Page 229 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages

native speaker. One who has learned and spoken a particular language from early childhood. A person may have more than one native language.
paraphrase. A restatement of an idea or text in one’s own words.
partitive genitive. A particular usage of the genitive case in which the genitive denotes the whole of which a part is taken.
personification. A stylistic device in which human qualities are attributed to things or ideas.
phonological awareness. The ability to focus on and manipulate units of language, including phonemes and larger spoken units such as syllables and words.
print and electronic (re)sources. Materials in print or electronic media, including reference materials. Examples include: books (fiction, non-fiction), newspapers, magazines, encyclo- pedias, reports, television programs, videos, print or electronic dictionaries, interactive software, computer graphics programs, word processing programs, models for writing (e.g., stories or essays by published writers), style guides, databases, thesauri, spell-check programs.
prior knowledge. The background experience and knowledge that a student brings to classroom learning. Instruction builds on prior knowledge in order to introduce new learning. Since students come to school with a wide variety of prior knowledge, teachers need to be aware of their students’ backgrounds in planning lessons.
proofreading. The careful reading of a final draft to eliminate typographical errors and correct errors in grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation.
purposes of reading. Some purposes of reading are to gather and process information; make connections between experience and what is read; develop opinions; broaden understanding; develop and clarify a point of view.
purposes of writing. Some purposes of writing are to explore ideas and experiences; examine ideas critically; inform, describe, and explain; provide instructions; record thoughts and experiences; clarify and develop ideas; inquire into a problem; entertain; persuade; express thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
readers’ theatre. An instructional activity in which students adopt the roles of different characters and of a narrator to read a text; or develop scripts based on familiar texts, practise their parts, and then present their rehearsed reading to others.
reading strategies. Methods used in reading to determine the meaning of a text. Examples are: rereading; substituting an appropriate familiar word for an unfamiliar one; using root words to determine meaning of unfamiliar words; using previous knowledge to determine meaning; using information from the context to determine meaning; predicting the use of specific words from the context (e.g., in a simple statement, the verb often immediately follows the subject); making inferences; predicting content; confirming or revising predictions; adjusting speed in silent reading according to the purpose of reading or the difficulty of the text; using graphic organizers (e.g., Venn diagrams, story maps); skimming text for information or detail; scanning text to determine the purpose of the text or the type of material; recording key points and organizing them in a sequence; monitoring comprehension.
research. A systematic investigation involving the study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and seek out the truth. Such an investigation generally has the following stages: selecting a topic, narrowing the focus, locating appropriate resources, gathering information, analysing material and forming conclusions, presenting the information in written and/or oral form, and documenting the sources of information and ideas.
revising. The making of major changes to the content and/or organization of a draft.
root. A word or a word part from which other words are derived.
GLOSSARY
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