For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(1) ALPHABETIC PRINCIPLE. The ability to accurately apply knowledge of the relationship between letters and sounds during the acts of encoding and decoding.
(2) COMPREHENSION. The ability to read and process text and understand its meaning.
(3) DECODING. The act of applying knowledge of the alphabetic principle to correctly pronounce written words.
(4) DYSLEXIA. A specific learning challenge that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent, or both, word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities, which typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.
(5) ENCODING. The act and process of using knowledge of the relationships between sounds and letters to spell and write words.
(6) FLUENCY. The ability to read with accuracy, appropriate rate, and proper expression.
(7) PHONEMIC AWARENESS. The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds. Phonemic awareness is an auditory activity.
(8) PHONICS. The relationships between the letters of written language and the individual sounds of spoken language including syllable types, morphology of Greek and Latin roots, and multisyllabic words.
(9) PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS. The general understanding of the sound structure of words and sentences.
(10) VOCABULARY. The body of written or oral language known to an individual.
Last modified: May 3, 2021