Foundational Skills Flashcards

Which of the following is a high-frequency sight word that students should recognize automatically?

Answer: the

'The' is one of the most common high-frequency words and should be memorized as a sight word.

The word 'unhappy' contains a prefix. What does the prefix 'un-' mean?

Answer: not

The prefix 'un-' means 'not,' so 'unhappy' means not happy.

Which sentence uses a context clue to help define the bold word? 'The **nocturnal** animals, like owls and bats, were active only at night.'

Answer: The sentence uses an appositive/restatement clue

The phrase 'active only at night' restates and defines 'nocturnal,' which is an appositive/restatement context clue.

A student reads 'I see the cat. The cat is big.' in 2 seconds with no errors. This performance primarily reflects:

Answer: Reading fluency and automaticity

Reading accurately and quickly without hesitation indicates fluency — automatic word recognition.

Which word has the same vowel sound as the 'ea' in 'bread'?

Answer: head

In 'bread,' 'ea' makes the short /ɛ/ sound, the same as in 'head.'

A student can read words accurately but very slowly. Which foundational skill should the teacher target next?

Answer: Reading fluency

When decoding accuracy is present but speed is low, the next goal is building fluency through repeated reading practice.

Which word is an example of a closed syllable?

Answer: hot

'Hot' ends in a consonant (closed), which traps the vowel and makes it short /ɒ/.