Glossary

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Term	Definition
Scaffold	To provide support so that learners can extend their learning and experience success in areas where they are unable to achieve an outcome independently. Examples of scaffolding include teacher guidance and modeling, visual support and repetition of tasks, vocabulary and formats. As a learner’s proficiency in a learning outcome increases, these supports can be decreased, allowing learners to achieve and demonstrate a greater degree of independence.
Scan	To read quickly, in order to locate specific information in a text.
Sentence stem	The beginning of a sentence, provided so that learners can complete the idea with their own information. Sentence stems can be a way of scaffolding writing tasks, so that learners can focus on expressing an idea or information without needing to compose an entire sentence accurately. (e.g. I am from _____, / Every day, I _______.)
Showcase portfolio	Showcase portfolios are created by the learner, with support from the instructor. These portfolios document and highlight the learner’s highest quality or best work. Building a showcase portfolio gives learners an opportunity to reflect on and describe their learning process.
Sight word	A familiar word that a reader recognizes and understands when seen, without needing to use decoding strategies.
Skill	The ability to do something well, as a result of practice. In this framework, skills are described as learning outcomes in reading, writing and literacy strategies.
Skim	To read quickly, in order to understand the general meaning or purpose of a text.
Specific Learning Outcome (SLO)	A detailed description of skills that learners develop in order to achieve General Learning Outcomes. In the ESL Literacy Curriculum Framework there are several Specific Learning Outcomes for each General Learning outcome.
Spiral	To increase the degree of complexity in learning outcomes over time within levels and throughout a program, as learners become more independent. In ESL Literacy programs, it is important that these increases are incremental so that learners can experience success in their learning. The learning outcomes provided in this framework are spiraled from Foundation to Phase III of the Canadian Language Benchmarks 2000: ESL for Literacy Learners.
Strand	A category of General and Specific Learning Outcomes. In the ESL Literacy Curriculum Framework, the four strands of learning outcomes are: reading, writing, literacy strategies and habits of mind.