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Jargon buster
Here’s a quick guide to some of the names and terms used in the world of education.Attainment targets
National targets that set out the standards which children should be attaining at various stages in their education.
Book Bands
Book Bands for Guided Reading is a handbook that helps teachers select books at the right level for young children to read. Many schools now level their books according to ‘Book Bands’. Children will progress up through the bands, which are colour coded as follows:
Band 1 – Pink
Band 2 – Red
Band 3 – Yellow
Band 4 – Blue
Band 5 – Green
Band 6 – Orange
Band 7 – Turquoise
Band 8 – Purple
Band 9 – Gold
Band 10 – White
Comprehension
Comprehension is the ability to understand what is being read. Sometimes this happens at a simple, surface level; sometimes it involves forming a deeper understanding.
Context
The context of a book is what it is about. This will include the subject, the setting, the characters, the time, the theme and the type of writing.
Decoding
Working out what words mean – cracking the code!
Department for Education and Skills (DfES)
The Government department responsible for education.
Early Learning Goals A nationally agreed set of key learning achievements for the Foundation Stage (see below). Environmental print
Printed words that appear in the environment – including road signs, labels, posters, adverts, shop signs etc
Foundation Stage
The first level of education for children between the ages of 3 and 5. This can be in a range of environments including nurseries, playgroups and the Reception class of primary school.
Genre
Stories are often categorised according to different styles or genre – e.g. mystery, science-fiction, adventure, humour, traditional tales.
Guided reading
In guided reading, the teacher works with a small group of about six children. The children are grouped according to reading ability. The teacher chooses a book at the right level for the children and offers ideas and prompts to help each child read successfully.
High-frequency words (also called sight words and key words)
A set of essential words that children need to recognise on sight – e.g. and the my said she is from
Independent reading
Reading that children do without the support of the teacher.
Key Stages
The different stages of education outlined by the National Curriculum (England only):
Key Stage 1 – children aged 5-7
Key Stage 2 – children aged 7-11
Key Stage 3 – children aged 11-14
Key Stage 4 – children aged 14-16
Key words (also called sight words and high-frequency words)
A set of essential words that children need to recognise on sight – e.g. and the my said she is from
Literacy
The ability to communicate with others through reading, writing, speaking and listening.
The Literacy Hour
The daily literacy lesson recommended by the National Literacy Strategy (see below).
National Curriuculum
A framework for teaching a broad range of subjects across all Key Stages (England only).
National Literacy Strategy (NLS)
Introduced in 1998, the National Literacy Strategy provides a detailed framework for the teaching of literacy across Key Stages 1 and 2.
OfSTED (Office for Standards in Education)
The Government department responsible for assessing and monitoring education standards. OfSTED inspectors regularly visit schools to assess the quality of teaching and offer guidance on areas for improvement.
Phoneme
The smallest unit of sound in a word.
Phonemic awareness
An awareness of the sounds (phonemes) that make up words.
Phonics
The ‘science’ of word sounds. The teaching of phonics helps children to understand the relationship between written letters and spoken sounds.
Plenary
The final 10 minutes of the daily literacy lesson, in which children review and consolidate their learning.
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
A national body that works with others to develop the school curriculum and provide appropriate guidance for teachers. The QCA is also responsible for setting and monitoring national tests.
Reading strategies
Overall term for the range of methods children use when trying to decode words and work out what a text means.
SATs – Standard Attainment Tests
National tests in the core subjects of English (reading, writing and spelling), maths and science. The tests are taken at the end of Key Stage 1 (English and maths only) and again at the end of Key Stage 2 (English, maths and science).
Sentence level work
Teaching that focuses on grammar and punctuation.
Shared reading
Shared reading involves a whole class in reading and exploring a book, or part of a book, together with the teacher. Most schools use enlarged texts or ‘big books’ for this purpose.
Sight words (also called high-frequency words and key words)
A set of essential words that children need to recognise on sight – e.g. and the my said she is from
Special Eduactional Needs (SEN)
A range of special circumstances that can affect children’s ability to learn or to participate in learning.
Text level work
Teaching that looks at a whole text and focuses on composition and comprehension.
Text types
A term used, particularly in reference to non-fiction, to describe different forms of writing – e.g. explanations, instructions, reports, biographies, dictionaries.
Word level work
Teaching that focuses on word sounds and spellings.