We pride ourselves in our deep knowledge of reading and literacy. Our Literacy Team put together this glossary of literacy terms to help parents and caregivers best understand how our app and program work, and how to best support your child in their learning to read journey.
Blending is putting together individual sounds or syllables to make a meaningful word. Examples:
- Saying the individual words “Cats” - “can” - “purr” as a smooth sentence “Cats can purr.”
- Saying cup and cake as "cupcake" (syllables)
- Saying b-ill as "bill" (first sound and ending sounds)
- Saying d-o-g as "dog" (individual sounds)
The Elephant teaches you to say each sound or syllable in a word and then to blend the sounds back together while sliding your finger across the line.
Decoding is the abilty to translate a word from print to speech by using knowledge of letters and the sounds that they make. It also includes the ability to understand the relationships and patterns of different letters and sounds. Example:
When a child looks at the word "graph," they are able to decode the individual sounds as /g/ /r/ /a/ /f/ and put it altogether. For complex sounds like "ph" making an /f/, a child needs to be able to recognize the pattern.
The Panda helps you practice decoding words when it asks you to look at a word, say each sound of the word, and then say the whole word all together.
Expressive Language is the ability to use words, sentences, gestures, and writing to express what you are thinking and how you are feeling. Example:
A child is able to use their words to describe a picture.
In the Panda game, we encourage children to retell what they read in a story.
Words that a person can understand and use in communication, either orally or written are part of your expressive vocabulary. Expressive vocabulary involves speaking and writing. Example:
A child is able to use a word to label an object or picture.
In the Panda game, we encourage children to use their vocabulary to describe who and what a story is about.
The name of the letter, such as the letter "A" or the letters as they are recited in the alphabet. Example: A child looks at a letter and can name the specific letter, such as the first letter of their name.
The Sound Wheel (ferris wheel) game teaches the name of each letter connecting it to the sound that the letter makes.
The sound(s) that a letter makes in spoken words. For example, the letter "C" can make both the /k/ sound, as in "cat" or the /s/ sound as in "pace."
The Sound Wheel game teaches the sound that each letter makes connecting it to the name of each letter.
When you manipulate the sounds in a word, you delete or swap the sounds. Deleting a sound means getting rid of a sound. Swapping means changing one of the sounds in the word.
Examples:
Deleting: say the word cat. Now say the word cat, without saying /c/. The new word is at.
Swapping: say the word cat. Now say cat but instead of saying /t/, change the /t/ to /p/. The new word is cap.
1. The Kangaroo teaches manipulation by asking you to say a sentence (ex: I am smart) and then asking you to swap one word in the sentence for another one (ex: change smart to silly)
2. The Kangaroo teaches manipulation by asking you to say a word (ex: dog) and then swap one sound in the word for another sound (ex: change the /g/ to a /t/)
3. The Kangaroo teaches manipulation by asking you to say a word (ex: scarecrow) and then asking you to delete part of the word (ex: now say scarecrow without saying scare)
Oral language is communicating through speaking and listening. Oral language comprehension is the ability to understand and find meaning in what you have heard (spoken language). Example: A child listens to a story and understands what the story is telling them.
The Rhino teaches listening comprehension by asking you to listen carefully to a sentence while looking at an incomplete picture. and then to choose which 1 of 3 (or 4) objects will complete the picture.
Phonemes are the individual sounds that make up a spoken word.
Example: The word dog has 3 phonemes /d/ /o/ /g/ (the sounds of those letters are the phonemes) The word fish has 3 phonemes as well /f/-/i/-/sh/ (sh is 2 letters but since it makes 1 sound, it is 1 phoneme)
The Sound Wheel game teaches you the sound that each letter makes. The Elephant helps you practice identifying phonemes by asking you to say each sound in a word while you pull down colored tiles that represent each sound.
Phonemic awareness is one aspect under the umbrella category of phonological awareness. Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify, isolate, change, or get rid of individual sounds in a spoken word.
Example: Listening to the word "nap" and being able to identify that it has 3 phonemes /n/ /a/ /p/ is phonemic awareness.
The Tiger teaches phonemic awareness by asking to you listen to a word and move one space for each sound you hear in the word.
Phonics is a way of teaching reading and spelling that focuses on connecting letter names and letter sounds. Example: A child sees a letter and can identify the sound that matches the letter.
The Ferris Wheel teaches you to connect letter names and letter sounds by asking you to match letter name, keyword, and sound that go together.
Phonological Awareness is a foundational skill for learning to read. It is the ability to hear, think about, and manipulate the sounds in spoken words and sentences. Phonological awareness includes rhyming, alliteration, and syllable counting. It also includes identifying sounds, adding sounds, deleting sounds, and changing sounds in spoken words. Example: Identifying words that rhyme, such as cat and hat.
When playing with Elephant, your child is learning to break whole into parts. Through the different levels, your child will practice breaking sentences into words, words to syllables, and words into individual sounds.
Receptive language involves listening. It is understanding and making meaning out of words that you hear. Example: A child is able to understand what they are listening to, such as a story or a set of verbal instructions.
The Rhino targets receptive language by asking you to listen carefully to a sentence while looking at an incomplete picture and then to choose which 1 of 3 (or 4) objects will complete the picture.
Words and phrases that a person can recognize and understand in spoken language are part of your receptive vocabulary. Receptive vocabulary invovles listening and understanding. A child is able to hear a word and point to the matching picture or object.
Segmenting is breaking down a word into parts. You can segment a word into syllables, onset-rime, and individual sounds (phonemes).
Examples:
- Segmenting hiccup into two syllables hic-cup (syllables)
- Segmenting blank into bl-ank (onset/rime)
-Segmenting snack into s-n-a-ck (phonemes)
The Elephant teaches you to segment by asking you to say each sound in a word while you pull down colored tiles that represent each sound.
