Caslon Language Education Wikimedia (P)

Caslon Language Education Index

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

performance assessment

• Often used as a synonym for alternative or authentic assessment,

a form of assessment that requires students to perform a task rather than take a teacher-made or statewide test. In performance assessment, teachers rate an actual student performance according to previously established criteria. Students may either perform a task or create a product and are assessed on both the process and the end result of their work (see alternative assessment; see authentic assessment).

performance indicator

• A written statement that describes what students must be able to

do to indicate their learning of content according to their level of proficiency. In WIDA (World Class Instructional Design and Assessment) Consortium states, a performance indicator consists of a description of the linguistic complexity (amount and quality of speech or writing) for a given situation, the level of vocabulary (specificity of words or phrases for a given context), and the language control a student must exhibit (the comprehensibility of the communication based on the number and type of errors).

phonological awareness

• Understanding of how words sound, apart from what words mean. For example, understanding that the word “kitchen” has two spoken parts (syllables), that the word “bed” rhymes with “bread,” and that the words “cat” and “king” begin with the same sound (Burns, Griffin, and Snow, 1999). Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow

phonology

• The study of the sound system of a language. Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow

picture walk

• Active reading strategy in which students look at pictures from a book and turn and talk about them with a partner, using sentence prompts and a word bank. Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow

portfolio assessment

• A portfolio is a purposeful collection of a student’s work that documents

his or her efforts, progress, and achievements over time in given areas of learning, either language or subject matter, or both. Proficiency (level of, stage of) The ability to use language for both basic communicative tasks and academic purposes. Proficiency definitions usually include aspects pertaining to the amount of language used, the grammatical control or number of errors, and the range of vocabulary the individual is able to use.

pull-out ESL

• In this ESL instructional model, English language learners are enrolled in

mainstream classes, but at different points throughout the day are pulled out of those classes for specific ESL instruction.

push-in ESL

• In this ESL instructional model, the English language learners are enrolled in

mainstream classes, but an ESL teacher is in class with them providing support, much as inclusion special educators do. In this situation the ESL teacher and the classroom teacher usually work together to support the students and often share common planning time.

pragmatics

• The study of how language is used and the larger context in which it is used. Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow