Instructional Vocabulary refers to the words that educators use in the classroom during instruction. If we marinate students in the language of the
skills and strategies, they will begin to absorb the language. As we model how to make an inference and talk about inferences, our students will begin
to understand the strategy and begin to develop the skill.
The words listed below come mostly from the Common Core Standards and they represent the skills, strategies, and content expressed in the CCS.
Please read the Common Core, and add, delete or change words as you see fit. You will also need to add words to this list to reflect your school /
district curriculum. As you find mistakes (and yes, you will find errors), take a moment to email me so that I can change the on-line documents.
READING LITERATURE – COMMON CORE STANDARDS – INSTRUCTIONAL VOCABULARY
GRADE 3
GRADE 4
GRADE 5
GRADE 6
GRADE 7
GRADE 8
Skill / Strategy
Skill / Strategy
Skill / Strategy
Skill / Strategy
Skill / Strategy
Skill / Strategy
Ask / answer
Ask / answer
Quote accurately
Cite text evidence
Cite text explicit
Cite text evidence
Compare / Contrast
Compare / Contrast
Make Inferences
Explicit
evidence
Support analysis
Determine central idea Determine central idea Find Explicit support
Infer
Infer
Explicit
Determine key details Determine key details Determine main idea
Determine theme
Determine theme
Infer
Infer / Imply
Explicit
Determine support
Determine details
Analyze theme
Determine theme
Refer to text - support Infer / Imply
Summarize
Summarize - unbiased development
Trace theme
Sequence
Refer to text - support Analyze Fig Language Describe plot
Explain relationship of development
Visualize
Sequence
Sequence
Trace plot
story grammar
Analyze dialogue
Right There
Visualize
Analyze relationship
development
Determine details
Analyze word choice
Think and Search
Right There
Analyze
word
choice
Summarize
Analyze point of view
 POV to Events
Author and Me
Summarize
Analyze structure of
objectively
Determine details
 Char to Character
On My Own
Think and Search
text
Describe
plot
Summarize
Compare
Author and Me
Analyze medium
Analyze word choice
Describe plot
Contrast
On My Own
Compare
/
contrast
Analyze
structure
of
Analyze word choice
Analyze visual
Analyze delivery
text
Analyze structure of
elements
method
Analyze point of view text
Analyze genre / forms Compare / contrast
Compare / contrast
on similar themes
Fiction vs Reality
Compare mediums
Analyze delivery
Analyze delivery
method
method
Analyze genre / forms Analyze genre / forms
on similar themes
on similar themes
GRADE 3
Content
Actions
Author’s craft
Chapter
Character feelings
Character traits
Drama
Fables
Folktales
Illustrations
Lesson
Literal
Message
Mood
Moral
Motivation
Myths
Narrator
Non-literal
Paragraph
Plot
Poems
Point of view
Scene
Setting
Stanza
Structure of text
Theme
READING LITERATURE – COMMON CORE STANDARDS – INSTRUCTIONAL VOCABULARY
GRADE 4
GRADE 5
GRADE 6
GRADE 7
GRADE 8
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Actions
Quote
Theme
Theme
Theme
Author’s craft
Theme / topics
Opinion / Judgment
Opinion / Judgment
Opinion / Judgment
Chapter
Character feelings
Plot
Plot
Plot
Character feelings
Character traits
Episodes
Episodes
Episodes
Character traits
Poem
Character
Objective
Character
Drama
Figurative Language
trait/emotions
Subjective
trait/emotions
Explicit
Chapter
Resolution
Bias
Resolution
Fables
Scene
Figurative language
Character
Figurative language
Folktales
Stanza
Connotation
trait/emotions
Connotation
Illustrations
Point of View
Sentence
Resolution
Sentence
Lesson
Narrator
Chapter
Figurative language
Chapter
Literal
Genre
Scene
Connotation
Scene
Message
Multi-media
Stanza
Sentence
Stanza
Mood
Tone
Setting
Chapter
Setting
Moral
Point of View
Scene
Point of View
Motivation
Narrator
Stanza
Genres
Myths
Genres
Setting
Character types
Narrator
Point of View
Allusions
Non-literal
Genres
Paragraph
Plot
Poems
Point of view
Scene
Setting
Stanza
Structure of text
Theme
READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT – COMMON CORE STANDARDS – INSTRUCTIONAL VOCABULARY
GRADE 3
GRADE 4
GRADE 5
GRADE 6
GRADE 7
GRADE 8
Skill / Strategy
Skill / Strategy
Skill / Strategy
Skills / Strategy
Skills / Strategy
Skills / Strategy
Compare / Contrast
Compare / Contrast
Quote accurately
Cite text evidence
Cite text evidence
Cite text evidence
Cause / Effect
Cause / Effect
Determine main ideas Support analysis
Support analysis
Support analysis
Determine Importance Determine Importance Explain text
Explicit
Create objective
Create objective
Infer / Imply
Infer / Imply
summary
summary
 Explicit details Inference
Sequence
Sequence
Determine
central
idea
Explicit
Explicit
 Inferences
Skim / Scan
Skim / Scan
Determine details
Inference
Inference
Summarize
Support
Support
Summarize
Determine
central
idea
Determine central idea
Explain relationships
Visualize
Visualize
Analyze key ideas
Determine details
Determine details
 Individuals
Right There
Right There
Determine
vocabulary
Summarize
Analyze connections
 Events
Think and Search
Think and Search
Analyze
structure
of
Analyze
key
ideas
Summarize
 Ideas
Author and Me
Author and Me
text
Determine vocabulary Analyze key ideas
 Concepts
On My Own
On My Own
Determine
PoV
Analyze structure of
Analyze conflicting
Develop vocabulary
Integrate information
text
viewpoints
Compare / Contrast
Evaluate arguments
Determine PoV
Determine vocabulary
 Multiple
Compare / contrast
Assess reasoning
Analyze structure of
accounts
Integrate information
text
 Concepts
Evaluate arguments
Determine PoV
 Ideas
Compare / contrast
Assess reasoning
Analyze text structure
Integrate information
Cause / Effect
Evaluate arguments
Skim / Scan
Analyze evidence for
sufficiency and
relevance
Compare / contrast
Evaluate advantages /
disadvantages of
medium
READING INFORMATIONAL TEXT – COMMON CORE STANDARDS – INSTRUCTIONAL VOCABULARY
GRADE 3
GRADE 4
GRADE 5
GRADE 6
GRADE 7
GRADE 8
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Features of text:
Features of text:
Reasons
Summary
Objective summary
Objective summary
Evidence
Personal opinion
Personal opinion
Personal opinion
 Sidebar
 Sidebar
Support
Judgment
Judgment
Judgment
 Hyperlink
 Hyperlink
Concept
Anecdotes
Anecdotes
Anecdotes
 Highlights
 Highlights
Main
Idea
Examples
Examples
Analogies
 Headings
 Headings
Features of text:
Figurative language
Figurative language
Allusions
 Maps
 Maps
Connotation
Connotation
Examples

Sidebar
 Photographs
 Photographs
Technical terms
Technical terms
Figurative language
 Hyperlink
 Captions
 Captions
Sentence
Sentence
Connotation
 Highlights
 Etc.
 Etc.
Paragraph
Paragraph
Technical terms
 Headings
Main idea
Main idea
Chapter
Chapter
Sentence
 Maps
Point of view
Point of view
Point
of
view
Point
of
view
Paragraph
 Photographs
Sentence
Sentence
Purpose
Purpose
Chapter
 Captions
Paragraph
Paragraph
Argument
Argument
Point of view
 Etc.
Claims
Claims
Purpose
Evidence / reasons
Evidence / reasons
Argument
Genre
Genre
Claims
Evidence / reasons
Genre
Relevant
Sufficient
READING FLUENCY – COMMON CORE STANDARDS – INSTRUCTIONAL VOCABULARY
Grade 4
GRADE 5
GRADE 6
GRADE 7
Skill / Strategy
Skills / Strategy
Use phonics
Apply phonics
Use word analysis
Apply word analysis
 Syllabication
 Syllabication
 Patterns
 Patterns
 Affixes
 Phonemes
Read with Prosody:
 Affixes
Read with Prosody:
 Fluency
 Accuracy
 Fluency
 Purpose
 Accuracy
 Expression
 Purpose
 Rate
 Expression
Self-correct
 Rate
Self-correct
Content
Content
Content
Expression
Syllable
Prose
Prefix
Prose
Poetry
Rate
Poetry
Syllable
Suffix (derivational)
Affixes: prefix/suffix
Affixes
Syllable
Prosody
GRADE 3
Skill / Strategy
Apply Phonics
Decode words
Identify affixes
Decode multi-syllable
Read irregular
spellings
Read with Prosody:
 Fluency
 Accuracy
 Purpose
 Expression
Visualize
Self-correct
GRADE 8