a dictionary, encyclopedia, atlas or thesaurus.
The best reference book for finding synonyms is the thesaurus.


reports
To give information (usually written or spoken) about something (person, place, thing, theory, etc.) to other people.
Our science reports are due in the spring.


resolution
Resolution has many meanings, one of which is to set a personal goal.
Mr. Jones' New Year's resolution was to run a mile every day this year.


resource
In education, a resource is something or someone that helps you learn.
The smart board is a resource that Mr. Taylor uses to get excited about learning.

root words ( as aids in determining meaning)
The basic word upon which other words are formed.
The meaning of new words can often be determined by identifying the root word
The root word of saddlery is saddle, so I can guess that saddlery has something to do with saddles.


rhythm
A regularly occurring physical motion or patten of speech.
Many poems have an interesting rhythm.


satire
A method of criticizing people in which you make fun of their bad habits, abuses and shortcomings--usually with the goal of shaming them into improving.
Punch was a famous British humor magazine which used a great deal of satire.


simile
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by using the words "like," "as," or "than."
Cristian seemed to run as fast as a speeding bullet.


stanza
In a poem, a grouping of lines set off by a space.
Here are two stanzas of a poem:


Mary had a little lamb,
little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb,
whose fleece was white as snow.


And everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went,
and everywhere that Mary went,
the lamb was sure to go.


summarize
To state briefly.
We summarize the main idea of each chapter in our writing journals.






summary
A brief statement or account covering the main idea.
Each chapter summary in our writing journal must include at least five sentences.


superlative
Superior to or better than all others, of highest quality or supreme, usually a using a word ending in -est.
Mt. McKinley (Denali) is the highest mountain in North America.


thesaurus
A reference containing synonyms and antonyms.
The thesaurus says synonyms for small include petite, little , wee, tiny and teeny.

Article From Wiki

The Academic Word List (AWL) was developed by Averil Coxhead at the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The list contains 570 word families which were selected because they appear with great frequency in a broad range of academic texts. The list does not include words that are in the most frequent 2000 words of English (the General Service List), thus making it specific to academic contexts. The AWL was primarily made so that it could be used by teachers as part of a program preparing learners for tertiary level study or used by students working alone to learn the words most needed to study at colleges and universities. The 570 words are divided into 10 sublists. The sublists are ordered such that the words in the first sublist are the most frequent words and those in the last sublist are the least frequent.

Academic Vocabulary Word List

Sublist 1
sector • available • financial • process • individual • specific • principle • estimate • variables • method • data • research • contract • environment • export • source • assessment • policy • identified • create • derived • factors • procedure • definition • assume • theory • benefit • evidence • established • authority • major • issues • labour • occur • economic • involved • percent • interpretation • consistent • income • structure • legal • concept • formula • section • required • constitutional • analysis • distribution • function • area • approach • role • legislation • indicate • response • period • context • significant • similar •

Sublist 2
community • resident • range • construction • strategies • elements • previous • conclusion • security • aspects • acquisition • features • text • commission • regulations • computer • items • consumer • achieve • final • positive • evaluation • assistance • normal • relevant • distinction • region • traditional • impact • consequences • chapter • equation • appropriate • resources • participation • survey • potential • cultural • transfer • select • credit • affect • categories • perceived • sought • focus • purchase • injury • site • journal • primary • complex • institute • investment • administration • maintenance • design • obtained • restricted • conduct •

Sublist 3
comments • convention • published • framework • implies • negative • dominant • illustrated • outcomes • constant • shift • deduction • ensure • specified • justification • funds • reliance • physical • partnership • location • link • coordination • alternative • initial • validity • task • techniques • excluded • consent • proportion • demonstrate • reaction • criteria • minorities • technology • philosophy • removed • sex • compensation • sequence • corresponding • maximum • circumstances • instance • considerable • sufficient • corporate • interaction • contribution • immigration • component • constraints • technical • emphasis • scheme • layer • volume • document • registered • core •

Sublist 4
overall • emerged • regime • implementation • project • hence • occupational • internal • goals • retained • sum • integration • mechanism • parallel • imposed • despite • job • parameters • approximate • label • concentration • principal • series • predicted • summary • attitudes • undertaken • cycle • communication • ethnic • hypothesis • professional • status • conference • attributed • annual • obvious • error • implications • apparent • commitment • subsequent • debate • dimensions • promote • statistics • option • domestic • output • access • code • investigation • phase • prior • granted • stress • civil • contrast • resolution • adequate •

Sublist 5
alter • stability • energy • aware • licence • enforcement • draft • styles • precise • medical • pursue • symbolic • marginal • capacity • generation • exposure • decline • academic • modified • external • psychology • fundamental • adjustment • ratio • whereas • enable • version • perspective • contact • network • facilitate • welfare • transition • amendment • logic • rejected • expansion • clause • prime • target • objective • sustainable • equivalent • liberal • notion • substitution • generated • trend • revenue • compounds • evolution • conflict • image • discretion • entities • orientation • consultation • mental • monitoring • challenge •
Sublist 6
intelligence • transformation • presumption • acknowledged • utility • furthermore • accurate • diversity • attached • recovery • assigned • tapes • motivation • bond • edition • nevertheless • transport • cited • fees • scope • enhanced • incorporated • instructions • subsidiary • input • abstract • ministry • capable • expert • preceding • display • incentive • inhibition • trace • ignored • incidence • estate • cooperative • revealed • index • lecture • discrimination • overseas • explicit • aggregate • gender • underlying • brief • domain • rational • minimum • interval • neutral • migration • flexibility • federal • author • initiatives • allocation • exceed •

Sublist 7
intervention • confirmed • definite • classical • chemical • voluntary • release • visible • finite • publication • channel • file • thesis • equipment • disposal • solely • deny • identical • submitted • grade • phenomenon • paradigm • ultimately • extract • survive • converted • transmission • global • inferred • guarantee • advocate • dynamic • simulation • topic • insert • reverse • decades • comprise • hierarchical • unique • comprehensive • couple • mode • differentiation • eliminate • priority • empirical • ideology • somewhat • aid • foundation • adults • adaptation • quotation • contrary • media • successive • innovation • prohibited • isolated •

Sublist 8
highlighted • eventually • inspection • termination • displacement • arbitrary • reinforced • denote • offset • exploitation • detected • abandon • random • revision • virtually • uniform • predominantly • thereby • implicit • tension • ambiguous • vehicle • clarity • conformity • contemporary • automatically • accumulation • appendix • widespread • infrastructure • deviation • fluctuations • restore • guidelines • commodity • minimizes • practitioners • radical • plus • visual • chart • appreciation • prospect • dramatic • contradiction • currency • inevitably • complement • accompany • paragraph • induced • schedule • intensity • crucial • via • exhibit • bias • manipulation • theme • nuclear •

Sublist 9
bulk • behalf • unified • commenced • erosion • anticipated • minimal • ceases • vision • mutual • norms • intermediate • manual • supplementary • incompatible • concurrent • ethical • preliminary • integral • conversely • relaxed • confined • accommodation • temporary • distorted • passive • subordinate • analogous • military • scenario • revolution • diminished • coherence • suspended • mature • assurance • rigid • controversy • sphere • mediation • format • trigger • qualitative • portion • medium • coincide • violation • device • insights • refine • devoted • team • overlap • attained • restraints • inherent • route • protocol • founded • duration •

Sublist 10
whereby • inclination • encountered • convinced • assembly • albeit • enormous • reluctant • posed • persistent • undergo • notwithstanding • straightforward • panel • odd • intrinsic • compiled • adjacent • integrity • forthcoming • conceived • ongoing • so-called • likewise • nonetheless • levy • invoked • colleagues • depression • collapse •
http://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Academic_word_list