Understanding the 3 vocabulary tiers
Beck, McKeown & Kucan (2002) established three tiers of vocabulary. Tier 2 and Tier 3 words are the highest priority for test preparation — they appear on every major standardized reading assessment and give students the most difficulty.
Sublists of the Academic Word List
NWEA ACADEMIC VOCABULARY BY RIT LEVEL
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY BY RIT TO CONCEPT
At a Glance – New Vocabulary Words by RIT Bands for Reading
DesCartes: A Continuum of Learning®VOCABULARY
MARZANO ACADEMIC VOCABULARY BY GRADE LEVEL
VP Tier 3 Vocabulary List EXCEL
Tier 1 — Basic
Everyday spoken words
Frequently heard in conversation. Rarely need explicit instruction because students learn them naturally. Examples: clock, baby, happy, walk.
Tier 2 — High Priority
Cross-content academic words
Used across multiple subjects by mature speakers. Students mainly encounter them in print and on tests. Examples: obvious, complex, establish, verify.
Tier 3 — High Priority
Content-specific domain words
Low frequency outside a specific subject. Central to building background knowledge. Examples: metaphor, photosynthesis, integer, amendment.
Why Tier 2 & 3 words matter most for test prep
Pearson, PARCC, Smarter Balanced, NWEA MAP, STAAR, Stanford 10, and most major standardized assessments use Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary to assess reading comprehension. Students who lack these words struggle even when they understand the underlying content.
Daily word-work with Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary is the fastest route to improved reading assessment scores. The two foundational lists most academic vocabulary resources draw from are the Coxhead (2000) Academic Word List and Marzano (2004) Building Academic Vocabulary. Bloom's Taxonomy verbs and Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) verbs are also essential to any effective reading instruction program.ACADEMIC WORD LIST
Tier 2 high-frequency academic vocabulary
Tier 2These are the most frequently tested Tier 2 words across reading, ELA, and math assessments. They are non-content-specific — students encounter them across all subject areas and in standardized test directions and questions.
Note: This is a curated selection of the highest-priority Tier 2 test words for grades 3–8. For complete grade-by-grade Tier 2 lists (K–12), see the Recommended Word Lists section below.
accelerate
To make something go faster
achieve
To complete something with success
adjacent
Near or next to something
alternative
One of two or more choices
analyze
To separate into parts for close study
approximate
Close in amount or time, but not exact
arbitrary
Based on personal feeling rather than reason
cause
The action that makes something happen
classify
To arrange into groups or categories
compare
To examine things for similarities and differences
complex
Made of many connected parts; not simple
conclude
To make a decision based on evidence
context
Surrounding words or situation that help explain meaning
contrast
To show the differences between two things
describe
To give details about something
detail
A small piece of info about a larger topic
diagram
A drawing that explains something
effect
The result of a cause
establish
To set up or create something permanently
estimate
To calculate approximately
evaluate
To judge the value or quality of something
evidence
Facts or information supporting a conclusion
infer
To reach a conclusion from facts and reasoning
interpret
To explain or understand the meaning of something
investigate
To study or examine carefully
main idea
The most important point in a passage
obvious
Easy to see or understand; clear
opinion
A belief based on what seems likely; personal judgment
organize
To arrange things in a logical order
predict
To say what will happen before it happens
purpose
The reason for which something is done
relevant
Connected to the matter at hand
represent
To stand for or be a symbol of something
respond
To reply or react to something
significant
Important; having great meaning or effect
similar
Almost the same but not identical
strategy
A plan for achieving a goal
structure
The way something is built or organized
summarize
To state the main points briefly
support
Evidence or details that back up an idea
theme
The central message or lesson of a text
verify
To confirm that something is true
Additional high-frequency Tier 2 test words: passage, paragraph, selection, statement, section, comparison, according to, turning point, instructions, directions, definition, closely.
Tier 3 ELA vocabulary by grade level
Tier 3Content-specific ELA terms students must know for reading comprehension tests. Organized from Mr. Taylor's kid-friendly glossary with student-accessible definitions and example sentences. Teach these in grade-level clusters for maximum impact.
Grade 3
antonym
A word opposite in meaning to another (cold / hot)
biography
The story of a person's life written by someone else
chronological order
Events arranged in the order they occurred
compound word
Two words joined to form a new word (shoe + string)
context clues
Words around a new word that help guess its meaning
contraction
A word shortened by leaving out letters (you'll = you will)
declarative sentence
A sentence that makes a statement
exclamatory
A sentence expressing strong feeling with an exclamation mark
fact
Something that really happened; truth; actuality
fairy tale
A story with magical creatures and enchantments
folk tale
A traditional story passed down among a group of people
interrogative
A sentence that asks a question
main idea
The most important thought or message in a passage
multi-meaning words
Words that have more than one meaning
nonfiction
Writing about real people, animals, events, and facts
opinion
A person's belief based on what seems probable
personal narrative
A story based on the writer's own experience
plot
The arrangement of main events in a story
point of view
The position from which something is observed
possessive
The form of a word that shows ownership (John's)
predicate
The verb and words describing the verb in a sentence
prefix
Letters placed at the beginning of a word to change its meaning
root word
The base word from which other words are built
run-on sentence
Two or more complete sentences joined without proper punctuation
suffix
Letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning
summarize
To state the main points briefly
supporting details
Details that develop and support the main idea
synonym
A word with the same or similar meaning as another
Grade 4
analogy
Shows how different things may be alike in some ways
anthology
A collection of different writers' works in one book
aphorism
A short, clear, wise statement many people believe is true
author's purpose
The reason for writing — to inform, question, or entertain
autobiography
The story of one's own life written by that person
cause / effect
Cause = the action; Effect = what happens as a result
conjunction
A connecting word that links sentences or words (and, but, or)
drama
Works written for performance; usually a serious subject
drawing conclusions
Reaching a final decision after considering all facts
fable
A make-believe story that teaches a moral, often with animal characters
genre
A category of artistic works based on form, style, or subject
making inferences
Reaching a conclusion from facts and reasoning
metaphor
A figure of speech representing one thing as another
myth
A traditional story explaining nature using gods and heroes
noun
A word that names a person, place, or thing
possessive noun
A person, place, or thing that shows ownership (Sally's)
preposition
A word connecting a noun or pronoun to another part of a sentence (in, by, for)
pronoun
A word that substitutes for a noun (I, you, she, they)
sentence fragment
Words that do not form a complete sentence
simple predicate
The verb or action word of a sentence without modifiers
simple subject
The subject of the verb without modifying words
simile
A comparison using "like" or "as" ("red as a beet")
tall tale
A story with exaggerated characters or events beyond real life
verb tense
The form of a verb showing when the action happens (past, present, future)
Grade 5
alliteration
Repeating the same sound at the beginning of several words
comparative
A form of an adjective or adverb that compares one thing to another
coordinating conjunctions
Conjunctions that connect words, phrases, and clauses (and, but, or)
excerpt
A passage or segment taken from a longer work
fiction
Stories that come from the imagination of the writer
foreshadowing
Hints or clues about what will happen later in a story
glossary
A list at the back of a book defining difficult or unusual words
graphic organizer
A visual tool used to plan or organize writing and thinking
homonym
Words spelled and pronounced the same but with different meanings
hyperbole
Extreme exaggeration for effect ("the fish was big as a shark")
idiom
An expression whose meaning differs from the literal words
metaphor
A figure of speech using an image to represent an idea
moral
The lesson to be learned from a story or event
myth
A traditional story explaining nature with gods and heroes
narrative
A story describing a series of fictional or non-fictional events
narrator
The character or person who tells the story
onomatopoeia
A word that imitates the sound it describes (bang, splash, zoom)
personification
Giving human characteristics to animals, objects, or ideas
persuasion
Guiding someone to adopt an idea or action using logic
plot
The order of events in a story
point of view / perspective
Writer's view of the world — opinions, beliefs, and experiences
resolution
The point in a story where the conflict is solved
rhythm
A regularly recurring pattern of speech in a poem
satire
Criticizing people's bad habits or shortcomings through humor
simile
A comparison using "like" or "as" ("runs as fast as the wind")
stanza
A grouping of lines in a poem, set off by a space
summary
A brief statement covering the main idea
superlative
Expressing the highest degree of quality, often ending in -est
thesaurus
A reference book containing synonyms and antonyms
Coxhead Academic Word List (AWL)
ReferenceDeveloped by Averil Coxhead at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The AWL contains 570 word families that appear with high frequency across a broad range of academic texts. The 570 words are divided into 10 sublists ordered from most to least frequent. Words from the 2,000 most common English words are excluded, making this list specifically academic.
Sublist 1 — most frequent academic words
sectoravailablefinancialprocessindividualspecificprincipleestimatevariablesmethoddataresearchcontractenvironmentsourceassessmentpolicycreatefactorsproceduredefinitionassumetheorybenefitevidenceestablishedauthorityissueseconomicpercentinterpretationconsistentincomestructureconceptanalysisfunctionapproachroleindicateresponsecontextsignificantsimilar
Sublist 2
communityrangeconstructionstrategieselementsconclusionsecurityaspectsfeaturesregulationsachieveevaluationrelevantimpactconsequencesappropriateresourcesparticipationpotentialtransferselectcategoriesfocusprimarycomplexinvestmentdesignconduct
Sublist 3
frameworknegativedominantoutcomesensurejustificationpartnershipcoordinationalternativevaliditytechniquesconsentdemonstratecriteriatechnologycompensationsequencesufficientcorporateinteractioncontributioncomponentemphasisvolumedocument
Sublist 4
overallregimeimplementationmechanismdespiteparametershypothesisprofessionalattributedstatisticsdimensionspromoteoptionsdomesticaccessinvestigationphaseadequateresolutioncommitment
Sublist 5
alterstabilityenforceprecisecapacitygenerationdeclineacademicfundamentaladjustmentwhereasenableperspectivefacilitatewelfaretransitionlogicexpansionobjectivesustainableequivalentnotiontrendevolution
Sublists 6–10 (key words)
transformationmotivationscopeenhancedcapableexplicitunderlyingrationalmigrationflexibilityinterventionclassicalvisiblepublicationfiniteguaranteedynamicglobalideologyinnovationwidespreadinfrastructureguidelinescrucialintegrityviolationprotocolwherebypersistentnotwithstandinglevycolleaguesdepressioncollapseforthcomingconcurrentpreliminaryintegral
Source: Coxhead, A. (2000). School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Full list: simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Academic_word_list
Recommended word lists and resources
ResourcesThe Reading Sage author uses the NWEA Academic Word List daily for reading, science, and math vocabulary, with the Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Project as a supplement. Both are rooted in Coxhead (2000) and Marzano (2004).
Link note: Several older PDF links from state education departments have broken since the original post was written. The information below includes current search guidance to find each resource.
NWEA MAP Academic Vocabulary
Vocabulary organized by RIT band for reading, math, language, and science. Used by Pearson, PARCC, and Smarter Balanced assessments. Note: The Tier 2 vocabulary is NOT listed in the NWEA Academic Vocabulary guide but IS tested on the MAP — teach it separately using a dedicated Tier 2 list.
nwea.org — search "MAP academic vocabulary" or "RIT vocabulary"Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Project (Marzano & Associates)
Prepared for the Tennessee Department of Education. Organized by content area and grade band. One of the most thorough state-produced academic vocabulary resources available. Includes separate glossaries for Reading, Math, Writing, ELA, History/Social Studies, and Science.
tn.gov/education — search "academic vocabulary project"Oklahoma Academic Vocabulary (Marzano-based)
Suggested words and terms organized by grade level and subject. Useful as a Marzano-aligned supplement for any state using CCSS-aligned standards.
sde.ok.gov — search "academic vocabulary"Granite School District (Utah) — CCSS Math Vocabulary Cards
One of the best free resources for Tier 3 math vocabulary. Includes vocabulary cards for grades K–8 and secondary math (Sec 1–3), organized A–Z. Each card includes the word, definition, and a visual example. Highly recommended for daily math word-work.
granite.schools.utah.gov — search "math vocabulary cards"Tier 2 Grade-Level Word Lists (K–12)
Graded Tier 2 lists are harder to find than Tier 3 lists. The Reading Sage blog provides grade-level Tier 2 lists for K–12. A Grade 2 sample includes: amaze, analyze, classify, community, conclusion, data, describe, diagram, discover, estimate, investigate, observe, opinion, predict, process, publish, and revise.
reading-sage.blogspot.com/2016/08/tier-ii-grade-2-academic-vocabulary.htmlBuilding Academic Vocabulary — Marzano & Pickering (2004)
One of the two foundational frameworks for academic vocabulary. Marzano's six-step process for teaching academic words has become standard in many districts. Works well alongside the Coxhead AWL for a comprehensive Tier 2/3 program.
Available through ASCD — search "Marzano Building Academic Vocabulary"Related Reading Sage blog posts
Reading SageAll posts below are from the Reading Sage blog and focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 academic vocabulary instruction and test preparation. Written by Sean Taylor, the Dyslexic Reading Teacher.
CCSS Tier 3 Words
Teaching Tier 3 words using game cards. Includes vocabulary game cards by grade (1st–8th) and explains why Tier 3 words matter for MAP, PARCC, and Smarter Balanced. Covers how one student grew from RIT 193 to 237 in 20 days using flash cards.
reading-sage.blogspot.com/2016/07/ccss-tier-3-words.html
Tier 2 Words Glossary
High-frequency non-content-specific academic vocabulary for grades 3–6. Includes a full Tier 2 testing glossary with kid-friendly definitions. Connects to the full Tier 3 Academic Vocabulary Glossary for comprehensive test prep.
reading-sage.blogspot.com/2012/04/tier-2-words.html
Common Core ELA Tier 3 Reading Vocabulary
Grade-level Tier 3 reading and ELA vocabulary for grades 3–8. Includes kid-friendly definitions and connects CCSS focus standards to test vocabulary demands. A great starting point for building a scope and sequence.
reading-sage.blogspot.com/2012/12/common-core-ela-tier-3-reading.html
Academic Vocabulary Games
Free vocabulary games including Sparkle, Legendary Lands (Risk-style board game), and an Alien Vocabulary board game (Chutes & Ladders format) using Tier 2 and Tier 3 words as game cards. Designed to build test readiness through fun.
reading-sage.blogspot.com/2011/04/academic-vocabulary-games.html
STAAR Reading Vocabulary
Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary resources specifically for STAAR test prep. Includes Tier 3 subject glossaries for Reading, Math, Writing, ELA, History/Social Studies, and Science in PDF form.
reading-sage.blogspot.com/2014/05/staar-reading-vocabulary.html
Raise NWEA MAP Reading Test Scores
How to improve MAP Reading RIT scores through Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary study. Includes NWEA vocabulary by RIT level and sample test questions. Notes that Tier 2 vocabulary is tested on MAP but not listed in NWEA's own vocabulary guide.
reading-sage.blogspot.com/2015/09/raise-map-reading-test-scores-raise.html
CCSS ELA & Tier 2 Academic Vocabulary
The Common Core's focus on Tier 2 high-frequency vocabulary in the primary grades. Includes AWL Sublist 1 and links to identifying and choosing which Tier 2 words to teach first.
reading-sage.blogspot.com/2011/08/common-core-state-standards-for-english.html
Reading Boot Camp RTI — Tier 2 & 3 Intervention
Overview of the Reading Boot Camp RTI program. Tier 1, 2, and 3 word-study is spiraled over 20 days with multimodal, TPR, and game-based learning. Students are exposed to 10,000–20,000 new vocabulary words during the program.
reading-sage.blogspot.com/p/reading-boot-camp-overview.html
Reading comprehension and TEST PREPARATION starts with Daily Tier 2 and 3 Academic vocabulary word-work!
How can you help your students improve reading comprehension?
Students that lack knowledge and understanding of key Academic Reading Vocabulary struggle to find success on today's more rigorous reading assessments.
How can you help your students improve reading comprehension?
Students that lack knowledge and understanding of key Academic Reading Vocabulary struggle to find success on today's more rigorous reading assessments.
Academic 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.
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
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
Article From Wiki
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 • minimises • 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
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.
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
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
Math Vocabulary Cards
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
8th Grade
8th Grade CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards 8th Grade A thru L
Vocabulary Cards 8th Grade M 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
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
Math Vocabulary Cards
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
8th Grade
8th Grade CCSS Vocabulary Word List
Vocabulary Cards 8th Grade A thru L
Vocabulary Cards 8th Grade M 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
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.
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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.
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 programme 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 • minimises • 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
