Question 1

Phonemes

Accepted Answer

The smallest units of sound that change the meanings of spoken words.

Question 2

Morphemes

Accepted Answer

The smallest meaningful units of language, which may be a word or a part of a word.

Question 3

Alphabetic Principle

Accepted Answer

The concept that letters and combinations of letters represent individual phonemes in written language.

Question 4

Blending

Accepted Answer

The process of smoothly combining individual sounds or syllables together to pronounce a word.

Question 5

Segmenting

Accepted Answer

The ability to break down words into individual sounds or syllables.

Question 6

Graphemes

Accepted Answer

The written representation of a phoneme.

Question 7

Decoding

Accepted Answer

The process of translating print into speech by rapidly matching a letter or combination of letters to their sounds.

Question 8

Sight Words

Accepted Answer

Words that are immediately recognized as a whole and do not require word analysis for identification.

Question 9

Phonemic Awareness

Accepted Answer

The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.

Question 10

Phonological Awareness

Accepted Answer

A broad skill that includes identifying and manipulating units of oral language, such as words, syllables, onsets and rimes.

Question 11

Orthography

Accepted Answer

A set of conventions for how to write the sounds and words of a language.

Question 12

Semantics

Accepted Answer

The area of language function that relates to understanding the meanings of words, phrases and sentence constructs.

Question 13

Syntax

Accepted Answer

The set of rules that dictate how words are combined to form sentences in a particular language.

Question 14

Morphology

Accepted Answer

The study of the structure of words, including inflection, derivation, and the formation of compounds.

Question 15

Affixes

Accepted Answer

Morphemes that are added to the beginning (prefixes) or end (suffixes) of root words to create new meanings.

Question 16

Digraphs

Accepted Answer

Two letters that together represent one sound (e.g., ph, ch, sh).

Question 17

Diphthongs

Accepted Answer

A complex speech sound that begins with one vowel and gradually changes to another vowel within the same syllable.

Question 18

Onset and Rime

Accepted Answer

The initial phonological unit of any word (onset) and the string of letters that follow (rime).

Question 19

Consonant Blend

Accepted Answer

Two or three consonants that are together in a word, each sound can be heard when pronounced.

Question 20

Fluency

Accepted Answer

The ability to read a text accurately, quickly, and with proper expression.

Question 21

Comprehension

Accepted Answer

The process of understanding what is being read.

Question 22

Metacognition

Accepted Answer

The awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes, often used in reference to reading strategies.

Question 23

Homophones

Accepted Answer

Words that sound the same but have different meanings and may have different spellings (e.g., two, to, too).

Question 24

Homographs

Accepted Answer

Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and may have different pronunciations (e.g., read [reed] vs. read [red]).

Question 25

Derivational Morphology

Accepted Answer

The process of forming words by adding prefixes and suffixes to base words and root words.

Question 26

Inflectional Morphology

Accepted Answer

The process of using inflectional morphemes to indicate grammatical relationships between words.

Question 27

Explicit Instruction

Accepted Answer

Teaching method that involves direct explanation and teaching of a specific skill.

Question 28

Implicit Instruction

Accepted Answer

Learning that occurs without conscious awareness of the learning process, often via exposure or immersion.

Question 29

Connotative Meaning

Accepted Answer

The emotional or cultural association with a word rather than its dictionary definition.

Question 30

Denotative Meaning

Accepted Answer

The literal or dictionary definition of a word.

Question 31

Syllable

Accepted Answer

A unit of pronunciation that has one vowel sound and may or may not be surrounded by consonants.

Question 32

Etymology

Accepted Answer

The study of the origin of words and the historical development of their meanings.

Question 33

Figurative Language

Accepted Answer

Words or expressions that have a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation.

Question 34

Idioms

Accepted Answer

Phrases that have a meaning different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words.

Question 35

Similes

Accepted Answer

A figure of speech that directly compares two things, often using the words 'like' or 'as'.

Question 36

Metaphors

Accepted Answer

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that are basically dissimilar, without using 'like' or 'as'.

Question 37

Hyperbole

Accepted Answer

An exaggerated statement or claim that is not meant to be taken literally.

Question 38

Alliteration

Accepted Answer

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Question 39

Onomatopoeia

Accepted Answer

The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g., cuckoo, sizzle).

Question 40

Prosody

Accepted Answer

The patterns of rhythm and sound used in poetry and the intonation and stress in spoken language.

Question 41

Phonics

Accepted Answer

A method of teaching reading and spelling that stresses symbol-sound relationships.

Question 42

High Frequency Words

Accepted Answer

Words that appear most frequently in written material.

Question 43

Context Clues

Accepted Answer

Information from the words or sentences surrounding an unknown word that can help determine the word's meaning.

Question 44

Inferential Comprehension

Accepted Answer

The process of using previous knowledge to predict, draw conclusions, and make sense of text.

Question 45

Literal Comprehension

Accepted Answer

Understanding the explicit or straightforward information in a text.

Question 46

Text Structure

Accepted Answer

The organization of text in terms of what the author is intending to convey or the genre of the text.

Question 47

Narrator's Perspective

Accepted Answer

The viewpoint from which a story is told.

Question 48

Point of View

Accepted Answer

The perspective from which a story is told. Can be first person, second person, or third person.

Question 49

Theme

Accepted Answer

The underlying message or main idea that the author is trying to convey through the text.

Question 50

Foreshadowing

Accepted Answer

A literary device where the author provides clues or hints about what is going to happen later in the story.

Question 51

Main Idea

Accepted Answer

The most important or central thought of a paragraph or larger section of text, which tells the reader what the text is about.

Question 52

Supporting Details

Accepted Answer

Pieces of information which add additional facts to understand and prove the main idea.

Question 53

Direct Characterization

Accepted Answer

The process by which the author reveals the personality of a character by explicit description.

Question 54

Indirect Characterization

Accepted Answer

The process by which the author shows the character's personality through their actions, thoughts, and dialogue.

Question 55

Static Character

Accepted Answer

A character who remains fundamentally the same throughout a story.

Question 56

Dynamic Character

Accepted Answer

A character who undergoes a major transition in one or more aspects (e.g., perspective, personality, beliefs) during the story.

Question 57

Setting

Accepted Answer

The time and place in which the events of a story take place.

Question 58

Plot

Accepted Answer

The sequence of events that make up a story.

Question 59

Rising Action

Accepted Answer

A series of events that build toward the point of greatest interest in a story.

Question 60

Climax

Accepted Answer

The turning point or most intense moment in a story.

Question 61

Falling Action

Accepted Answer

The part of a story after the climax and before the resolution where the conflict is resolved.

Question 62

Resolution

Accepted Answer

The end of the story where the plot comes to a close and remaining loose ends are tied up.

Question 63

Inference

Accepted Answer

A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

Question 64

Prediction

Accepted Answer

A statement about what will happen or might happen in the future.

North Carolina Foundations of Reading Test