CSET SUBTEST 1
# Term Definition
1 Alphabetic Principle Defines the three rules for writing and speaking
English: 1. letters are named with uppercase
and lowercase letters 2. Each letter or group of
letters (words) represent sounds 3. Using the
systematic relationship between letters and
phonemes (letter sound correspondence) you
can decode the English language to identify,
pronounce, and spell words [Hint: 3 things]
2 Affix A bound “non-word” morpheme that is
combined with the word, stem, or phrase to
produce a word. i.e. combining the prefix “ad-“
and suffix “-ing” the word “join” produces the
word “adjoining”.
3 Automaticity The ability to read and recognize a word or
series of words in text accurately and
effortlessly. Skilled readers use automaticity
unconsciously or involuntarily when reading
text.
4 Blending ability to fluidly combine individual sounds to
form words. It is also used to combine onsets
and rhymes in order to form syllables, and it is
used to combine syllables to form words
5 Concepts of print An important predictor of learning to read. It is
the familiarity with print conventions, such as
reading left to right top to bottom. The direction
of print on a page, the use of the spaces to
denote words, and the ideas that print
represents word and pronunciation [Hint: An
important predictor of learning to read.]
6 Decoding Decoding is the process of translating print into
spoken words in order to understand the
meaning of the written letters. This primarily
refers to word identification.
7 *Denotive meaning The exact literal meaning of a word according to
the dictionary, as opposed to “connotative
meaning,” which implies a suggested meaning
of a word.
,CSET SUBTEST 1
# Term Definition
8 Derivational morpheme smallest linguistic unit of a word that has
meaning. cannot be divided into smaller
elements. i.e. the word sing is a morpheme. It
can be a syllable, affix, or root word.
Derivational morphemes can be added to work
a word to create another word. When adding an
affix the grammatical part of speech can
sometimes change. For example, the word to
sing is a verb, but if we add “-er” the word
becomes a noun, singer
9 *Idiolect The specific speech habits of an individual
speaker or writer, which are often marked by
peculiarities of language, grammar, or
pronunciation.
10 *Morphology The study of word formations. The analysis of
the structure of words, words stems, and
affixes. A morpheme is a unit of meaning that
cannot be divided into smaller elements such as
the word book.
11 Onset-rime Onset refers to the first phonological unit, or
the part of the word before the vowel (e.g. the b
in book”. Rime refers to the part of the word
vowels and consonants the follow the onset
(e.g. the letters “ook” in book). Note: not all
words have an onset and rime. Teaching
children onset-rime helps them decode new
words. [Hint: B and ook in book.]
12 *Phoneme A phoneme is the smallest part of spoken
language that makes a difference in the
meaning of words. English has about 41
phonemes. A few words such as a or no, have
only one phoneme. Most words however have
more than one phoneme: the word if has two
phonemes, (/i/ /f/); check has three phonemes
(/ch/ /e/ /k/), and Stop has four phonemes (/s/
/t/ /o/ /p/). Sometimes one phoneme is
represented by more than one letter.
, CSET SUBTEST 1
# Term Definition
13 *Phonemic (phoneme) Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear,
awareness identify, and manipulate the individual sounds –
phonemes – in spoken words. It is the
understanding that sounds work together to
make words, and it is the most important
determinant towards becoming a successful
reader. “one” component of phonological
awareness
14 *Phonics Phonics is a method of teaching reading and
spelling that stresses symbol – sound
relationships; it is used most often in beginning
instruction. There is a predictable relationship
between phonemes (the sound of spoken
language) and graphemes (the letters and
spellings that represent those sounds and
written language.) The goal of phonics
instructions is to help children learn and use the
Alphabetic Principle (predictable relationships
between written letters and spoken sounds)
15 Phonological awareness a “listening skill quote that typically develops in
pre-kindergarten. It is the ability to hear, think
about, and manipulate sounds. When children
are competent in phonological awareness, they
know that: 1) sounds make up words; 2) sounds
can be manipulated into new words; 3) words
can be separated into individual sounds,
syllables, and rhymes; and 4) words have
meaning. Phonological awareness is important
because of children who can relate sounds to
printed words, they can begin to decode and
make sense of how sounds and letters are
organized in print. Note: phonological
awareness and phonemic awareness are not
interchangeable. Phonemic awareness is “one”
component of phonological awareness
# Term Definition
1 Alphabetic Principle Defines the three rules for writing and speaking
English: 1. letters are named with uppercase
and lowercase letters 2. Each letter or group of
letters (words) represent sounds 3. Using the
systematic relationship between letters and
phonemes (letter sound correspondence) you
can decode the English language to identify,
pronounce, and spell words [Hint: 3 things]
2 Affix A bound “non-word” morpheme that is
combined with the word, stem, or phrase to
produce a word. i.e. combining the prefix “ad-“
and suffix “-ing” the word “join” produces the
word “adjoining”.
3 Automaticity The ability to read and recognize a word or
series of words in text accurately and
effortlessly. Skilled readers use automaticity
unconsciously or involuntarily when reading
text.
4 Blending ability to fluidly combine individual sounds to
form words. It is also used to combine onsets
and rhymes in order to form syllables, and it is
used to combine syllables to form words
5 Concepts of print An important predictor of learning to read. It is
the familiarity with print conventions, such as
reading left to right top to bottom. The direction
of print on a page, the use of the spaces to
denote words, and the ideas that print
represents word and pronunciation [Hint: An
important predictor of learning to read.]
6 Decoding Decoding is the process of translating print into
spoken words in order to understand the
meaning of the written letters. This primarily
refers to word identification.
7 *Denotive meaning The exact literal meaning of a word according to
the dictionary, as opposed to “connotative
meaning,” which implies a suggested meaning
of a word.
,CSET SUBTEST 1
# Term Definition
8 Derivational morpheme smallest linguistic unit of a word that has
meaning. cannot be divided into smaller
elements. i.e. the word sing is a morpheme. It
can be a syllable, affix, or root word.
Derivational morphemes can be added to work
a word to create another word. When adding an
affix the grammatical part of speech can
sometimes change. For example, the word to
sing is a verb, but if we add “-er” the word
becomes a noun, singer
9 *Idiolect The specific speech habits of an individual
speaker or writer, which are often marked by
peculiarities of language, grammar, or
pronunciation.
10 *Morphology The study of word formations. The analysis of
the structure of words, words stems, and
affixes. A morpheme is a unit of meaning that
cannot be divided into smaller elements such as
the word book.
11 Onset-rime Onset refers to the first phonological unit, or
the part of the word before the vowel (e.g. the b
in book”. Rime refers to the part of the word
vowels and consonants the follow the onset
(e.g. the letters “ook” in book). Note: not all
words have an onset and rime. Teaching
children onset-rime helps them decode new
words. [Hint: B and ook in book.]
12 *Phoneme A phoneme is the smallest part of spoken
language that makes a difference in the
meaning of words. English has about 41
phonemes. A few words such as a or no, have
only one phoneme. Most words however have
more than one phoneme: the word if has two
phonemes, (/i/ /f/); check has three phonemes
(/ch/ /e/ /k/), and Stop has four phonemes (/s/
/t/ /o/ /p/). Sometimes one phoneme is
represented by more than one letter.
, CSET SUBTEST 1
# Term Definition
13 *Phonemic (phoneme) Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear,
awareness identify, and manipulate the individual sounds –
phonemes – in spoken words. It is the
understanding that sounds work together to
make words, and it is the most important
determinant towards becoming a successful
reader. “one” component of phonological
awareness
14 *Phonics Phonics is a method of teaching reading and
spelling that stresses symbol – sound
relationships; it is used most often in beginning
instruction. There is a predictable relationship
between phonemes (the sound of spoken
language) and graphemes (the letters and
spellings that represent those sounds and
written language.) The goal of phonics
instructions is to help children learn and use the
Alphabetic Principle (predictable relationships
between written letters and spoken sounds)
15 Phonological awareness a “listening skill quote that typically develops in
pre-kindergarten. It is the ability to hear, think
about, and manipulate sounds. When children
are competent in phonological awareness, they
know that: 1) sounds make up words; 2) sounds
can be manipulated into new words; 3) words
can be separated into individual sounds,
syllables, and rhymes; and 4) words have
meaning. Phonological awareness is important
because of children who can relate sounds to
printed words, they can begin to decode and
make sense of how sounds and letters are
organized in print. Note: phonological
awareness and phonemic awareness are not
interchangeable. Phonemic awareness is “one”
component of phonological awareness
