Glossary

Published 31/10/2023.  Last updated 25/03/2024

This glossary has been created to define literacy terms which are commonly used throughout the ‘Learning to Read in the Early Years’ professional learning resource.

This is a live document which will be added to and revised as further resources are published.

Some of the glossary definitions listed below draw upon resources from a range of well-known organisations and publications. Please see the links below for further information.

International Literacy Association

Reading Rockets

Education Endowment Foundation

National Institute for Literacy

Accent

A way of pronouncing words, which is influenced by where someone is from and/or which social groups they belong to.

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in connected text. For example: Laura the loopy lama was lost.

Auditory discrimination

Auditory discrimination is the ability to hear differences between two (or more) different sounds in the environment.

Auditory memory

Auditory memory involves taking in, processing, storing in our mind and then recalling the things we hear.

Bilingualism

The use of at least two languages by an individual. Proficiency in two languages may change depending on the opportunities for the learner to hear and use them.

Comprehension

Making meaning from something that is heard (oral comprehension) or from print (reading comprehension). Comprehension includes understanding what is expressed outright or implied as well as interpreting what is viewed, read, or heard by drawing on knowledge and experiences.

Concepts of print

Concepts of print (also called print concepts) is the understanding that print carries meaning, that books contain letters and words and words are separated by spaces. Concepts of print include an understanding of what books are used for and how a book “works” e.g. how to turn pages, how to identify the title and the front/back covers, that English books are read from top to bottom, left to right.

Dialect

A form of language that is spoken within a particular region or group, with variation of words, grammar and pronunciation.

Directionality

An aspect of concepts of print, directionality refers to the way languages when written down are read.  The English language is read top to bottom and left to right.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

English as an Additional Language is a term used to describe learners with a home language that is not English who are taught through the medium of English.

Environmental sounds

The different noises that can be heard inside and outside as part of our daily lives. For example: the sounds of traffic, birdsong, water running or wind rustling through trees.

Home language(s)

The language that a person learned as a child at home (usually from their parents). Children growing up in bilingual homes can, according to this definition, have more than one mother tongue or native language.

Oral vocabulary

Oral vocabulary refers to words that we use when speaking or recognise when listening.

Phoneme

The smallest parts of spoken language that combine to form words. For example: the word ship is made up of three phonemes: /sh/, /i/, and /p/.

Phonemic awareness

The ability to notice, think about and work with the individual sounds in spoken words.

Phonological awareness

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate, or ‘play with’ the spoken sounds in words and sentences. 

Print concepts

Print concepts (also called concepts of print) is the understanding that print carries meaning, that books contain letters and words and words are separated by spaces.  Print concepts also include an understanding of what books are used for and how a book “works” e.g. how to turn pages, how to identify the title and the front /back covers, that English books are read from top to bottom, left to right.

Rhyme

Words that rhyme have the same last sound. For example: red/bed, blue/flew.

Syllable

A word or word part which contains a vowel sound, e.g. basket has two syllables: bas - ket.

Visual discrimination

Visual discrimination is the ability to see differences between two (or more) things. It is an important part of reading, as letter recognition can be hindered when a child has difficulty seeing the difference between a ‘k’ and an ‘h’ or words like ‘was’ and ‘saw’.

Vocabulary

Knowledge of the meaning and pronunciation of words. Listening vocabulary refers to the words we need to know to understand what we hear.  Speaking vocabulary refers to the words we use when we speak.  Reading vocabulary refers to the words we need to know to understand what we read. Writing vocabulary refers to the words we use in writing.

Vowel

A speech sound produced by humans when the breath flows out through the mouth without being blocked by the teeth, tongue, or lips e.g. a,e,i,o,u.

 

 

 

Word Awareness

Awareness of word boundaries, understanding where one word ends and where another begins. For example: the following sentence contains three words – Today is Tuesday.
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Glossary

Published 31/10/2023.  Last updated 25/03/2024

This glossary has been created to define literacy terms which are commonly used throughout the ‘Learning to Read in the Early Years’ professional learning resource.

This is a live document which will be added to and revised as further resources are published.

Some of the glossary definitions listed below draw upon resources from a range of well-known organisations and publications. Please see the links below for further information.

International Literacy Association

Reading Rockets

Education Endowment Foundation

National Institute for Literacy

Accent

A way of pronouncing words, which is influenced by where someone is from and/or which social groups they belong to.

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in connected text. For example: Laura the loopy lama was lost.

Auditory discrimination

Auditory discrimination is the ability to hear differences between two (or more) different sounds in the environment.

Auditory memory

Auditory memory involves taking in, processing, storing in our mind and then recalling the things we hear.

Bilingualism

The use of at least two languages by an individual. Proficiency in two languages may change depending on the opportunities for the learner to hear and use them.

Comprehension

Making meaning from something that is heard (oral comprehension) or from print (reading comprehension). Comprehension includes understanding what is expressed outright or implied as well as interpreting what is viewed, read, or heard by drawing on knowledge and experiences.

Concepts of print

Concepts of print (also called print concepts) is the understanding that print carries meaning, that books contain letters and words and words are separated by spaces. Concepts of print include an understanding of what books are used for and how a book “works” e.g. how to turn pages, how to identify the title and the front/back covers, that English books are read from top to bottom, left to right.

Dialect

A form of language that is spoken within a particular region or group, with variation of words, grammar and pronunciation.

Directionality

An aspect of concepts of print, directionality refers to the way languages when written down are read.  The English language is read top to bottom and left to right.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

English as an Additional Language is a term used to describe learners with a home language that is not English who are taught through the medium of English.

Environmental sounds

The different noises that can be heard inside and outside as part of our daily lives. For example: the sounds of traffic, birdsong, water running or wind rustling through trees.

Home language(s)

The language that a person learned as a child at home (usually from their parents). Children growing up in bilingual homes can, according to this definition, have more than one mother tongue or native language.

Oral vocabulary

Oral vocabulary refers to words that we use when speaking or recognise when listening.

Phoneme

The smallest parts of spoken language that combine to form words. For example: the word ship is made up of three phonemes: /sh/, /i/, and /p/.

Phonemic awareness

The ability to notice, think about and work with the individual sounds in spoken words.

Phonological awareness

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate, or ‘play with’ the spoken sounds in words and sentences. 

Print concepts

Print concepts (also called concepts of print) is the understanding that print carries meaning, that books contain letters and words and words are separated by spaces.  Print concepts also include an understanding of what books are used for and how a book “works” e.g. how to turn pages, how to identify the title and the front /back covers, that English books are read from top to bottom, left to right.

Rhyme

Words that rhyme have the same last sound. For example: red/bed, blue/flew.

Syllable

A word or word part which contains a vowel sound, e.g. basket has two syllables: bas - ket.

Visual discrimination

Visual discrimination is the ability to see differences between two (or more) things. It is an important part of reading, as letter recognition can be hindered when a child has difficulty seeing the difference between a ‘k’ and an ‘h’ or words like ‘was’ and ‘saw’.

Vocabulary

Knowledge of the meaning and pronunciation of words. Listening vocabulary refers to the words we need to know to understand what we hear.  Speaking vocabulary refers to the words we use when we speak.  Reading vocabulary refers to the words we need to know to understand what we read. Writing vocabulary refers to the words we use in writing.

Vowel

A speech sound produced by humans when the breath flows out through the mouth without being blocked by the teeth, tongue, or lips e.g. a,e,i,o,u.

 

 

 

Word Awareness

Awareness of word boundaries, understanding where one word ends and where another begins. For example: the following sentence contains three words – Today is Tuesday.
^ Back to top