“Homograph: (Greek ‘same writing’) A word written in the same way as another, but having a different pronunciation and meaning, e.g. row/row, tear/tear, lead/lead.”
Excerpted from: Cuddon, J.A. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. New York: Penguin, 1992.
“jigsaw strategy: A cooperative learning technique in which each student within a small work group specializes in one part of a learning unit. Each member of this ‘home group’ is assigned a different aspect of the topic and then meets with members from other groups who are assigned the same material. These ‘expert groups’ discuss and master the material together, after which the experts return to their home groups to teach their portion of the materials to the rest of the group and, in turn, learn from their group partners. Just as in a jigsaw puzzle, each piece is essential for the group’s completion of the final product.”
Excerpted from: Ravitch, Diane. EdSpeak: A Glossary of Education Terms, Phrases, Buzzwords, and Jargon. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2007.
“Sustained Silent Reading: (SSR): A time set aside in the school day for uninterrupted, independent reading. Homework and conversation are not allowed during SSR periods. Variations on SSR include free voluntary reading (FVR); Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading (USSR); Positive Outcomes While Enjoying Reading (POWER); Daily Individual Reading Time (DIRT); Sustained Quiet Uninterrupted Reading Time (SQUIRT); and Drop Everything and Read (DEAR). See also silent reading. Contrast oral reading.”
Excerpted from: Ravitch, Diane. EdSpeak: A Glossary of Education Terms, Phrases, Buzzwords, and Jargon. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2007.
“We should want to move beyond mere grades and test scores and make it our mission that when students leave our teachers and our schools, they not only earn strong grades and test scores, but they also embody a love for reading and literacy–that they leave us and ascend to more remote regions of the world while also discovering the power of their own minds. This is the genius that they for others to cultivate–to prepare, to raise, to grow, and help develop. Cultivating genius speaks to the responsibility and work that educators have.”
Excerpted from: Muhammad, Dr. Gholdy. Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. New York: Scholastic, 2020.
“Antithesis (noun): The juxtaposing of contrasting words or ideas through parallel of balanced phrasing; rhetorical counterposing of opposites, as by asserting something and denying its contrary; the second or opposite element in an expressed contrast. Pl. antitheses; adj. antithetic, antithetical; adv. antithetically.
‘The poet ate his salad with his fingers, leaf by leaf, while talking to me about the antithesis of nature and art.’ Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar.”
Excerpted from: Grambs, David. The Random House Dictionary for Writers and Readers. New York: Random House, 1990.
Posted in English Language Arts, Quotes, Reference
“Couplet: In prosody, a pair of lines forming a unit, usually either because they set off as a separate stanze or because they rhyme. The best-known couplet is the soc-called heroic couplet.”
Excerpted from: Murphy, Bruce, ed. Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia, Fourth Edition. New York: Harper Collins, 1996.
Posted in English Language Arts, Quotes, Reference
Tagged poetry, professional development
When the English teacher with whom I work recently introduced Stephanie Ericsson’s essay “The Ways We Lie” late last week, I’d never previously seen it. If you search it, you’ll see that it is evidently in use in a number of schools around the country. It’s not especially profound, but it does touch on some of the my philosophical issues that lying and truth-telling raise. Ms. Ericsson has enjoyed a successful career as a writer and and actor, the latter of which surprised me.
In any case, here is a copy of the essay itself along with a contextual and learning support that I composed to attend it. The essay is in Microsoft Word, though I didn’t render it so, so I cannot vouch for it accuracy or fidelity; the contextual and learning support I did write, and, as below, if you find any problems with it, please advise. I copy-edited it twice, which doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain lapses or errors. There is a reason why professional writers–which I am not, alas–use the services of their publishers’ copy-editing offices.
If you find typos in these documents, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.
“tactile defensiveness: Being overly sensitive to touch; withdrawing, crying, yelling, or strking out when touched.
Some experts believe that that tactile defensiveness is related to disorganization in the midbrain, which is responsible for filtering incoming stimuli and—when abnormal—may not screen out all excessive tactile stimulation. As a result, a person would register even the most subtle sensations as irritating or painful, so that the person may respond to touch by grimacing or pulling away.
The central nervous system relies on different sensory nerve receptors in the skin to monitor the environment: light touch (surface), pressure (deep), temperature (hot and cold), and pain. It is quite possible for a person with tactile defensiveness to have one type of receptor that is oversensitive and the rest be normal. This explains why a person could tolerate light touch but pull away from a firm hug or prefer to run outside with a coat but be content with haircuts.
The tactile defensive individual can experience great distress in the course of daily life, constantly being bombarded with raw sensations. A person might insist on wearing only very soft clothes with large head openings or refuse to wear jewelry (especially around the neck). The slightest bump from another person may feel like a threat, and his or her defensive response may appear to be impulsive or aggressive. People with this condition may dislike group games such as tag or dodgeball, and holding hands with a partner can be physically agonizing. A person with this condition may shrink from being touched, which prevents him or her from being able to interact with friends in a normal way. Daily personal grooming, including bathing, washing hair, trimming nails, or brushing teeth can also be interpreted as uncomfortable.”
Excerpted from: Turkington, Carol, and Joseph R. Harris, PhD. The Encyclopedia of Learning Disabilities. New York: Facts on File, 2006.
“Non-finite Verb: also nonfinite verb. A form of the verb that does not display a distinction in tense, in contrast with finite verb (where there is a distinction between present tense and past tense: hopes, hoped). A non-finite verb is either an infinitive or a participle. There are two infinitives: the to-infinitive (‘Estelle wants to dance with Matthew’); the bare infinitive (‘Philip will come with Matthew’). There are two participles: the -ing participle or the present participle (‘James is playing cards’) and the -ed participle or (according to its function) the past participle or passive participle (‘James has visited me recently’; Jane was helped by Jeremy).”
Excerpted from: McArthur, Tom. The Oxford Concise Companion to the English Language. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
“vision training and ADHD: Some people believe that visual problems such as faulty eye movements, focus problems, and light oversensitivity of the eyes cause reading disorders. However, there are few well-designed studies of this approach.
In 1972, a joint statement highly critical of the optometric approach to learning disability treatment was issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. In the absence of supporting evidence, most experts warn that this approach should not be used to treat learning disabilities.”
Excerpted from: Turkington, Carol, and Joseph R. Harris, PhD. The Encyclopedia of Learning Disabilities. New York: Facts on File, 2006.
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