PECT- Module 1
A new kindergarten teacher has concerns about a student's "at risk" scores on the developmental screening of emergent literacy skills. Which of the following steps should the kindergarten teacher take first? A. Developing a plan for direct instruction to address the student's areas of need as indicated by the screening. B. Establishing what types of assessments should be administered to evaluate the extent of the student's difficulty. C. Clarifying the time frame for notifying the parents/guardians of the teacher's academic concerns. Conferring with the student's previous teacher to determine whether this pattern of decline was exhibited last year.
A. Developing a plan for direct instruction to address the student's areas of need as indicated by the screening.
Teachers who have a goal of providing equitable instruction to diverse groups of students should begin by considering which of the following questions? A. Do I allow differences in culture, language, and behavior to shape my perceptions about students' motivation and ability to learn? B. How frequently do I interact with individual students to make sure that I am meeting their learning needs? C. Am I consistent in providing an equal amount of time to each student, regardless of culture, language, and behavior? D. Have I clearly communicated my belief that my students are capable of mastering the targeted concepts and skills?
A. Do I allow differences in culture, language, and behavior to shape my perceptions about students' motivation and ability to learn? Preconceived ideas about the motivation and ability of students to learn that are based on students' languages, cultures, and behaviors present a significant barrier to providing equitable instruction. For example, these preconceived ideas may lead a teacher to have lower expectations for some groups of students. To provide suitable instruction to diverse groups of students, a teacher must view students as individuals who have unique assets and needs. Therefore, the most important first step is to reflect on potential personal biases or misconceptions about students.
Sarah is a 5-year old child who lives with her mother and one younger brother. Sarah's mother is unemployed and without extended family nearby. The family recently moved to a homeless shelter after losing their apartment. There is no predictable schedule for their days or nights. As a result of this situation, Sarah would most likely... A. Experience adverse effects on her concentration and memory. B. Have a greater chance of developing certain disorders such as asthma. C. Experience an increase in her resilience and determination to succeed. D. Have a greater understanding of the range of human emotions.
A. Experience adverse effects on her concentration and memory.
A new elementary teacher is planning a lesson to introduce a science concept to a class that includes students who are ELL with varying levels of English language proficiency. The teacher can best help ensure that the lesson will be responsive to the needs of the students who are ELL by including which of the following steps in the planning process? A. Identifying ways for students to use various hands-on materials and activities to reinforce and apply the targeted concept. B. Developing several written practice exercises that reinforce the targeted concept for the students who are ELL to complete for homework. C. Reviewing content covered in science texts across grade levels that is relevant to the targeted concept. D. Asking the students who are ELL to identify strategies they believe will be the most effective in helping them learn the targeted concept.
A. Identifying ways for students to use various hands-on materials and activities to reinforce and apply the targeted concept.
Which of the following recommendations from the National Association of the Education of Youth Children (NAEYC) applies to early childhood experiences with technology? A. Technology tools can be effective for dual language learners by providing access to a family's home language and culture while supporting English language learning. B. Technology tools can replace the need for direct instruction for English language learning. C. Technology tools can provide access to information for all families, which facilitates immersion in everyday learning. D. Technology tools are becoming the most developmentally appropriate practice for teaching basic skills in the preschool classroom.
A. Technology tools can be effective for dual language learners by providing access to a family's home language and culture while supporting English language learning. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), technology should be available to all children and can greatly benefit those whose home langue is not English, by having activities in the home language and in English. When sued intentionally and appropriately, technology can be an effective learning tool for young children. Intentional use requires knowledge of the child and developmentally appropriate activities by early childhood professionals.
A preschool teacher with a diverse group of learners makes a point of including visuals, toys, and other materials that reflect the background of each student in the class. In addition, the teacher makes a special effort to read books that reflect each student's culture and language. This teacher understands that: A. a child's listening comprehension is increased when content is familiar and reflects cultural experience. B. children will react more positively to each other when they feel represented in the literature of the class. C. a chid's behavior often improves when immersed in a variety of cultural values and viewpoints. D. children feel more comfortable talking to the teacher when there is a shared subject or vocabulary.
A. a child's listening comprehension is increased when content is familiar and reflects cultural experience. Research shows that more learning takes place when children are engaged in communication that is meaningful to them because more of the content and structure of the communication enters long-term memory. Communication is meaningful when it links with the children's prior knowledge or experiences. When the teacher takes the time to link new learning or vocabulary to a child's prior knowledge, the child has a foundation to generalize and retain the new material.
A prekindergarten teacher would like to teach a unit on seasons to her 4-year-old students. She plans to access the children's prior knowledge of the weather to activate their interest in this topic. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective for this purpose? A. asking the children questions during circle time and discussing the topic as a group B. giving the children graphic organizers to complete in order to assess what they know C. placing the children into groups of cooperative learners and having them share ideas with one another D. sending a note home to families and asking them to discuss the seasons at home
A. asking the children questions during circle time and discussing the topic as a group
Which of the following is considered a developmentally appropriate practice for prekindergarten children? A. building upon what the child already knows B. using a prepackaged curriculum C. having rules and regulations posted in the classroom D. utilizing pretest scores to drive instruction
A. building upon what the child already knows According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, building upon what the child already knows, or scaffolding, is a developmentally appropriate practice. Research indicates that in addition to increasing the chid's ability to reach new levels in learning, this method also strengthens the child's retention of new information. A prepackaged curriculum does not allow for differentiation and does not take into account special needs of the students. Rules and regulations being posted in the classroom and utilizing pretest scores will have little effect on student learning and retention of new learning.
A prekindergarten teacher is preparing a lesson for her class about where milk comes from. She is organizing a field trip to a local dairy farm with a follow-up trip to the school cafeteria to see a delivery of milk. During this time she will also transform the classroom centers with activities and supplies that reflect what the children saw on the field trips. Which of the following learning theories is this teacher modeling? A. constructivist learning theory B. behavorist learning theory C. social cognitive learning theory D. cognitive learning theory
A. constructivist learning theory
A student with multiple disabilities will be enrolling in an elementary school. In regard to educating this student, school staff should be aware of their legal responsibility to... A. deliver instruction and services to the student in the LRE appropriate for meeting his or her needs. B. Incorporate into the student's school day ongoing opportunities to interact with similarly disabled peers or adults. C. revise the student's IEP each grading period in response to his/her classroom performance. D. provide the student with instruction that enabled him/her to perform at grade level in the basic skill areas of reading and mathematics.
A. deliver instruction and services to the student in the LRE appropriate for meeting his or her needs.
At the beginning of the school year, a kindergarten teacher requests that parents write a brief summary of their children's summer, including recently learned skills, day or extended trips, special events, and basic daily activities. The teacher could make the most effective use of this information by... A. linking the children's summer experiences and activities to instructional activities to support building prior knowledge. B. providing an opportunity to share experiences with parents as a means of establishing a personal connection. C. writing a summary of each child's summer activities to include the first weekly class newsletter. D. using the parents' accounts of the summer events to teach students how to summarize events.
A. linking the children's summer experiences and activities to instructional activities to support building prior knowledge.
A 4th grade classroom is equipped with an audience response system in which students respond to questions by clinking on a personal remote control. Students' responses are displayed immediately on a presentation computer. This type of response system can be used most effectively for which of the following purposes? A. monitoring students' understanding of key concepts B. diagnostic specific student learning needs C. placing students in instructional groups D. accommodating individual student learning preferences
A. monitoring students' understanding of key concepts
Scaffolding is likely to be most effective in promoting student learning when... A. the teacher uses scaffolding techniques that are tailored to each student's specific needs B. students are able to play a role in determining which scaffolding techniques will be used C. the teacher explains to students how particular scaffolding techniques will be used before applying them D. students have had ample prior experience with the scaffolding techniques that will be used
A. the teacher uses scaffolding techniques that are tailored to each student's specific needs
Which of the following skills is typically the last to emerge for students who are ELL? A. understanding academic language B. questioning to check for understanding C. self-correcting spoken errors D. following verbal instructions
A. understanding academic language
A class includes a student with physical and cognitive disabilities that affect various aspects of the student's functioning. In planning a small-group activity for the class, the teacher should consider which of the following questions first in regard to the student? A. Does the student generally exhibit a preference for individual activities over group activities? B. What steps can I take to facilitate the student's fullest possible participation in the activity? C. Which classmates would likely be most willing to include the student in their group during the activity? D. Are there alternative activities I can arrange for the students that would address the same instructional goal?
B. What steps can I take to facilitate the student's fullest possible participation in the activity?
Research demonstrates that parents/guardians can provide optimal stimulation for cognitive growth in their infants by: A. exposing them early to words, numbers, shapes, and colors B. developing a strong emotional relationship C. introducing them to a variety of adults and children of varying ages D. providing visually appealing objects in the baby's crib
B. developing a strong emotional relationship A strong emotional relationship is the best way for a parent/guardian to nourish a child's growing brain. A parent/guardian is a child's first teacher, and it is in the course of everyday interactions with them that children get what they need for healthy development. According to developmental research, examples of children raised in extremes of environmental care (orphanages) provide clear evidence of the profound impact of a lack of stimulation on development. A strong emotional attachment allows babies to thrive in all areas of development.
Josh is a 5-year-old kindergarten student. Transitions between activities are difficult for him. He often reacts to them angrily, yelling or crying and refusing to stop what he is doing. Josh's kindergarten teacher has been helping him develop effective transitioning skills, and his parents have been reinforcing these skills at home. Which of the following additional strategies would likely be most effective for the teacher to use to help Josh with this issue? A. permitting Josh to choose between activities when he transitions cooperatively B. establishing a cue to alert Josh a few minutes before transition times C. reminding Josh each morning that he should expect transitions throughout the day D. imposing negative consequences whenever Josh resists making transitions
B. establishing a cue to alert Josh a few minutes before transition times
Which of the following social or emotional milestones typically happens last in young children? A. playing peek-a-boo with others B. exhibiting anxiety when separated from primary caregiver C. showing pleasure in response to social stimulation D. paying attention to one's own name
B. exhibiting anxiety when separated from primary caregiver Social and emotional development involves many skills, including those that increase self-awareness and self-regulation. Babies typically show pleasure in repose to social stimulation between the ages of birth and three months. Babies typically learn to play peek-a-boo and pay attention to their own name between the ages of three and six months. Of the milestones listed, exhibiting anxiety when separated from a primary caregiver typically happens last, between the ages of nine and twelve months.
A team of prekindergarten teachers has secured funding from a federal grant to acquire a curriculum that integrates technology to improve student access to instruction. The team decided to form an advisory committee, which will include an administrator as well as several general education teachers, special ed. teachers, and parents. The team plans to meet regularly to provide feedback on the curriculum as well as on its implementation. The greatest benefit of this practice is that... A. it encourages parents to share accountability in student achievement of curriculum objectives. B. it promotes a collaborative approach to identify and problem solve potential areas of curriculum difficulties. C. it improves parents' ability to generalize best practice introduced by the curriculum at home. D. it offers vertical planning time to align curriculum objectives with state learning standards.
B. it promotes a collaborative approach to identify and problem solve potential areas of curriculum difficulties.
A prekindergarten teacher wants to create a classroom environment that stimulates and reinforces children's motivation to learn. Which of the following strategies would best support the achievement of this goal? A. offering stickers or other favored items as rewards for independent creative work B. providing a variety of appealing, age-appropriate materials and time to explore them C. creating a wall chart on which each child's accomplishments and successes are listed D. responding to all children's products and efforts with lavish praise and approbation
B. providing a variety of appealing, age-appropriate materials and time to explore them Young children are natural explorers. They love to examine new materials and can spend hours exploring their characteristics and how they behave. By regularly providing children with attractive, developmentally appropriate materials and giving them the time to explore them, the teacher is taking advantage of the children's innate impulse to investigate deeply and learn as much as they can about the world around them.
A prekindergarten student with dyspraxia would likely have the most difficulty with which of the following activities? A. sitting in a circle listening to a book being read B. putting a puzzle together or working with small objects C. retelling a story in front of the class D. drinking from a cup without spilling
B. putting a puzzle together or working with small objects Dyspraxia is a developmental disorder affecting fine- and/or gross-motor coordination. Children diagnosed with dyspraxia often have additional problems relating to planning, organizing, and carrying out movements in the right order in everyday situations. A prekindergarten student with dyspraxia would likely find putting a puzzle together quite difficult given the fine-motor skills, motor planning, and concentration needed to complete the task.
Giving students in the elementary grades regular opportunities to participate in rule-based games is likely to be most effective in promoting students' development in which of the following areas? A. self-assessment skills B. social problem solving skills C. metacognitive skills D. abstract reasoning skills
B. social problem solving skills Rule-based games often involve teams of students in a competitive situation. Participation in rule-based games provides a stage for students to practice a wide range of social problem-solving skills, such as perspective taking, interpersonal communication, cooperation, negation, and conflict resolution, to achieve a goal.
Lucus is a four-year old boy who is new to Ms. Eck's preschool class. Lucus often sits and observes other children playing with the blocks and other toys, but does not actually engage in the activities himself. Ms. Eck wants to help Lucus develop motivation to play with the toys in the classroom. Which of the following strategies would be most effective for Ms. Eck to try first? A. Asking Lucus which are his favorite blocks and encouraging him to focus on building with those. B. Giving Lucus some blocks to take home with him and requesting that he shows his parents how he plays with the blocks at school. C. Demonstrating to Lucus a few different ways the blocks can be used to create different structures and showing him how to try some himself. D. Introducing a reward chart and giving Lucus a sticker on his chart each time he plays with the blocks.
C. Demonstrating to Lucus a few different ways the blocks can be used to create different structures and showing him how to try some himself.
A second grade class includes two students who have language delays and who tend to speak to peers and adults only when necessary. Which of the following teacher strategies would be most effective for increasing the students' use of oral language in the classroom? A. Posting a chart for each of the two students that tallies the number of time each of them communicates with others during the day. B. Scheduling a daily morning meeting that includes time for students to voluntarily share personal experiences with one another. C. Setting up small-group activities on a regular basis that require students to talk to one another in order to complete assignments. D. Meeting with the two students individually at the end of the day to ask them questions related to the day's lessons and activities.
C. Setting up small-group activities on a regular basis that require students to talk to one another in order to complete assignments.
A 4th grade teacher is establishing student learning goals for an upcoming science unit. Data from which of the following sources would be most helpful to the teacher in this process? A. a student interest survey about unit content B. a comprehension quiz on a science-related informational passage C. an ungraded pre-assessment of unit content D. a student self-assessment of science skills and abilities
C. an ungraded pre-assessment of unit content
Several children who have IEPs will attent a kindergarten class in the upcoming year. To help implement the IEPs, several specialists will provide services in the classroom environment. The most effective first step for the kindergarten teacher to take in building a collaborative relationship with the specialists would be to... A. suggest using a single method of problem solving B. propose that intervention ideas be reached by consensus C. arrange a regular time for sharing information D. assume primary responsibility for decision making
C. arrange a regular time for sharing information
An elementary teacher intends to involve students in a project that will require them to use information obtained from their own family members to write a family history. The goals of the project include helping students understand societal change over time and improving students' writing skills. While planning the project, the teacher realizes that some students in the class will have difficulty with the project because they do not live with their family or would have difficulty obtaining the required information for other reasons. The teacher can best show responsiveness to this type of student diversity by taking which of the following actions? A. making the project an optional, extra-credit activity for any students in the class who are interested in participating B. encouraging students who have no available family members to work with classmates who do so that all students can complete the project C. designing a different project for the class that achieves the same learning objectives while giving all students an equal opportunity to participate D. giving students who are unable to compete a family-based project the option of using library research for their projects instead
C. designing a different project for the class that achieves the same learning objectives while giving all students an equal opportunity to participate The teacher has created a learning activity that is not possible for some students to complete as originally intended because of their particular family circumstances and that may therefore cause these students to feel sad or embarrassed. Since many alternative activities could be used to promote students' achievement of the targeted learning objectives, the teacher should respond by choosing another project for the class that achieves the same instructional goals while allowing all students an equal opportunity to participate and ensuring that no students will feel hurt or left out.
Which of the following instructional approaches is recommended for students who need Tier 2 assistance according to assessment results determined by Response to Instruction and Intervention? A. focusing on strategies for breaking difficult problems into manageable parts B. focusing on one-on-one instruction and considering special education services C. providing systematic and explicit instruction with guided practice and corrective feedback D. providing students with multiple opportunities to solve open-ended and nonstandard problems
C. providing systematic and explicit instruction with guided practice and corrective feedback
In which of the following ways would it be most helpful for parents/guardians to participate in the assessment process of a four-year old child? A. selecting the appropriate venue in which to perform the assessment as well as the materials that would work best with their child B. preteaching the skills needed for the assessment to shorten the time involved in the process the both the team and the child C. sharing insights into the child's developmental background as well as any cultural differences that could inform the assessment process D. developing a time line for the assessment process that fits well with the whole family's home, school, and work schedule
C. sharing insights into the child's developmental background as well as any cultural differences that could inform the assessment process
4-year-old Joe ha recently joined Ms. Eck's prekindergarten class. Joe and his family moved from another country and he speaks very little English. Ms. Eck's class has been learning to count to 10. Which of the following activities would be the most effective for Ms. Eck to use to help Joe learn this skill? A. reading books about counting during circle time and pausing to count items in the story B. adding authentic props to the dramatic play area to familiarize children with numerals C. singing counting songs and encouraging Joe to repeat the counting aloud D. providing opportunities for Joe to demonstrate one-to-one correspondence during snack time
C. singing counting songs and encouraging Joe to repeat the counting aloud
A 3rd grade student has been having difficulty keeping up with assignments, finishing and turning in homework, and studying for tests. The 3rd grade teacher has met with the student's parents, who agree that their child would benefit from extra help in several areas. Together, the teacher and the parents identify supports for the student that will be implemented at home and at school. Which of the following additional steps should the teacher take to facilitate the parents' involvement in addressing their child's challenges? A. Asking the parents to take responsibility for explaining to their child the supports that will be implemented. B. Recommending that the parents investigate private tutoring for their child should the supports prove unsuccessful. C. Suggesting that the parents visit the classroom to observe their child during various instructional periods. D. Establishing a dialogue journal to communicate with the parents about their child's progress and any issues that arise.
D. Establishing a dialogue journal to communicate with the parents about their child's progress and any issues that arise.
During an upcoming open house, a prekindergarten teacher plans to give a brief presentation to parents about ways to promote their children's language development. Which of the following recommendations would be most appropriate for the teacher to include in this presentation? A. Be sure that you establish and maintain eye contact with your children whenever you speak with them. B. If your child points to an object that he or she wants, say the name of the object and require your child to say the word in order to be given the object. C. Ask your child simple yes or no questions during conversations to make sure they understand what you are saying. D. Talk to your child throughout the day and encourage him/her to participate in conversations with family members as much as possible.
D. Talk to your child throughout the day and encourage him/her to participate in conversations with family members as much as possible.
Ms. Eck informally and systematically observes each child in her prekindergarten class. She focuses her attention on one student and notes patterns of changes. She uses the information gathered to help with problem behaviors and to understand the student. A benefit to this type of observation is... A. The teacher can simply look at a child and make a few notes. B. The children already have a relationship with the teacher doing the assessment. C. The teacher does not need training to do the assessment. D. The children are minimally aware that their behavior is being observed.
D. The children are minimally aware that their behavior is being observed.
The development of object permanence during the sensorimotor stage is significant because it demonstrates that the child can... A. filter out all but the essential sensory information of a physical item and then select a response B. begin to feel more relaxed and secure when away from his or her primary caregivers C. recognizes the ability to make things happen by eliciting a consistent response from a caregiver D. maintain a symbolic representation of an item in memory even when it is out of sight
D. maintain a symbolic representation of an item in memory even when it is out of sight
A 4th grade teacher makes a point of welcoming individual students as they arrive each day and takes time to talk with students about their interests and activities on a regular basis. The most important benefit of this practice is that it allows the teacher to... A. establish a pattern of positive interaction with the students B. implement consistent classroom procedures C. integrate information social interaction into the daily routine D. model effective communication skills for the students
D. model effective communication skills for the students
At the end of the school year, a kindergarten teacher assesses each of her students. She asks each student questions and has them do a series of academic tasks. The kindergarten teacher will use the results of the assessment to gain an understanding of each student's strengths and weaknesses and pass this information on to next year's teacher and the student's parents/guardians. This type of testing is limiting in its scope because: A. skills tested by a familiar teacher often get unreliable results. B. the techniques used for oral-response tests are not always ell developed C. it is time consuming for the teacher and hard for a five-year-old to complete D. skills are tested in isolation and may not be indicators of final performance.
D. skills are tested in isolation and may not be indicators of final performance According to current research, children actively construct knowledge and skills which, when tested in isolation, are not always reliable indicators of ability. For a young child, a single assessment of any kind provides only a partial picture of his or her performance. A more developmentally appropriate means of identifying strengths and weaknesses would be a portfolio of the student's work throughout the year to show a learning progression with arms of mastery and need.
According to NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, which of the following statements best reflects a primary ethical responsibility of PreK-4 teachers in regard to student assessment? A. Students should only be assessed in comparison to peers with a similar academic profile. B. Standardized achievement measures, which include normative assessment, should focus most on showing students' performance in relation to their previous performance. C. Students' grade-level curriculum should be modified based only on most current projective achievement results. D.Appropriate assessment systems, which include multiple sources of information, should provide information about students' learning and development.
D.Appropriate assessment systems, which include multiple sources of information, should provide information about students' learning and development.
