Abbreviations and Definitions


used on Reading Reform Foundation Message Board

/_/

Slashes denote spoken language

Top

"_"

Quote marks denote written language

B

**

see pg-

G

AAC

Advanced Alphabetic Code (from Maizie)

K

ABT

Ain't Been Taught: a more precise designation for some children labelled dyslexic or SEN

AC

Alphabetic Code

O

ALS

UK: Additional Literacy Support. NLS intervention programme for Y3 & Y4

R

ALS

US: Adult Literacy Survey

T

ARI/READ

Advanced (Code) Reading Instruction”. Continuation of BRI Instruction to deliver Certified Readers


ARQ

Average Reading Quotient


BAC

Basic Alphabetic Code

BRI

An SP programme. The abbreviation is loosely used to subsume both BRI/READ and ARI/READ

BRI/READ

Basic (Code) Reading Instruction”. An SP programme initially derived from R&D conducted by SWRL


Certified Reader: reads any English text with understanding equal to that were the communication spoken.


CA

UK: Classroom Assistant


CP

Critical Period: a firmly bounded time period, during which a specific neural capability can be acquired; an early psychological concept, now seen to have less applicability than originally expected. See SP, OP


CPD

Continuing Professional Development


CPS

Centre For Policy Studies - was founded by Sir Keith Joseph and Margaret Thatcher in 1974 to champion economic liberalism in Britain and has since played a global role in the dissemination of free market economics

Top

CVC

consonant/vowel/consonant - as in c/a/t

B

CT

Class Teacher

G

CVC_

Underscore indicates "unspecified more"

K

DfES

UK Department for Education and Skills

O

EAL

English as an Additional Language

R

EdTalk

sometimes termed "educationese", originated by what Brian calls progfessors; dribbles down to the education community at large.

T

EFL

English as a Foreign Language (e.g. for natives of a non-English speaking country)


EFL

English as a First Language: best avoided, because easily confused with above. See ENL


ELB

English Language Background


ELS

UK: Early Literacy Support. Intervention for Y1


EMAG

Ethnic Minorities Achievement Grant

Ethnic Minorities Achievement Group exists as part of Dartford Council Education Department


ENL

English as Native Language


ELC

UK?: Early Learning Centre - chain of toy shops that sell JP items and educational toys

ERR

Early Reading Research - an SP programme with WL elements?

ESL also E2L

English as a Second Language (e.g. for speakers of other first languages living  in a country where English is the first language of the majority)


FE

Further Education

Top

FLS

UK: Further Literacy Support. For Y5

B

FSP

Foundation Stage Profile

G

GenLex

General Lexicon. Terms that are within an individual's receptive and expressive vocabulary.

O

GPC

Grapheme Phoneme Correspondence

R

HFW

High Frequency Word

T

HMI

Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools


IEN

Individual Educational Needs


IEP

Individual Education Plan: a statutory requirement for a child with a statement of Special Educational Needs or at Band D on the SEN Code of Practice


ITT

UK: Initial Teacher Trainer. The institution, university or LEA based, that a student teacher first attends

I-ware

the wherewithal to reliably accomplish a stated instructional aspiration

J&B

Jelly and Bean: a series of decodable books

JP

Jolly Phonics -an SP programme

KidTalk

TechTalk simplified to be suitable for kid instruction.

Top

KS (1, 2 etc)

UK: Key Stage

B

LEA

UK: Local Education Authority

G

L/SC

letter/sound correspondences in connection with written language

K

L.S.A.

Learning Support Assistant

O

MLT

insert 100% before "decodable". The term "decodable" is so abused that this was the motivation for coining the term.

R

MLT

maximally learnable text - another name for decodable text

T

NAAL

US: National Assessment of Adult Literacy


NCT

National Curriculum Tests: taken by children in England at the ends of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3.


NELB

Non-English Language Background


NLP

Neuro-Linguistic Programming


NLS

National Literacy Strategy


MM

Mixed Methods


OCR

Oxford, Cambridge and RSA examination board, formed by the merging of the Oxford and Cambridge Examination Board with that of the Royal Society of Arts; also a certificate or diploma for teachers of pupils with specific learning difficulties.


Ofsted

The inspectorate for children and learners in England. It inspects and regulates childcare, schools, colleges, children's services, teacher training and youth work


OP

Optimal Period. The period during which a neural capability can be acquired most easily. See CP, SP


ORT

Oxford Reading Tree - WL reading books and the most popular reading books used in schools today.

Top

PA

Phonemic Awareness

B

PI

Performance Indicator


PwS

Playing with Sounds


OT

Occupational Therapist


pg-

Carmen McGuinness' programme: to be referred to ONLY as ** on the RRF forum

G

PGCE

UK: post graduate certificate of education

K

PiPs

Progression in phonics

O


psy·cho·met·rics: The branch of psychology that deals with the design, administration, and interpretation of quantitative tests for the measurement of psychological variables such as intelligence, aptitude, and personality traits. Also called psychometry.

R

QFT

UK: Quality First Teaching.

T

RA

Read America

RML

Ruth Miskin Literacy - also an SP programme


RP

Received Pronunciation: the particular pronunciation of British English which is generally regarded as least regionally limited and most socially acceptable, and is considered the standard.


RRF

Reading Reform Foundation


RTI

Response To Intervention


S/LC

sound/letter correspondences in connection with spoken language


SALT

Speech and Language Therapist; see also SLP


SAT

US: Scholastic Aptitude Test


SATS

Standard or Statutory Assessment Tasks or Tests, the abbreviation commonly used for the National Curriculum Tests. May once have meant Standardized Attainment Tests

Top

SEN

UK: special educational needs

B

SES

Socio-economic Status

G

senco

Special Educational Needs Coordinator


SLT

Speech and Language Therapist; see also SLP


SLP

Speech and Language Pathologist; see also SALT, SLT


SP

synthetic phonics

K

SP

Sensitive Period. The period, with boundaries having some flexibility, within which a neural capability can be acquired. See CP, OP. OP preferred

O

SpLD

specific learning difficulties AKA dyslexia

R

SRS

Sound Reading System

T

StreetTalk

everyday General Lexicon


SWRL

US: Southwest Regional Laboratory for Educational Research and Development, now defunct


SWRL

A Semantic Web Rule Language Combining OWL (Web Ontology Language) and Rule Markup Language (Not RRF,  included to show the need for a specific RRF abbreviations list)


TA

UK: Teaching Assistant


TD

Tracer Device: a protocol that can be used to mark the progress of delivery of Certified Readers


TechLex

Technical Lexicon

Top

TechTalk

operationally defined and grounded terminology

B

TES

(London) Times Educational Supplement - weekly magazine

G

THRASS

The 'teaching handwriting, reading and spelling' programme - claims to be SP but on close examination is mixed methods (dogs dinner)

K

UKLA

United Kingdom Literacy Association

O

WL

whole-language

R

XML

EXtensible Markup Language (not RRF - associated with WWW design)

T

YR

UK: reception year