If you’ve ever walked out of a parent-teacher conference feeling like the teacher was speaking a foreign language, you’re not alone. Educators use a lot of specialized terms when discussing reading and learning support, and it can be overwhelming to keep up. But don’t worry—we’re here to help you decode the school jargon so you can better understand what’s happening with your child’s education.
Below are some of the most common school terms related to reading and learning, explained in plain English.
Common Reading Terms
📖 Phonemic Awareness – The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. This is a critical building block for learning to read.
🔡 Phonics – The relationship between letters and the sounds they make. Phonics instruction helps kids learn how to “sound out” words.
📝 Symbol Imagery – As students see letters and words in their mind, they get faster at picking up on sequences of letters—which is a skill required to recognize sight words.
📚 Fluency – Reading with accuracy, speed, and proper expression. If a child struggles with fluency, they may read slowly, word-by-word, or in a choppy or robotic way.
📝 Decoding – The process of sounding out and recognizing words while reading. If a teacher says your child has trouble with decoding, it means they struggle to break words into sounds and blend them together.
🔎 Comprehension – Understanding and interpreting what is read. A child may be able to read the words on the page but still struggle to grasp the meaning.
✍️ Sight Words – Common words that don’t follow standard phonics rules and need to be recognized instantly (e.g., “the,” “said,” “because”).
Learning Support Terms
🎯 Intervention – Additional instruction provided to help students who are struggling in a specific area, such as reading or writing. This could be in small groups or one-on-one.
📊 Progress Monitoring – Regular assessments that track a student’s improvement over time. Schools use these to determine if an intervention is working.
📌 Accommodations – Changes that help a child work around a learning difficulty. Examples include extra time on tests or audiobooks instead of print.
🔄 Modifications – Changes to the curriculum itself, such as making assignments shorter or adjusting reading levels. These are more significant than accommodations.
🧩 Differentiated Instruction – A teaching method that adjusts lessons to fit each student’s learning style and needs.
📈 Response to Intervention (RTI) – A multi-step process used to identify students who need extra help and provide targeted instruction.
Special Education Terms
📄 Individualized Education Program (IEP) – A legal plan outlining special education services and accommodations for a student with a diagnosed learning disability.
📜 504 Plan – A plan that provides accommodations for students with disabilities who do not qualify for an IEP but still need support in the classroom.
🧠 Specific Learning Disability (SLD) – A formal term for learning challenges that affect reading, writing, or math. Dyslexia falls under this category.
📑 Assistive Technology – Tools that help students with learning differences, such as text-to-speech software or speech-to-text apps.
What to Do If You Don’t Understand a Term
If your child’s teacher or school uses a term you don’t recognize, don’t hesitate to ask! Ask for an example if needed (“Can you show me what that looks like in my child’s work?”) If you’re still unclear, email the teacher or school for more details.
Why This Matters
Understanding school terminology helps you advocate for your child’s needs. The more you know, the better you can work with teachers to support your child’s reading success.
Did we miss any terms you’ve heard at school but didn’t quite understand? Drop them in the comments, and we’ll help decode them!
