Preparation Manual
Section 4: Sample Selected-Response Questions
English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217)
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This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam.
The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam.
Selected-Response Questions with Rationales
Each sample exam question here includes the correct answer and a rationale for each answer option.
Domain I—Foundations of Reading
Competency 001—(Foundations of Teaching Reading): Understand research-based, evidence-based, and culturally relevant foundational concepts, principles, and best practices related to reading instruction and assessment.
1. A teacher notices that while students generally understand what they are reading and are able to retell or summarize texts, many students do not understand the texts at a deeper level. Which of the following techniques would be most appropriate for the teacher to use to promote all students' deeper comprehension?
- leading the students in a whole-group reading of the texts followed by a group discussion of the reading
- showing the students how to use an outline to take notes on the texts and then use the notes to write text responses
- providing the students with adequate background knowledge to engage in text discussions and respond to higher-level questioning
- having the students respond to the texts by creating a related project, such as a series of drawings or a multimedia presentation
2. In the first weeks of class, a fourth-grade teacher gives students a reading and writing assignment. As the teacher walks around the room monitoring the students, the teacher identifies possible signs of dysgraphia. Which of the following student behaviors is an indicator of dysgraphia?
- confusing the order of letters
- having difficulty following a series of directions
- writing illegibly
- struggling with reading tasks
Competency 002—(Foundational Reading Skills): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of foundational reading skills, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level foundational reading skills.
3. A fourth-grade student reads words from a grade-level word list while the teacher records the student's pronunciation of the words on the chart below.
accent | ak-sent-ed |
accuse | ik-skyus |
legend | leg-end |
magnet | mag-net |
rustled | rust-ed |
Given these results, the teacher plans to promote the student's letter-sound relationship skills by providing opportunities for practice in:
- recognizing and accurately reading high-frequency words.
- decoding words from left to right using letter-sound analysis.
- identifying and taking apart two- and three-syllable words.
- recognizing consonants that sometimes but do not always represent a sound.
4. A fifth-grade student is having difficulty understanding multiple-meaning words in a text. Which of the following techniques would likely be most effective for the student to use to distinguish between the different word meanings?
- looking up words in a dictionary
- writing examples of their own
- discussing the words with a classmate
- making use of context clues
Competency 003—(Word Analysis Skills and Reading Fluency): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of word analysis skills and fluency, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level word analysis skills and reading fluency.
5. During word analysis instruction, a fourth-grade teacher shows students how to recognize and form irregular plurals that are created by changing the final letter or letters of the base word (e.g., fungus/fungi, medium/media). Which of the following strategies best shows a systematic approach to this word analysis concept?
- asking students to circle the endings of words with irregular plurals that they find as they are reading texts
- asking students to compare words that have regular plural forms to those that have irregular plural forms
- having students practice adding endings to other similar words that have irregular plurals after receiving instruction from the teacher
- having students practice replacing a final f or fe with v before adding -es to other words that have irregular plural rules, such as leaves and knives
6. As an intervention for students with reading challenges, a teacher displays a map of Texas and shows students video clips of Francisco Coronado's search to find gold and other tales of buried treasure in Texas. The teacher leads a discussion about how the tales may have affected settlement of Texas, acknowledging the students' comments as they are made. Then the teacher gives the students a text about Coronado to read. Which of the following evidence-based statements best reflects the primary purpose of providing this type of meaning-based literacy activity in interventions?
- Educators should reinforce students' efforts toward improving reading skills through the use of praise.
- Students should be provided with high-quality reading materials that integrate a variety of content areas.
- Students' reading comprehension skills are enhanced when they have prior knowledge of topics about which they read.
- Diagrams are one of the most helpful tools to use to establish contextual knowledge before students read a text.
Competency 004—(Vocabulary Development): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to vocabulary development, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level vocabulary knowledge and skills.
7. Which of the following sets of steps would best help students analyze context when they encounter unfamiliar words?
- stopping when a word is unfamiliar, rereading the sentence to look for clues about the word's meaning, and then substituting the meaning to see if it makes sense
- stopping periodically during reading, asking what the passage means, and then finding and analyzing the unfamiliar words
- making a list of common affixes, identifying the meaning of the affixes, and then making a list of words with each affix
- making a list of unknown words in the reading, using the dictionary to find the definition, and then determining which definition fits in the sentence
8. A seventh-grade teacher is preparing a lesson that will promote students' ability to use and understand the meaning of various antonyms and synonyms to develop comprehension of a text. Which of the following activities would be most appropriate for this purpose?
- asking students to match words together that are antonym and synonym pairs
- having students create books of antonyms along with their synonyms
- teaching students to recognize context clues that indicate whether words are antonyms or synonyms
- having students identify antonym and synonym pairs within a text
Domain II—Text Comprehension and Analysis
Competency 005—(Reading Comprehension Development): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of reading comprehension, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level reading comprehension strategies.
9. Seventh-grade students read a fiction text in which important social issues are revealed through the book's setting, main character, and plot. The students also read a recent newspaper article that addresses some of the same social issues. The teacher asks the students to write a personal response to one or more of the social issues reflected in the texts. According to best practices, which of the following strategies would be most appropriate and effective for the teacher to use to prepare the students for this task?
- displaying writing samples from previous students based on the assignment and critiquing the samples with the class
- engaging in a timed writing session in which students write their thoughts about one or more of the social issues
- having students organize their thinking for the assignment by talking to a classmate about what they might say in their writing
- showing and discussing a graphic organizer that presents the social issues next to the key ideas related to each issue
10. Which of the following scenarios provides the best example of responsive teaching?
- A teacher assesses students' performance as they engage in activities such as reflective journal writing and group discussions to see how their learning progresses.
- A teacher regularly assesses students' reading by observing what skills the students have learned in order to identify specific skills to reinforce.
- A teacher encourages and guides students to generate comprehension by constructing relationships between concepts of reading materials and their experiences.
- A teacher observes and records students' reading behaviors between two different intervals of time to check for reading development growth.
Competency 007—(Reading Informational and Argumentative Texts): Understand the elements and characteristics of informational and argumentative texts, analyze how authors use these elements and characteristics to achieve specific purposes, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of complex informational and argumentative texts.
11. Students in a fifth-grade English language arts class discuss an informational article they have read on the topic of plastic pollution. A transcript of the discussion appears below.
Teacher: What did the article make you think about?
Student 1: The ways plastic can hurt all kinds of animals.
Student 2: We should get rid of all plastic! But that would be hard.
Teacher: You're right—getting rid of all plastic would be hard. What did you know about plastic pollution before you read the article?
Student 3: I knew that some kinds of plastic could be recycled. At home, we reuse plastic food containers, and we put plastic bottles in the recycling bin.
Student 2: I saw a video about how some animals accidentally swallow plastic, and that it makes them sick or even kills them.
Teacher: What new or surprising information did you learn from the article?
Student 4: This was new—and scary: I learned that by 2050, there might be three times as much plastic in the ocean. Whoa!
Student 1: I learned some tips for using less plastic, like using cloth bags for my school lunches.
Student 2: Yes! I'm going to pay closer attention to how much plastic my family and I use.
The teacher's approach in the class discussion is most clearly intended to promote the students' ability to:
- synthesize background knowledge with new information.
- infer what the author implies but does not state directly.
- analyze how the author achieves a specific purpose.
- summarize the text's central idea and supporting details.
12. A sixth-grade teacher plans a series of questions for a class discussion about an informational text the students have read. Which of the following questions would be most appropriate for promoting the students' evaluative thinking about the author's craft?
- In what ways is the article similar to or different from other articles you have read on the same topic?
- How did the author capture and hold your interest throughout the article?
- What clues from the text help you know that the article is nonfiction rather than fiction?
- What new information did you learn about the topic from reading the article?
Domain III—Oral and Written Communication
Competency 008—(Composition): Understand the characteristics of various genres of written text; apply knowledge of strategies for developing well-organized, engaging, written texts that achieve specific purposes for specific audiences; and apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to develop well-organized, engaging, written texts that achieve specific purposes for specific audiences.
13. Read the excerpt below from the first draft of the introduction of an argumentative essay; then answer the question that follows.
In education today, a lot of teaching is focused on math, science, and technology. Some schools have stopped teaching music and art in favor of math and science. This is a big mistake. There is room for a wide variety of classes in schools.
A sixth-grade teacher plans to include the excerpt in a lesson on using evidence to support a claim. Which of the following student activities would be most appropriate for the teacher to facilitate during the lesson?
- suggesting reasons for the focus on math, science, and technology
- expanding on the benefits of having art and music in the curriculum
- paraphrasing the final two sentences of the draft
- writing arguments in favor of an alternative curriculum
14. Read the excerpt below from the first draft of a response to a novel; then answer the question that follows.
All the characters in the book were appealing, although Riley's bumbling cluelessness seemed cartoonish at times. Still, he added an essential dash of humor to the story. Ana reminded me of my older sister, who is also brilliant with a touch of arrogance. start underline Then there was Albert, who was quiet and thoughtful and ended up being the hero who surprised not only the other characters but readers. end underline
A seventh-grade teacher plans to use the excerpt as a model during a lesson on revision strategies. Which of the following revised versions of the underlined sentence would offer the best example of how to revise for coherence and clarity?
- Surprising to the characters and readers that quiet and thoughtful Albert became the unexpected hero.
- Albert was the hero who surprised everyone, including the readers, because he was so quiet and thoughtful.
- Quiet and thoughtful Albert surprises fellow characters and readers alike by becoming the hero.
- When quiet, thoughtful Albert turns out to be the hero, he surprises his fellow characters and readers.
Competency 009—(Inquiry and Research): Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for conducting focused inquiry and research and presenting the results in an appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to conduct focused inquiry and research and present the results in an appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner.
15. A group of sixth-grade students is planning a presentation about the water supply in El Paso, Texas. The students have generated the following research question.
Why are some people concerned about El Paso's water supply?
Which of the following questions would best help the group refine their research question?
- What freshwater sources contribute to El Paso's water supply?
- How has El Paso's water supply changed over the past 50 years?
- What environmental policies affect El Paso's water supply?
- How well does El Paso's water supply meet the needs of local residents?
16. Before seventh-grade students begin a research project, the teacher provides criteria for evaluating online sources. Which of the following approaches would be most effective in further promoting the students' ability to evaluate online sources?
- providing guidelines for conducting efficient advanced keyword searches
- demonstrating how to locate bibliographies on particular subjects or subject areas
- discussing ways to supplement online research with interviews and surveys
- introducing basic principles for considering the authority and reputation of a source
Competency 010—(Listening and Speaking): Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for critical listening and collaborative speaking and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' skills in critical listening and collaborative speaking, including using differentiation strategies that are culturally and academically appropriate for all students.
17. An English language arts teacher is preparing guidelines for public speaking for use by students. To avoid potential cultural insensitivity, the teacher should eliminate which of the following guidelines from the list?
- Make eye contact with several individuals in the audience.
- Avoid reading your notes word for word during the speech.
- Practice delivering your speech until you feel confident.
- If you get nervous, slow down a bit and take a full breath.
Domain IV—Educating All Learners and Professional Practice
Competency 011—(Differentiation Strategies in Planning and Practice): Understand how to identify and implement developmentally and culturally appropriate strategies and data-driven practices to effectively teach and engage all learners.
18. Read the excerpt below from the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators; then answer the question that follows.
(3) Ethical Conduct Toward Students.
Standard 3.9. The educator shall refrain from inappropriate communication with a student or minor, including, but not limited to, electronic communication such as cell phone, text messaging, email, instant messaging, blogging, or other social network communication. Factors that may be considered in assessing whether the communication is inappropriate include, but are not limited to:
a. The nature, purpose, timing, and amount of the communication;
b. The subject matter of the communication;
c. Whether the communication was made openly, or the educator attempted to conceal the communication.
An eighth-grade teacher has assigned a project in which students will examine the history of baseball and ways it has impacted American culture. The teacher would like to communicate with students regarding writing assignments and research activities in conjunction with this project. Given the information provided, which of the following actions by the teacher would be the most appropriate way to use technology in accordance with Standard 3.9?
- texting students each night to find out if they are able to understand and complete their homework
- messaging a student about meeting at a coffee shop after school to review a draft of an essay
- asking students for their cell phone numbers at the beginning of the school year
- e-mailing a student a response to a question about how to correctly cite a quote from a baseball player
19. A fourth-grade teacher develops a series of questions as part of a thematic reading unit on the seasons for a class. Which of the following strategies should the teacher use to effectively apply universal design for learning (UDL) guidelines while gathering information from students about their prior knowledge on the topic?
- projecting the questions accompanied by symbols and pictures and having the students respond by speaking or writing
- distributing a handout with the questions for the students to read independently and answer in writing, using a dictionary if needed
- asking the students to use hand gestures to act out their answers to the questions the teacher is asking them
- having a representative group of students respond verbally to the questions while the other students use gestures to express approval of the sample group's responses
Competency 012—(Culturally Responsive Practices): Understand how to identify and implement culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate practices to effectively teach and engage all learners.
20. While attending a regional professional development workshop, a fifth-grade team of teachers participates in a small-group discussion on implicit bias and instruction. During the discussion several teachers verbally agree that they have not selected more diverse texts for their reading curriculum because "sometimes diverse texts are not rigorous enough." Which of the following steps should an English language arts teacher take first to address the effect such implicit bias has on instruction?
- researching and reading professional texts and developing a curriculum that represents diverse voices
- modeling positive behavior and attitudes during classroom activities
- learning about and taking into account students' cultural norms and expectations when creating rubrics
- reflecting on and writing about personal experiences related to implicit bias
Competency 013—(Data-Driven Practice and Formal/Informal Assessment): Understand the types, selection, and uses of data-driven, developmentally appropriate assessments and assessment practices to effectively support program improvement and all students' learning.
21. A fifth-grade class includes a group of students who did not pass the reading portion of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) in fourth grade. Which of the following processes would most effectively measure progress and inform instruction for this group of students?
- adjusting instruction based on the previous year's STAAR data to help students reach grade-level mastery before they take the appropriate assessment in the early spring
- giving the students an on-grade-level STAAR Interim Assessment in the fall, then using the data collected to generate a strategic plan to fill in the gaps until the middle of the year
- using the STAAR Interim Assessment Reading Blueprint to develop a diagnostic assessment to give students, then using the data gathered to inform instruction throughout the year
- including STAAR Released Test Questions in weekly practice activities, then analyzing the results to make decisions about upcoming lessons
22. A middle school teacher is evaluating classroom assessment practices and identifying assessment outcomes with regard to students' Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) mastery. Which of the following statements best describes the value of using an assessment matrix with the reading TEKS for this purpose?
- The matrix collects observational assessment data at multiple points during the lesson, providing information about students' strengths and challenges in relationship to each TEK.
- The matrix organizes information about TEKS and assessment methods, allowing teachers to make effective assessment plans.
- The matrix represents each assessment data point in a visual model, informing teachers of the best tool to use to assess each TEK.
- The matrix provides a representative sample of assessment options used to assess each TEK, helping teachers make appropriate choices.
Clustered Questions
Read the excerpt below from The Book of Salt, a novel by Monique Truong; then answer the three questions that follow.
Aboard the Niobe, I held the red pouch that my mother had so firmly pressed into my hand, and I thought about the days' worth of water between us. Then I thought about the weeks, months, years, decades of water to come. Time for me had always been measured in terms of the rising sun, its setting sister, and the dependable cycle of the moon. But at sea, I learned that time can also be measured in terms of water, in terms of the distance traveled while drifting on it. When measured in this way, nearer and farther are the path of time's movement, not continuously forward along a fast straight line. When measured in this way, time loops and curlicues, and at any given moment it can spiral me away and then bring me rushing home again.
Competency 006—(Reading Literary Texts): Understand the genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes of diverse traditional, contemporary, and classical literary texts; analyze how authors use these elements and characteristics to achieve specific purposes; and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of a range of complex literary texts.
23. In the excerpt, the author uses nature imagery primarily to:
- express feelings of intense longing.
- illustrate the elusive qualities of time.
- describe a way to measure distance.
- evoke the slow pace of ocean travel.
24. A teacher wants to promote students' ability to understand the central idea of the excerpt by synthesizing information provided in the excerpt. Which of the following sets of questions uses scaffolding most effectively for this purpose?
- Which aspects of nature are most interesting to the narrator?
How does the narrator describe the images of water?
How does the narrator's concept of time change? - How would the narrator define home?
When does the narrator expect to arrive home?
Who will the narrator visit after arriving home? - What prompts the narrator's reflection?
Why does the narrator mention the concept of time?
How does the narrator's reflection on time affect his understanding of memory? - What is the name of the ship that the narrator is traveling on?
Where is the ship going?
When does the narrator expect the ship to arrive at its destination?
25. A teacher wants to create a writing prompt that will help students draw personal connections with the narrator's reflections on time and distance in the excerpt. Which of the following writing prompts would be most appropriate for the teacher to use for this purpose?
- Imagine that you can travel back in time to a specific place. Describe the place and time you would visit and explain why you would go there.
- Imagine that you are planning your first camping trip. Describe what you will take on the trip and explain why you plan to take those items.
- Think about an occasion when you were planning to visit a loved one. Describe how you would feel if the visit were postponed for ten years.
- Think about a special occasion in your life that you will always remember. Describe the occasion and explain why you will always remember it.
Additional Selected-Response Questions
This section includes additional sample selected-response questions for you to review in preparation for the exam. The correct answer is provided for each question below.
Domain I—Foundations of Reading
Competency 001—(Foundations of Teaching Reading): Understand research-based, evidence-based, and culturally relevant foundational concepts, principles, and best practices related to reading instruction and assessment.
26. A sixth-grade teacher wants students to make a text-to-self connection with the topic of a text that they are going to read. Which of the following activities would be most effective in supporting this goal?
- reading a brief biography of the text's author with students and discussing the author's work
- asking students to preview the text, write questions they have about the text, and discuss the answers with classmates
- asking students to quickly note their thoughts about an essential idea from the text and then share them
- stating the text's topic and asking students to name other texts with similar topics and explain whether they liked those texts and why
27. A sixth-grade teacher delivers a lesson that focuses on comparing characters in a drama. The teacher asks students to use a T-chart to write their ideas and then displays a volunteer student's completed chart to begin a discussion. The class reflects on the student's ideas in pairs. The teacher then brings the whole group together to continue the character analysis. This scenario demonstrates the teacher's understanding that effective differentiated instruction should include:
- various activities focused on one objective to promote different levels of thinking.
- guided questioning to ensure all students formulate their own ideas about a topic.
- a discussion of whether students agree or disagree about ideas presented.
- graphic organizers to visually organize information for all levels of instruction.
Competency 002—(Foundational Reading Skills): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of foundational reading skills, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level foundational reading skills.
28. A team of seventh-grade teachers wants to help their diverse group of students develop strong literacy and oral communication skills. Which of the following activities would likely be most effective in reaching this goal?
- having the students watch a movie based on a novel they read in class and discuss it with different peers in two concentric, revolving circles
- reading aloud a short story to the students and asking them to work with a partner to retell and summarize the story's plot
- selecting a persuasive text for the students to analyze independently and participate in a Socratic seminar to debate their assertion
- asking the students to listen to open-ended questions about a text they read in class and think critically about how they would respond
29. Which of the following student activities would be most appropriate for informally assessing fifth-graders' ability to identify and use adages as outlined in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for English Language Arts and Reading foundational vocabulary standards?
- giving student groups several adages and having them try to determine what they mean by using context clues
- having students read texts containing adages, having them try to figure out their meanings, then providing cards with explanations to match to the correct adage
- providing students with a list of adages and having them look up the meanings and origins online
- explaining to students what adages are, brainstorming when and why they are used, and having students create their own adages
Competency 003—(Word Analysis Skills and Reading Fluency): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of word analysis skills and fluency, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level word analysis skills and reading fluency.
30. An eighth-grade teacher is evaluating supplemental texts on U.S. history and wants to select texts for working with a small group of students who are reading below grade level. The teacher's intention is to help the students read at grade level. When considering the quantitative dimensions of text complexity, the teacher should consider the:
- structure of the text.
- average sentence length found in the text.
- purpose of the text.
- number of connections students can make to the topic.
31. While assessing students' oral reading fluency, a teacher notes that a student slows down frequently to confirm and self-correct, which results in a loss of reading momentum. While discussing the text with the student after the reading, the teacher determines that the student's comprehension of the text is satisfactory. Given this student's assessment results, the teacher should take which of the following steps to improve the student's fluency?
- providing opportunities for the student to practice making reading sound more natural
- encouraging more independent reading at home of lower reading level texts to improve speed
- encouraging the student to pause during reading and use text features to increase understanding of the text
- providing additional word-solving strategies and texts with which to practice the strategies
Competency 004—(Vocabulary Development): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to vocabulary development, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level vocabulary knowledge and skills.
32. A teacher reads aloud to students from various texts daily and talks with the students about the texts. This practice best demonstrates the teacher's awareness of which of the following concepts related to vocabulary development?
- Discussing a text after hearing it read aloud promotes comprehension of new words in context.
- Listening to texts builds students' oral vocabulary, which in turn enriches their reading vocabulary.
- Hearing a text read aloud allows students to enjoy the text without having to pause to decode unfamiliar words.
- Listening to texts helps students learn how phrasing and intonation convey meaning in text.
33. A teacher is preparing fourth-grade students to read a book that contains several idioms. Before reading, the teacher engages the students in identifying and learning the meanings of some common English-language idioms. Which of the following strategies would likely be most effective for the teacher to use for this purpose?
- reading aloud from a list of idioms and asking students to guess their meanings
- having students describe in writing the idioms' meanings within the context of the text
- asking students to conduct an idiom scavenger hunt in books they read independently
- having students work in pairs to develop original idioms to share with the class
Domain II—Text Comprehension and Analysis
Competency 005—(Reading Comprehension Development): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of reading comprehension, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level reading comprehension strategies.
34. During a focused-reading lesson, sixth-grade students are rereading a text about the suffragist movement and reviewing higher-order questions. Which of the following questions would be most appropriate for the teacher to ask as part of this activity?
- What is the author's purpose for writing about historical events?
- How does the text structure contribute to an understanding of the main events of the Seneca Falls convention?
- Why is it important to reread informational texts several times?
- Why do you think the author uses the examples in the text to support the claim that the right to vote was crucial for receiving other rights?
35. Which of the following scenarios in a fifth-grade classroom best shows students engaged in a focused-reading activity?
- Students read a text multiple times to understand, interpret at a deeper level, and make connections to the text.
- Students read and summarize a text in a small-group setting to check one another's understanding.
- Students read a purposeful text as a whole group before discussing the text with classmates in smaller groups.
- Students repeat a sentence read by the teacher, imitating the teacher's tone, rhythm, and expression.
36. A teacher is listening to a fourth-grade student's oral reading of a text. During the reading, the student pauses and looks puzzled after a reading miscue. According to best practices for promoting students' ability to self-monitor during reading, which of the following steps would be most appropriate for the teacher to take first?
- pointing out and correcting the student's error
- encouraging the student to keep reading to solve the confusion
- having the student practice correcting similar errors in other contexts
- commending the student for noticing the error and asking what caused confusion
37. A seventh-grade student, who has mastered reading fluency and has at-grade-level vocabulary knowledge, struggles with literal and inferential comprehension of a previously read informational text. The student is likely to benefit most from an intervention in which the teacher:
- provides an introduction to the text that focuses on words that are key to understanding the text.
- helps the student form questions using section headings in the text and locate appropriate responses.
- encourages the student to make connections to the topic of the text by watching a related video.
- has the student complete a word map to show relationships among facts and concepts in the text.
Competency 006—(Reading Literary Texts): Understand the genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes of diverse traditional, contemporary, and classical literary texts; analyze how authors use these elements and characteristics to achieve specific purposes; and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of a range of complex literary texts.
38. A sixth-grade teacher would like to assess students' understanding of an author's use of flashbacks for plot development in a novel they are reading in class. Which of the following student activities would be most appropriate for this purpose?
- explaining how details in a flashback provide context for creating a conflict between characters
- comparing the language used in dialogue spoken in flashbacks from various times in a character's life
- analyzing how the author uses temporal words to transition from a character's present-day setting to a flashback
- writing an interior monologue that reveals a character's thoughts and feelings during a flashback
Competency 007—(Reading Informational and Argumentative Texts): Understand the elements and characteristics of informational and argumentative texts, analyze how authors use these elements and characteristics to achieve specific purposes, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of complex informational and argumentative texts.
39. Students in an eighth-grade class are preparing to read an argumentative essay. Which of the following activities would be most effective for promoting the students' ability to distinguish fact from opinion in the essay?
- using reliable sources to verify information
- supporting valid generalizations with facts
- stating agreement or disagreement with expressions of opinion in the essay
- reviewing examples of words and phrases that may signal a personal viewpoint
40. An eighth-grade English language arts teacher plans to have students read and discuss an essay about how the designation Ms. became an alternative to "Miss" and "Mrs." during the women's movement of the 1970s. The teacher uses entrance cards to assess the students' knowledge of the topic and determines that their knowledge is limited. Which of the following strategies would be most appropriate for the teacher to use to support the students' comprehension of the essay?
- providing definitions of key vocabulary from the essay and asking the students to use the words when discussing the essay in class
- showing a video that introduces basic facts about the women's movement and guiding the students in a discussion of what they learned
- identifying several inspiring leaders in the women's movement and having the students research the significant contributions of each
- presenting a time line of significant events during the 1970s and explaining how these events were linked to the women's movement
Domain III—Oral and Written Composition
Competency 008—(Composition): Understand the characteristics of various genres of written text; apply knowledge of strategies for developing well-organized, engaging, written texts that achieve specific purposes for specific audiences; and apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to develop well-organized, engaging, written texts that achieve specific purposes for specific audiences.
41. A student is developing an essay on the topic of bird-watching. Which of the following versions of an introductory sentence would be most appropriate for the student to use to engage readers' attention?
- I disagree wholeheartedly with the commonly held belief that bird-watching is a boring hobby.
- Bird-watching is not your average hobby; it requires stealth, quick reactions, and plenty of patience.
- You are wrong if you think bird-watchers spend all their time looking through binoculars at trees.
- Bird-watching has helped me develop many unique skills, such as differentiating colors and shapes from a distance.
42. A seventh-grade teacher wants to assess students' writing skills before starting a lesson on writing formal correspondence. Which of the following writing prompts would be most appropriate for the teacher to use for this purpose?
- A relative you see once a year sends you a birthday present. Write a thank-you note expressing gratitude for the gift.
- You receive defective merchandise from an online purchase. Write a letter to the seller describing the problem and proposing a fair solution.
- You are taking care of a neighbor's pet while the neighbor is away. Write a letter to let the neighbor know how the pet is doing.
- A friend in another state sends you a letter asking for help with a personal problem. Write a letter in response to your friend's request.
Competency 009—(Inquiry and Research): Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for conducting focused inquiry and research and presenting the results in an appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to conduct focused inquiry and research and present the results in an appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner.
43. While gathering information about Big Bend National Park from online sources, a student finds the two statements that appear below.
From an elevation of less than 1,800 feet along the Rio Grande to nearly 8,000 feet in the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend includes massive canyons, vast desert expanses, forested mountains, and an ever-changing river.
—from the National Park Service Web site
Springtime in the region is the ideal time to see both resident & migratory birds—over 450 species have been recorded in the Big Bend region.
—from Mountain Trails Lodge & Outdoor Learning Center Web site
Which of the following sentences drafted by the student most effectively synthesizes the information provided in the two statements?
- Varied landscapes at a range of elevations provide perfect habitats for the birds that migrate to Big Bend after a long winter.
- The best time to visit Big Bend is in the spring, because there are many sights to see and many types of terrain to traverse.
- In the spring, over 450 species of birds thrive across Big Bend's vast spaces, which include canyons, deserts, mountains, and a river.
- From deep canyons to tree-covered mountains, from expansive deserts to a changing river, Big Bend offers a plethora of wildlife habitats.
44. Seventh-grade students read Farewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese American Experience During and After the World War II Internment, a memoir by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston. After reading the memoir, the students' teacher wants them to conduct research on an aspect of the Japanese American experience during the 1940s. Which of the following activities would be most appropriate for the students to engage in first?
- reading several other memoirs about the events and comparing and contrasting the authors' perspectives
- determining an appropriate end product for sharing their findings with the class
- performing a preliminary search for sources and developing guiding questions
- identifying an aspect of the events in the memoir that particularly interests them and planning research on that aspect
Competency 010—(Listening and Speaking): Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for critical listening and collaborative speaking and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' skills in critical listening and collaborative speaking, including using differentiation strategies that are culturally and academically appropriate for all students.
45. During a unit on the Harlem Renaissance, an eighth-grade teacher presents the information below as part of a slideshow.
Dorothy West (1907–1998)
- Twentieth-century author who explored the aspirations of middle-class Black Americans
- West's short story "The Typewriter" (1926) won a national competition held by Opportunity, a publication of the National Urban League
- West is best known for The Living Is Easy (1947)
- West's stories were first published in The Boston Post in 1921
- West was nicknamed "The Kid" by other Harlem Renaissance writers
While presenting the slide, the teacher states that Dorothy West was fourteen years old when her stories were published in The Boston Post. Which of the following questions should the teacher ask to develop the students' critical-listening skills?
- Why did other Harlem Renaissance writers call Dorothy West "The Kid"?
- If you were to research Dorothy West's life, what would you expect to learn about her?
- What do you think were Dorothy West's childhood ambitions?
- How could you find out where Dorothy West grew up?
46. A group of fifth-grade students is discussing a passage from a novel they are reading in class. When the teacher asks the group to describe the setting, one student says, "It's a weird and mysterious house," and the rest of the class agrees. Which of the following responses by the teacher would most effectively help the other students in the group elaborate on the first student's statement?
- reminding the students that "weird" and "mysterious" are two of many words they can use to describe a house
- asking each student to provide their own understanding of the words "weird" and "mysterious"
- giving the students a few minutes to find textual evidence that the house is "weird and mysterious"
- providing the students with plot details that explain why the house appears "weird and mysterious"
47. An eighth-grade teacher notices that several students tend to dominate speaking opportunities in the classroom. The teacher is planning a literature unit that will include whole-class instruction and small-group collaboration on a project. The teacher wants to ensure that all students will have opportunities to have their voices heard during these activities. Which of the following instructional practices would be most appropriate for the teacher to use?
- assigning the students clear roles, and providing a rubric for the students to use to assess their academic discussion skills
- having the students use a mobile application to communicate about the project during class and at home
- demonstrating effective listening, turn-taking, and speaking behaviors the students can apply during group work
- encouraging the students to ask their classmates for clarification and elaboration during a disagreement
Domain IV—Educating All Learners and Professional Practice
Competency 011—(Differentiation Strategies in Planning and Practice): Understand how to identify and implement developmentally and culturally appropriate strategies and data-driven practices to effectively teach and engage all learners.
48. Based on feedback received from students, an eighth-grade teacher is providing more opportunities for students to work on tasks independently. While the students read a short story independently, the teacher wants them to actively participate and understand what they are reading. Which of the following strategies would be most effective for keeping students engaged and monitoring their understanding of the short story?
- calling on individual students randomly and asking them comprehension questions about the short story
- moving around the room and asking several students comprehension questions about the short story as they work on their reader response journals
- having students pair-read and ask each other comprehension questions about the short story
- having individual conferences with students to ask them comprehension questions about the short story
Competency 012—(Culturally Responsive Practices): Understand how to identify and implement culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate practices to effectively teach and engage all learners.
49. A sixth-grade English language arts teacher wants to foster a positive relationship between students and the course content where students begin to see their classroom as a writing community. Which of the following approaches would be most appropriate for the teacher to use to promote higher student expectations for themselves in class?
- encouraging students to communicate frequently with classmates about their writing outside of class
- meeting with students on a regular basis to confer about their writing and to establish their author identity
- having students use a secure online platform where they can share their work with classmates
- working with students to create a rubric that will be used to evaluate each other's collective achievement
50. A middle school English language arts teacher wants to motivate students to read independently for pleasure and to build knowledge. Which of the following approaches would be most effective for the teacher to use to achieve this goal?
- setting aside 20 minutes a day for the students and teacher to read quietly
- providing varied genres of literary and informational texts that represent a range of perspectives in the classroom library
- taking students to the school library to select books for independent reading and class assignments on a regular basis
- posting a list of books recommended by the school librarian on the class Web site
Acknowledgments
Truong, Monique. The Book of Salt. Houghton Mifflin. 2003. p. 190
Mountain Trails Lodge & Outdoor Learning Center, Fort Davis, Texas.
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