Glossary: Terms Starting with S
139 definitions in English & Language Arts with links to the lessons that teach each word.
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All terms starting with S
scene
EnglishFrom Grade 3
one part of a play in one place and time
Learn it in: Introductory drama (Grade 3), Drama scripts (Grade 4), Drama (Grade 5)
science fiction
EnglishFrom Grade 5
fiction about imagined science and the future
Learn it in: Comparing literary genres (Grade 5)
script
EnglishFrom Grade 3
the written text of a play
Learn it in: Introductory drama (Grade 3), Dialogue (Grade 4), Drama (Grade 5)
search engine
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a tool that finds information online
Learn it in: Locating sources (Grade 5)
secondary source
EnglishFrom Grade 4
a report or book about something by someone who was not there
Learn it in: Primary and secondary sources (Grade 4), Comparing sources (Grade 5), Reliable sources (Grade 6)
section
EnglishFrom Grade 2
one part of a text
Learn it in: Titles and headings (Grade 2), Summarising complex information (Grade 4), Research reports (Grade 5)
self-correct
EnglishFrom Grade 2
fix your own mistake
Learn it in: Self-correction (Grade 2), Monitoring reading accuracy (Grade 3), Reading fluency (Grade 4)
self-regulation
EnglishFrom Grade 6
managing your own focus and effort
Learn it in: Independent learning (Grade 6)
semicolon
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a mark that joins two related main clauses
Learn it in: Compound-complex sentences (Grade 5), Compound sentences (Grade 6)
sense
EnglishFrom Grade 1
meaning
Learn it in: Blending sounds into words (Grade 1), Multiple-meaning words (Grade 1), Multiple-meaning words (Grade 4)
senses
EnglishFrom Grade 1
sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste
Learn it in: Writing short descriptions (Grade 1), Observing familiar objects (Grade 1), Descriptive paragraphs (Grade 2)
sensory detail
EnglishFrom Grade 4
a detail about what is seen, heard, felt, smelt or tasted
Learn it in: Setting and atmosphere (Grade 4), Descriptive settings (Grade 4), Descriptive techniques (Grade 5)
sentence
EnglishFrom Grade 1
words that go together to tell a whole idea
Learn it in: Understanding spoken words (Grade 1), Speaking clearly (Grade 1), Listening to words and sentences (Grade 1)
sentence clue
EnglishFrom Grade 3
words around that show which meaning
Learn it in: Multiple-meaning words (Grade 3)
sentence opener
EnglishFrom Grade 5
the first word or words of a sentence
Learn it in: Sentence variety (Grade 5)
sentence variety
EnglishFrom Grade 5
using different lengths, openings and types
Learn it in: Sentence variety (Grade 5), Sentence structures (Grade 6)
sequence
EnglishFrom Grade 2
the order in which things happen
Learn it in: Following multistep instructions (Grade 2), Story sequencing (Grade 2), Summarising narratives (Grade 3)
sequence word
EnglishFrom Grade 2
a word like first, next, then, finally
Learn it in: Personal narratives (Grade 2), Simple explanations (Grade 2), Explaining information (Grade 3)
setting
EnglishFrom Grade 1
where and when a story happens
Learn it in: Identifying settings (Grade 1), Story settings (Grade 1), Comparing stories (Grade 2)
shade of meaning
EnglishFrom Grade 4
a small difference in meaning
Learn it in: Synonyms and antonyms (Grade 4), Synonyms and shades of meaning (Grade 5)
shape
EnglishFrom Grade 1
round, square, long and so on
Learn it in: Describing familiar objects (Grade 1)
shift
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a change from one tense to another
Learn it in: Verb tense consistency (Grade 5)
short letter
EnglishFrom Grade 1
a letter that stays small, like a
Learn it in: Lowercase letters (Grade 1)
short story
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a brief fiction with few characters and one main event
Learn it in: Short stories (Grade 5), Short fiction (Grade 6)
short vowel
EnglishFrom Grade 1
the quick sound a vowel makes
Learn it in: Short vowel sounds (Grade 1), Long-vowel spelling patterns (Grade 2)
show, do not tell
EnglishFrom Grade 5
showing traits through actions instead of naming them
Learn it in: Characterisation (Grade 5)
show, don’t tell
EnglishFrom Grade 4
showing traits through actions, not stating them
Learn it in: Character development (Grade 4), Characterisation (Grade 6)
sight word
EnglishFrom Grade 2
a word you know without sounding it out
Learn it in: Common irregular words (Grade 2), Accurate word recognition (Grade 2)
signal word
EnglishFrom Grade 3
a word that shows a link, such as because
Learn it in: Cause and effect (Grade 3), Text structures (Grade 4), Text organisation (Grade 5)
signal words
EnglishFrom Grade 6
words that show how ideas connect
Learn it in: Text structure (Grade 6)
significant
EnglishFrom Grade 5
important or large enough to matter
Learn it in: Advanced academic vocabulary (Grade 5)
signpost
EnglishFrom Grade 4
a word or phrase that tells the audience where you are
Learn it in: Presentation organisation (Grade 4), Formal presentations (Grade 6)
silent e
EnglishFrom Grade 1
an e at the end that you do not say
Learn it in: Common long-vowel patterns (Grade 1), Long-vowel spelling patterns (Grade 2)
silent letter
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a letter that is written but not heard
Learn it in: Spelling conventions (Grade 5)
silent-e syllable
EnglishFrom Grade 3
a syllable with the vowel-consonant-e pattern
Learn it in: Syllable patterns (Grade 3)
similar
EnglishFrom Grade 1
almost the same
Learn it in: Connecting stories to experiences (Grade 1), Synonyms (Grade 2)
similarity
EnglishFrom Grade 3
a way things are alike
Learn it in: Comparing characters (Grade 3), Comparing literary texts (Grade 4)
similarly
EnglishFrom Grade 6
a transition showing likeness
Learn it in: Compare-and-contrast writing (Grade 6)
simile
EnglishFrom Grade 3
a comparison using like or as
Learn it in: Literary language (Grade 3), Descriptive vocabulary (Grade 3), Similes (Grade 3)
simple sentence
EnglishFrom Grade 4
a sentence with one independent clause
Learn it in: Complex sentences (Grade 4), Sentence structures (Grade 6)
single effect
EnglishFrom Grade 6
one dominant feeling the story creates
Learn it in: Short fiction (Grade 6)
skill
EnglishFrom Grade 1
something you can do well
Learn it in: Phonics review and assessment (Grade 1)
slide
EnglishFrom Grade 4
one page of a presentation
Learn it in: Visual presentations (Grade 4), Multimedia presentations (Grade 5)
slip
EnglishFrom Grade 6
an accidental change of perspective
Learn it in: Narrative perspective (Grade 6)
smooth
EnglishFrom Grade 1
even and easy
Learn it in: Reading decodable sentences (Grade 1), Reading connected sentences (Grade 2)
solution
EnglishFrom Grade 1
how the problem is fixed
Learn it in: Retelling stories (Grade 1), Story problems and solutions (Grade 2), Story structure (Grade 3)
sound
EnglishFrom Grade 1
something you hear
Learn it in: Recognising environmental sounds (Grade 1), Identifying beginning sounds (Grade 1), Identifying ending sounds (Grade 1)
sound out
EnglishFrom Grade 1
say each sound and blend
Learn it in: Reading decodable sentences (Grade 1)
source
EnglishFrom Grade 1
where we find information
Learn it in: Gathering simple facts (Grade 1), Finding facts (Grade 2), Research questions (Grade 2)
sources list
EnglishFrom Grade 3
a list of where you found information
Learn it in: Short reports (Grade 3), Research reports (Grade 5)
space
EnglishFrom Grade 1
a gap between words
Learn it in: Words and sentences (Grade 1), Spacing between words (Grade 1)
speaker
EnglishFrom Grade 1
the person who is talking
Learn it in: Listening attentively (Grade 1), Active listening (Grade 2), Dialogue (Grade 4)
speaker tag
EnglishFrom Grade 2
words that tell who is speaking
Learn it in: Dialogue in stories (Grade 2), Dialogue (Grade 3)
speech tag
EnglishFrom Grade 5
words such as she said that name the speaker
spell
EnglishFrom Grade 1
write the letters in a word
Learn it in: Segmenting words for spelling (Grade 1), Spelling simple words (Grade 1), Common irregular words (Grade 2)
spelling rule
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a pattern that helps spell words
Learn it in: Spelling conventions (Grade 5)
stage direction
EnglishFrom Grade 3
a note about what to do or how to speak
Learn it in: Introductory drama (Grade 3), Dialogue (Grade 4), Comparing literary genres (Grade 4)
stage directions
EnglishFrom Grade 6
instructions for actions and settings, often in brackets or italics
Learn it in: Drama scripts (Grade 6)
stakes
EnglishFrom Grade 4
what the character could win or lose
Learn it in: Conflict and resolution (Grade 4)
stanza
EnglishFrom Grade 2
a group of lines in a poem
Learn it in: Poems and rhythm (Grade 2), Poetry (Grade 3), Poetry forms (Grade 4)
statistic
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a number used as evidence
Learn it in: Supporting evidence (Grade 5), Identifying claims and evidence (Grade 6), Evidence and opinion (Grade 6)
step
EnglishFrom Grade 1
one small part of a job
Learn it in: Following simple instructions (Grade 1), Following multistep instructions (Grade 2), Simple explanations (Grade 2)
story
EnglishFrom Grade 1
a tale of what happens
Learn it in: Reading familiar stories (Grade 1), Listening to stories (Grade 1)
story map
EnglishFrom Grade 3
a chart showing the parts of a story
Learn it in: Story planning (Grade 3), Narrative planning (Grade 5)
story plan
EnglishFrom Grade 6
an outline of what will happen
Learn it in: Narrative planning (Grade 6)
storyboard
EnglishFrom Grade 6
a sequence of sketches planning a visual piece
Learn it in: Digital communication projects (Grade 6)
strategy
EnglishFrom Grade 3
a plan that helps you do something
Learn it in: Reading unfamiliar words (Grade 3), Academic vocabulary application (Grade 6)
strength
EnglishFrom Grade 6
something you do well
Learn it in: Reflective communication (Grade 6), Comparing arguments (Grade 6)
stretching a moment
EnglishFrom Grade 5
adding detail to slow a key moment
Learn it in: Pacing (Grade 5)
strong verb
EnglishFrom Grade 2
an exact, lively action word
Learn it in: Descriptive paragraphs (Grade 2), Descriptive vocabulary (Grade 3), Descriptive settings (Grade 4)
strongest reason
EnglishFrom Grade 6
the most convincing point
Learn it in: Supporting reasons (Grade 6)
structure
EnglishFrom Grade 5
how a text is arranged
Learn it in: Author’s choices (Grade 5), Formal presentations (Grade 6)
sub-question
EnglishFrom Grade 6
a smaller question that helps answer a big one
Learn it in: Research questions (Grade 6)
subject
EnglishFrom Grade 1
who or what the sentence is about
Learn it in: Action words (Grade 1), Simple sentence construction (Grade 1), Subject and predicate (Grade 2)
subordinate clause
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a clause that depends on a main clause
Learn it in: Clauses (Grade 5), Complex sentences (Grade 6)
subordinating conjunction
EnglishFrom Grade 3
because, when, if, although
Learn it in: Conjunctions (Grade 3), Subordinating conjunctions (Grade 4), Complex sentences (Grade 5)
subordination
EnglishFrom Grade 6
making one clause depend on another
Learn it in: Compound-complex sentences (Grade 6)
subplot
EnglishFrom Grade 5
a smaller story within a larger one
Learn it in: Longer literary texts (Grade 5), Extended literary texts (Grade 6)
suffix
EnglishFrom Grade 2
a word part added to the end
Learn it in: Common suffixes (Grade 2), Prefixes and suffixes (Grade 3), Prefixes and suffixes (Grade 4)
summarise
EnglishFrom Grade 3
to tell the main points briefly
Learn it in: Summarising spoken information (Grade 3), Summarising complex information (Grade 4), Conclusions (Grade 4)
summary
EnglishFrom Grade 2
a short retelling of the important parts
Learn it in: Summarising short texts (Grade 2), Summarising narratives (Grade 3), Summarising informational texts (Grade 3)
superlative
EnglishFrom Grade 2
the most, such as biggest
Learn it in: Adjectives (Grade 2), Adjectives and adverbs (Grade 3)
support
EnglishFrom Grade 3
to give evidence for an idea
Learn it in: Main idea and theme (Grade 3), Themes (Grade 4)
supported claim
EnglishFrom Grade 6
a claim backed by evidence
Learn it in: Identifying claims and evidence (Grade 6)
supporting detail
EnglishFrom Grade 2
a fact or example that tells more about the main idea
Learn it in: Supporting details (Grade 2), Supporting details (Grade 3), Supporting details (Grade 3)
supporting point
EnglishFrom Grade 4
a fact that backs up the main idea
Learn it in: Summarising oral presentations (Grade 4), Central ideas (Grade 6)
supporting sentence
EnglishFrom Grade 3
a sentence that gives a detail
Learn it in: Topic sentences (Grade 3), Paragraph organisation (Grade 4), Main ideas (Grade 5)
syllable
EnglishFrom Grade 1
a beat in a word
Learn it in: Recognising syllables (Grade 1), Syllable division (Grade 2), Multisyllabic word decoding (Grade 3)
symbol
EnglishFrom Grade 4
a thing that stands for an idea
Learn it in: Literary interpretation (Grade 4), Symbolism (Grade 5)
symbolism
EnglishFrom Grade 6
an object standing for a larger idea
Learn it in: Literary techniques (Grade 6)
synonym
EnglishFrom Grade 2
a word with the same or almost the same meaning
Learn it in: Synonyms (Grade 2), Synonyms and antonyms (Grade 3), Synonyms and antonyms (Grade 4)
syntax
EnglishFrom Grade 6
the way words are arranged in sentences
Learn it in: Sentence structures (Grade 6)
synthesis
EnglishFrom Grade 6
combining ideas or skills into one
Learn it in: Academic vocabulary application (Grade 6), Research-based writing (Grade 6)
synthesise
EnglishFrom Grade 6
to combine information from several sources
Learn it in: Synthesising information (Grade 6)