Atlas MV 5
A book of maps or a book of
tables, charts, pictures on
one subject.Mr. Taylor has a
world atlas in his classroom.
Abbreviation
MV 4
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 MV 2
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 MV 6
Apostrophe
MV 5
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 MV 4
One meaning of "bias" is to like or
dislike one thing over
another.Claudia has bias for
chocolate over all other candy.
Chronological
order MV 3
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 MV 6
A complete sentence includes
at least a subject and a verb.
"Claudia ran." is a complete
sentence.
Context clues
MV 2
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
MV 6
A word or phrase shortened
by leaving out one or more
letters or sounds."You'll" is
the contraction of "you will."
Compound
word MV 5
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 MV
4
The history of a persons life.
If you become famous,
someone will write your
biography.
Describe MV
3
To tell or write about
something. Please
describe your backpack.
Declarative
MV 2
A sentence that makes a
statement. "The earth is
round." is a declarative
sentence.
Dictionary MV
6
A book of alphabetically listed words
with their meanings and other
information.Students need a dictionary
when they go to college.
Exclamatory
MV 2
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 MV 5
Something that really happened;
truth; actuality; things as they
exist. It is a fact that the moon
revolves around the earth.
Fairy tale MV
2
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 MV
4
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
MV 5
Asking a question. "Do you
like chocolate ice cream?" is
an interrogative.
Index MV 3
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
MV 6
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
MV 2
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 MV
6
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 MV
4
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 MV 3
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 MV 6
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
MV 5
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 MV 2
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 MV 3
More than one of
something. The plural
of bone is bones.
Plot MV 5
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
MV 6
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
MV 5
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 MV
3
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 MV 2
A prefix is placed at the
beginning of a word to change its
meaning. In the word "unhappy,"
"un-" is the prefix. Prefixes MV 6
Punctuation
(commas) MV 6
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
MV 4
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 MV 5
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
MV 6
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 MV 2
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 MV 5
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) MV 2
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 MV
2
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 MV 6
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 MV 3
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
MV 5
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 MV 2
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
MV 6
Different words that have the
same meaning. Synonyms of
"bend" are curve and twist.
Verb (types and
functions) MV 5
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.
Acronym MV
4
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 MV
6
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 MV 5
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 MV
3
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 MV 2
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 MV
6
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 will publish his collection as 'An
Artist's Anthology.' "
Antonym MV
5
A word that has an opposite
meaning. An antonym of "hot"
is "cold"; an antonym of "fast"
is "slow".
Aphorism MV
6
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) MV 3
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 MV 2
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
MV 6
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
MV 4
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 MV
2
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 MV 5
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 MV
3
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 MV 5
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
MV 3
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
MV 6
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 MV 5
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
MV 2
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 MV 6
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 MV 4
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 MV 6
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 MV 2
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
MV 5
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 MV 4
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 MV 6
A category of artistic works,
based on form, style or subject
matter. For example, a detective
novel is a genre of fiction.
Noun MV 5
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 MV 3
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."
Outline MV 5
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 MV 6
Persons, places, or things that
show ownership. In the sentence
"Sally s car is with yellow stripes,"
the possessive noun is "Sally's" .
Preposition
MV 3
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 MV
2
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 MV
6
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 MV 5
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 MV 3
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 MV 2
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 MV 6
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 MV
4
A word that means the same, or
almost the same, as another
word.The word "scholar" is a
synonym for "student".
Tall tale MV 6
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.
Title page
(parts of) MV 4
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
MV 5
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.
Alliteration
MV 6
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) MV 5
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
MV 4
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 MV 5
connect words, phrases, and
clauses.The bowl of cereal is hot
and delicious. (The coordinating
conjunction is "and.")
Excerpt MV 6
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 MV 4
Books and stories that come from the
imagination of the writer. Novels, short
stories, detective mysteries and
science fiction are fiction.
Foreshadowing
MV 3
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 MV
5
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 MV 3
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 organizer before they start a writing.
Homonym (also
called a
homophone)MV 5
Words that are spelled and
pronounced the same way, but have
different meanings.The metal lead and
the verb lead are homonyms.
Hyperbole
MV 2
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 MV 5
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
MV 6
Words, exclamations or
phrases inserted into a
sentence, often expressing
an emotion. ???????
Introductory
paragraph MV 5
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 MV 2
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 MV
6
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
MV 4
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 MV 6
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 MV 2
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 MV 6
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 so
they can read to learn.
Metaphor MV
4
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 MV
6
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 MV 4
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 MV 5
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 MV 5
A novel is a long, fictional
story. Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone is a novel.
Onomatopoeia
MV 6
A word that imitates the sound it
describes. Cuckoo, hiccup, zoom,
bang, beep, splash and vroom
are examples of onomatopoeia.
Parts of
speech MV 5
In grammar, categories of
words.Nouns and verbs
are parts of speech.
Personification
MV 4
Giving animals, objects or concepts
human characteristics. Cartoon animal
characters who talk and act like
humans are examples of
personification.
Persuade MV
3
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
MV 6
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 MV 5
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 MV 2
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 MV
6
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 MV 4
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)
MV 6
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 MV 6
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 MV 5
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 MV 3
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
MV 6
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 MV
5
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) MV 6
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 MV 6
A regularly occurring physical
motion or patten of speech.
Many poems have an
interesting rhythm.
Satire MV 3
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 MV 6
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.
Summarize
MV 5
To state briefly. We
summarize the main idea of
each chapter in our writing
journals.
summary MV
6
A brief statement or account covering
the main idea. Each chapter summary
in our writing journal must include at
least five sentences.
superlative
MV 3
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
MV 5
A reference containing synonyms
and antonyms. The thesaurus
says synonyms for small include
petite, little , wee, tiny and teeny.