Milwaukee Public Schools

English Language Arts Vocabulary List

English Language Arts includes the areas of Writing, Oral, Language, Media & Technology, and Research and Inquiry

English Language Arts Vocabulary List * As of 1/10/08

Kindergarten – 4 Year Old Kindergarten - 5 Year Old

alphabet above
author after
back/front cover audience
books before
change behind
computer capital letter
drawing choose
fairytale commercial
first name describe
idea directions
last name end marks (period and question mark)
letter (symbol) entertain
lines find
listen follow
listening information
name letter (friendly)
over lower case letters
plan message
print picture dictionary
picture questions
picture book sentence types (asking and telling)
paper spacing
pencil story
show upper case letters
sounds vocabulary
speak(er) volume
talk write
tell writer
under
word
writing

Milwaukee Public Schools Division of Teaching and Learning

Patrice Ball, K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist ball@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
1
 Milwaukee Public Schools
English Language Arts Vocabulary List
English Language Arts includes the areas of Writing, Oral, Language, Media & Technology, and Research and Inquiry

First Grade First Grade (continued)

author question mark

below quotation
between rhyme
body language sentence (writing)
character setting
comma statement
command table of contents
communication time order
compare title
compound word topic sentence
correct understand
definition use
description verb
details word choice
dictionary word endings
discussion
elements
exclamation
exclamation point
glossary
graphic organizer
image
important
list
noun
organization
organize
period
planning
poem
predicate
proper noun
punctuation
punctuation marks
supporting sentences

Milwaukee Public Schools Division of Teaching and Learning

Patrice Ball, K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist ball@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
2
 Milwaukee Public Schools
English Language Arts Vocabulary List
English Language Arts includes the areas of Writing, Oral, Language, Media & Technology, and Research and Inquiry

Second Grade Second Grade (continued)

abbreviations
adjective opinion
advertisement paragraph
aim participate
alphabetical predicate
antonym prefixes
apostrophe prewriting
appropriate pronoun
bias publishing
clear (oral/writing) rate (oral)
content represents
contraction research
correct English retell
delete revising
descriptive root word
differences rubric
editing sentence
encyclopedia similarities
expository singular
express speech
eye contact spelling pattern
fact subject
fiction suffixes
folktale synonym
glossary table of contents
guest speaker theater
guide words thesaurus
illustration web
indent word choice
index writing process
interview
magazine
main idea
margin
media
media formats
multiple drafts
non fiction

Milwaukee Public Schools Division of Teaching and Learning

Patrice Ball, K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist ball@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
3
 Milwaukee Public Schools
English Language Arts Vocabulary List
English Language Arts includes the areas of Writing, Oral, Language, Media & Technology, and Research and Inquiry

Third Grade Third Grade (continued)

acronym nonverbal cues

adjust rate (oral) note taking
alliteration parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives,
almanac adverbs)
author’s purpose past
communication persuasive
conclusions persuasive strategies
contrast phrases
conventions plural forms
copyright laws possessive forms
deleting present
descriptive present (information)
determine reference tools
dialogue resources
discuss revise
endorse sequencing
entertain six traits
entertainment second language
essay sources
expanding sentences speaker’s message
experience standard American English
feedback stories (beginning, middle and ending/writing)
figures of speech (figurative language subject / verb agreement
flexibility summarize key points (oral)
formal and informal settings summary
future target audience
graphic organizer timed writing
home language title
influence transitions
introduction verb tense
logical information version
modifications writing process
narrative
notes

Milwaukee Public Schools Division of Teaching and Learning

Patrice Ball, K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist ball@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
4
 Milwaukee Public Schools
English Language Arts Vocabulary List
English Language Arts includes the areas of Writing, Oral, Language, Media & Technology, and Research and Inquiry

Fourth Grade
Fourth Grade (continued)
appeal plot
autobiographical point of view
biographical preposition
brackets propaganda
brainstorm relevant
colon sources
conjunction role
constructive feedback role play
context sequentially
double negative sentence types (declarative, interrogative,
ellipsis mark exclamatory, and imperative)
email sequentially
emphasize suspense
endorse target audience
expository thesis statement
figurative phrase transitional sentence
figures of speech usage
free-writing Venn diagram
genres voice
gestures works cited
grammatical rules
homonyms
interjection
internet
mother tongue
plot
point of view
propaganda
resources
transitional sentences
parentheses
sentence types (declarative, exclamatory, imperative,
interrogative)
parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives,
adverbs, prepositions, interjections, and conjunctions)
paraphrase
parentheses
perspectives
persuasive elements

Milwaukee Public Schools Division of Teaching and Learning

Patrice Ball, K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist ball@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
5
 Milwaukee Public Schools
English Language Arts Vocabulary List
English Language Arts includes the areas of Writing, Oral, Language, Media & Technology, and Research and Inquiry

Fifth Grade Sixth Grade

advertisement techniques
alliteration affix
analogy angle
authentic writing annotation
bandwagon brochure
bibliography classify
caption cite
cause/effect claim
chronological composition
coherent counterpoint
comparative dash
compose direct objects
concise direct quote
creator eliminate
debate endorsement
document formats
effective \ fragment
enunciate grammar
evidence hyperbole
exaggeration hyphen
facial expression idioms
inference indirect objects
layout indirect quotes
metaphors information
modifiers journalist’s questions (who, what, where,
multiple sources when, why, and how)
narrative participle
nonverbal clues plagiarism
onomatopoeia preface
outline promote
persuade proofread
points of view public service announcement
prediction reliable
sentence fluency run-on sentence
similes search engine
specific reasons sentence structure
superlative semicolon
support slash
support a viewpoint technical writing
television script thesis
testimonial visual images

Milwaukee Public Schools Division of Teaching and Learning

Patrice Ball, K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist ball@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
6
 Milwaukee Public Schools
English Language Arts Vocabulary List
English Language Arts includes the areas of Writing, Oral, Language, Media & Technology, and Research and Inquiry

Seventh Grade Eighth Grade

analyze author’s viewpoint

clause advertising promotion
cliché attitude
complex clincher sentence
complex sentence structures conferencing with peers
compound creditability
critique criticism
constructed response culture
cross-reference discern
derivation discussion etiquette
desire documentation style
dialect documentary
diction draw conclusions
drama electronic database
focus for revision exposition
intent form
media features formulate a thesis
narrate interpretive writings
observation informed judgment
open mind inviting opinions
panel log
present research findings logical
primary and secondary sources myth (writing)
projection organizational structures
proximity passage
self-asses personal essay
short response points of view (1st, 3rd, limited, 3rd omniscient)
special effects search tools
stanza self-developed criteria
story board shades of meaning
strategies for revising and editing sponsorship
theme style
usage synthesize information
values tabloid
word origin violation of copyright
word play

Milwaukee Public Schools Division of Teaching and Learning

Patrice Ball, K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist ball@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
7
 Milwaukee Public Schools
English Language Arts Vocabulary List
English Language Arts includes the areas of Writing, Oral, Language, Media & Technology, and Research and Inquiry

Ninth Grade Tenth Grade

abstract active
active listening skills analytical
anecdote appositive
articulate assertion
barriers attitude
believability cause and effect
camera shots clause
channel consensus
character analysis credible voice
cognates distort
cohesive piece emotional appeal
comma splice empathy
confrontational extended metaphor
connotative inclusive language
couplet irony
denotative insight
dramatic monologue justify
elaborate moderator
embedded thesis mood
impromptu objective
jargon passive
literal and figurative language pitch
mode pressure point
multiple viewpoints problem/solution
nonstandard production techniques
offensive language prologue
organizational patterns puns
parallel structure reliability
periodical repetition
present tense research results
productive/counterproductive responses resolution
ratings rhyme scheme
researchable question simplification
salutation social conventions
soliloquy stereotype
subordinate subjective
syntax support your claim
style manuals tension
targeted writing vocal variety
typeface weasel words

Milwaukee Public Schools Division of Teaching and Learning

Patrice Ball, K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist ball@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
8
 Milwaukee Public Schools
English Language Arts Vocabulary List
English Language Arts includes the areas of Writing, Oral, Language, Media & Technology, and Research and Inquiry

Grades Eleven and Twelve

absolute professional journal

aphorism pronoun antecedent
apostrophe qualify / qualifier
allegory reasoning patterns
allusion rebuttal
antecedent recursive
assonance refutation
authorial voice rhetoric / rhetorical devices / appeal
censorship sarcasm
concession satire
conventional structures semantics
coordinate shift
counterclaim textual evidence
critical eye transactional communication
deduction validity
dialectical journaling vernacular
etymology warrant
exemplification
extended metaphor
explication
explicit
euphemism
fallacy
framing the debate
implicit
incongruity
induction
interior monologue
juxtapose
juxtaposition
linguistic patterns
literary criticism
mnemonic devices
narrative structure
opine
oxymoron
parenthetical documentation
persona
pragmatic

Milwaukee Public Schools Division of Teaching and Learning

Patrice Ball, K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist ball@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
9