Overview: Acronyms are a great way to quickly disseminate familiar phrases and concepts to students, parents, peers, and administrators while preventing cumbersome repetition. Listed below are common acronyms that are frequently used in my classroom.
DEAR: Drop Everything And Read
Explanation: There are multiple ways to incorporate reading in the classroom. Students will hear or observe this acronym on the white board or listed in the calendar when we have designated in class reading opportunities.
SSR: Sustained Silent Reading
Explanation: Another way of saying or using the DEAR concept.
PASS: Pass, Ask, Sign out, Sign in
Explanation: PASS is a step by step sequence that students must use when leaving and returning to the classroom. Students are expected to ask a teacher, substitute teacher or instructional aide for permission to leave the classroom. When they receive acknowledgment, the student will retrieve the appropriate pass located near the doorway and sign out. During the sign out process, the student will document the date, their name, time they left the classroom, and reason for leaving. Upon their return, the student will return the pass to its original location and enter the time they returned.
ICE-T: Introduction, Cite, Explanation, Transition
Explanation: This acronym is designed to scaffold the process of writing a body paragraph.
ICE: Introduction, Claim, Explanation
FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
Explanation: Coordinating conjunctions coordinate or join two or more sentences, main clauses, words, or other parts of speech which are of the same syntactic importance.
THAMOS: Therefore, However, As a matter of fact, Meanwhile, Otherwise
SWABI: Since, When, After, Because, If
Explanation: This acronym is a starting point for ESL students to understand and master using subordinating conjunctions when constructing complex sentences.
LAMP: Look At My Paper
TPS: Think, Pair, Share
Explanation: A student-centered classroom technique that teacher’s can use to encourage collaboration between students to synthesize information and draw conclusions.
PLC: Professional Learning Community
TWIST: Tone, Word choice, Imagery, Style, Theme
OSCAR: Other character’s comments, character’s Speech, physical Characteristics, Author’s Attitude, Reader’s Reaction
ABC: Attention getter (hook), Background, Claim
Explanation: A simplified organizational strategy for all writer’s to consider when writing an Introduction paragraph.
DARE to revise: Delete unnecessary information, Add more important detail and transition words, Rearrange text to be logical and effective (stick to topic), Exchange words for clearer and stronger ones
MLA: Modern Language Association
APA: American Psychological Association