Professional Knowledge: Early Childhood

Mr. Cho occasionally uses participation charts to record which centers his preschool students are at given times during the school day. Using a chart over the course of a week or two would best help Mr. Cho identify which of the following? a. centers that may need rearranging or rethinking to attract more interest b. individuals who may not be taking responsibility for clean-up in the various centers c. centers that may need to be more widely separated from each other d. individuals who may not understand how to work with materials in a given center

a

One current trend in early childhood education is an increasing emphasis on four core components: early childhood education, parent education, adult literacy, and interactive family literacy. Which of the following approaches or programs is explicitly based on these four components? a. Even Start b. Montessori c. High/Scope d. Reggio Emilia

a

One of the most significant contributions, Friedrich Wilhelm Froebel made to the field of early childhood education was his development of: a. a program in which young children learn about themselves and the nature of the world through play b. the theory that the child's mind is a "blank slate" on which the child's experience is written c. a curriculum that emphasizes the acquisition of practical skills through "real-world" projects and activities d. the theory that young children's behavior consists primarily of responses to positive and negative reinforcers

a

Three-year-old children typically acquire which of the following music appreciation skills first? a. recognizing whether music is being played loudly or softly b. knowing whether a song is simple or difficult for a musician to play c. recognizing whether the notes in a melody are moving higher or lower d. knowing whether a song is being sung by many people or just a few

a

Which of the following situations best illustrates the principle of due process of law? a. The U.S. Senate approves a presidential appointment to the Supreme Court. b. The judge in a criminal trial appoints a lawyer to represent a defendant who cannot afford one. c. The U.S. House of Representatives enacts a bill to establish a new district court. d. A local citizens' committee mounts a referendum campaign to repeal a state law.

b

A preschool teacher who works with a diverse group of children is introducing a unit on "Our Five Senses." As part of a lesson about the sense of taste, the teacher plans to have the students try a variety of foods. Before conducting such a lesson, it would be especially important for the teacher to obtain information about: a. how other teachers have presented and managed similar activities with preschool students b. the children's favorite foods in various categories (e.g., salty, sweet, sour) c. any foods that should be avoided due to cultural/religious beliefs, or medical conditions d. the children's general level of squeamishness (e.g. in regards to foods of unusual colors/textures)

c

Which of the following learning center activities would be most appropriate for promoting a kindergarten student's understanding of the concept of classification? a. arranging plastic rings on a cone in order from largest to smallest b. examining the veins in a leaf with a magnifying lens c. sorting manipulatives into piles based on size and color d. using scissors to cut construction paper into varying lengths

c

Which of the following represents the most authentic approach to establishing a culturally diverse curriculum? a. incorporating celebrations of holidays from countries around the world during the course of the school year b. encouraging students to share information about their individual backgrounds and cultures during weekly show-and-tells c. routinely integrating information about and features of a wide range of cultures into all domains or learning d. choosing two or three countries based on the students' background and cultures to serve as recurrent subjects of study over the year

c

When children start asking questions about each other. They have similar goals but there are no set rules. a. solitary play b. parallel play c. associative play d. cooperative play

c

A child at the phonetic stage of spelling development usually writes: a. letters for every sound heard within a word. b. random letters with no letter-sound correspondence. c. words based on how they look rather than on how they sound. d. two or three letters to represent whole words.

a

A kindergarten teacher is planning to use large and small-group discussions as one important instructional strategy over the course of the school year. Which of the following would e the teacher's best strategy for ensuring that discussions are positive and productive? a. creating ground rules for discussions that include appropriate listening behaviors and turn-taking procedures b. making a point of ensuring that all discussions arise out of questions or statements made by the students c. using a round-robin format in which each student is asked to contribute to the discussion based on seating order in the group d. informing students of upcoming discussion topics at least one day ahead of time

a

A new teacher notices a child removing food from the snack table and hiding it in his backpack when he thinks no one is looking. When the teacher speaks privately with the child about this behavior, the child says that sometimes they don't have much to eat at his house because his father lost his job. Which of the following would be the most appropriate initial response for the teacher to take? a. speaking to the family about relevant community services and supporting them in the process of obtaining and necessary assistance b. contacting the Office of Child Protective Services to report the child's family on suspicion of neglect c. proposing at the next faculty meeting that the school organize a series of fundraisers to assist families who are in need d. finding ways to discreetly supplement the amount of food the child takes home in his backpack

a

A preschool teacher has been having trouble managing the children's behavior during clean-up times. Some children do a hasty and careless job of tidying the centers where they have been working, while others are reluctant to participate at all. Which of the following would likely be the teacher's best strategy for addressing this problem? a. consistently building in time for clean-up and moving throughout the room during clean-up to monitor and support everyone's participation b. reminding the class at the morning meeting that everyone must help with clean-up and directly asking specific children whether they plan to help today c. instituting a system of rewards or privileges, such as receiving stickers or being appointed line leader, for appropriate participation in clean-up d. sending home a note to the children's families asking them to help by involving their children in clean-up at home and setting a minimum level of acceptability

a

A second-grade teacher reads aloud to the class often, from a wide variety of genres and with great expression. This activity primarily helps students to: a. learn what fluent reading sounds like. b. draw conclusions and make generalizations about texts. c. learn to identify unknown words. d. distinguish between fact, fantasy, and opinion.

a

A week before the beginning of school, a school administrator informs Mr. Whitehorse that a new student with special needs has been assigned to his second-grade class. Upon review the students' IEP, Mr. Whitehorse learns that the student uses a wheelchair for mobility and will receive service from a physical therapist three times per week. Which of the following would be the most appropriate first step for Mr. Whitehorse to take with regard to this student? a. conferring with the special education teacher and the PT about how to best adapt the classroom to meet the student's needs b. using the class list to assign a peer to act as a helper to the student until the student is comfortable in the new school c. providing the PT with a daily classroom schedule to allow him/her to schedule the student' physical therapy sessions d. contacting the first-grade teacher from the student's previous school to ask about the student's general level of functioning in the classroom

a

According to Lev Vygotsky's theory of learning, young children build new competencies primarily in response to: a. interpersonal interactions with individuals who are more knowledgeable than them. b. a desire to conform to the values and expectations fo their society. c. the need to adapt their thinking when new information conflicts with previously held notions. d. repeated activities at their current level of independent performance.

a

An early childhood teacher wants to ensure that her practices manifest respect for all families in the culturally diverse infant and toddler program in which she teaches. which of the following would probably be the most effective first step toward achieving this goal? a. correctly pronouncing names and learning greetings and common words in families' home languages to use with the children b. asking families to identify foods, celebrations, and practices they would like to see included in classroom activities c. providing families with informational flyers about opportunities to participate at school in an area of personal interest d. requesting that each family suggest a book or article that will help the teacher become more informed about the family's traditions

a

As a kindergarten teacher makes her plans for the upcoming school year, she intends to take advantage of a wide variety of resources in the community. For example, in conjunction with a unit on "Community Helper," she will arrange a trip to the fire station. Likewise, for a unit on "The Foods We Eat," the class will visit a local farmer' market. Such activities are especially important in an early childhood program because they. . . a. provide children with direct personal experiences that promote conceptual understanding. b. foster the children's awareness and appreciation of the resources in their own community. c. motivate local citizens to reflect on how to support school programs for the children in their community. d. prompt the children to recognize the relevance of school to themselves and their families.

a

Before the opening of school, a teacher in an infant classroom contacts the children's families to schedule home visits. One family has repeatedly canceled scheduled visits, and the teacher has gotten a strong impression that they do not want her to visit their home. Which of the following would be the teacher's best response to the family in this situation? a. asking whether the visit could be held somewhere in the family's neighborhood, such as a playground or community center, as appropriate b. asking the family directly if they have some reason for objection to the teacher's visiting their home c. stressing that to work as effectively as possible with any child, the teacher must observe that child in his/her most familiar environment d. offering to keep the visit short and to use in primarily to get the idea of the child's physical surroundings

a

Each child in a second-grade class has a portfolio of samples of his/her best work, including artwork, writing samples, videotapes/photographs of projects, graphs, etc. The teacher confers regularly with the children to help them choose pieces for their portfolios. The primary purpose of such a portfolio should be to: a. promote awareness of children's progress b. compare children's levels of achievement c. identify areas in which individuals demonstrate unusual talent d. document the effectiveness of the second-grade program

a

How can early childhood educator best ensure that the assessment practices he/she uses are appropriate for all students in a widely diverse student population? a. by taking children's strengths, needs, and other characteristics into account when selecting assessment methods b. by involving at least two teachers in both the administration and interpretation of every assessment c. by arranging for the majority of assessments to be conducted one-on-one in private settings d. by soliciting parents'/guardians' involvement in any and all assessments of their children

a

In a kindergarten classroom, the teacher has set out several wordless books for the children to look at. Periodically, she asks one of the children to "read" the book to her. Asking the children to participate in this activity will be most effective as a way to: a. develop the children's oral language skills. b. expand the children's interest in different literary genres. c. stimulate the children's interest in illustrations. d. further the emergence of the children's decoding skills

a

In a third-grade classroom in which the students represent a wide range of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, a teacher could best support all students' learning by: a. considering both individual and group characteristics when planning and implementing instruction b. permitting the self-selection of student groups for projects or cooperative learning activities c. using portfolio assessment exclusively as the basis for student evaluations d. soliciting student input in regard to decisions related to classroom rules and procedures

a

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), in which of the following situations must the request to see a student's records be granted? a. the parents of a student with special needs question their child's placement for the upcoming year and ask to review his or her educational records. b. a classroom volunteer who often works with specific student asks to review the student's educational records in an effort to increase his or her effectiveness with the student. c. a teacher who may have a student with special needs in her upcoming class in the fall asks to review the student's records to gain an understanding of the student's needs. d. the legal guardian of a student who has been bullied by two other students ask to view the other students' records in an effort to understand their behavior.

a

In the second half of the school year, Ms. Chee begins giving her thrid graders brief homework assignments on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. Several students have been turning in work that is careless or incomplete or failing to submit their homework entirely. Which of the following would be Ms. Chee's best strategy for addressing this issue? a. informing parents/guardians of the homework schedule and asking them to sign their children's completed work b. requiring students to work on any incomplete ore missing homework during the following day's recess c. keeping track of each student's record of homework submission and raising the topic during regular parent-teacher conferences d. giving out stickers or other rewards to students who submit their homework complete and on time

a

In the upcoming school year, a preschool teacher plans to make sociodramatic play an important feature of the program. This decision would be especially appropriate for children of this age because such play: a. encourages cooperation and communication b. promotes individuals' awareness of their own strength and needs c. fosters self-help/adaptive skills d. provides practice in working toward a common goal

a

Kelly is a four-year-old who has mild cognitive delays. She attends preschool for five half days each week. A special education teacher comes to the classroom to work with Kelly three times per week. Her preschool teacher is beginning a unit that involves new concepts related to nutrition. He is planning to introduce several concepts during large-group circle time, then provide follow-up activities for small-group centers. In this situation, the preschool teacher can most appropriately address Kelly's learning needs by: a. including her in all lessons to the fullest extent possible. b. sending home information about the new concepts to her parents so they can review the concepts with her. c. asking the special education teacher to work with her individually. d. preparing a separate set of lessons designed to promote Kelly's skills in meeting her basic physical needs.

a

Which of the following is primarily responsible for the large-scale movement of continents over the earth's surface over long periods of time? a. erosion and weathering of mountain ranges b. shifting of tectonic plates c. expansion and contraction of glaciers d. impacts of meteors striking Earth

b

Warren is a third grader who has moderate mental retardation Each morning Warren spends two hours in Mr. Gupta's general education classroom, where he participates in language arts and science activities. In conjunction with the current science unit, Mr. Gupta is planning an experiment that he believes may pose some difficulties for Warren. Which of the following strategies would be most appropriate for Mr. Gupta to use in this situation? a. paring Warren with an aide/peer partner who can provide natural support as the two perform the experiment together b. asking Warren to be his helper while he demonstrates the required techniques and procedure to the class c. having students perform the experiment later in the day when Warren is receiving service in the resource room d. planning a special language arts project for Warren to work on while the rest of the class conducts the experiment

a

When children start to play on their own. Children do not seem to notice other children sitting or playing nearby during this type of play. a. solitary play b. parallel play c. associative play d. cooperative play

a

Which of the following preparations by the Visiting Day organizers would be the most appropriate and effective strategy for communication respect for and sensitivity to ethnic/cultural diversity among the families? a. arranging for bilingual or multilingual staff members to be present to translate as necessary for families with home languages other than English b. offering each of the presentations in several different formats (e.g., slide presentation, lecture, small-group) among which families may choose c. arranging for the refreshment and socializing portion of the event to feature foods from around the world and thus serve as a celebration of the community's diversity d. offering to schedule individual meetings in the weeks after Visiting Day with any families who found the presentations confusing/inadequate

a

Which of the following strategies could a teacher use most effectively to help emergent and early readers better understand and use semantic cues? a. covering up various words in a big book text and having students use meaning to guess the hidden words b. presenting a rime such as an, and having students create various words by inserting different onsets c. reading a nursery rhyme aloud and prompting students to clap its rhythmic pattern d. introducing a memory game and showing students how to match identical words

a

A first-grade teacher is concerned about a student whose appearance and behavior suggest that he may be physically abused at home. According to federal and Arizona state law, the teacher is legally required to immediately: a. schedule a meeting with the child's parents/guardians to voice her concerns and ask for an explanation. b. report her suspicions in compliance with state and tribal laws and requirements. c. begin documenting her observations in an effort to evaluate the validity of her concerns. d. conduct a private interview with the child in an attempt to confirm or dispel her suspicions.

b

A second-grade teacher is continually on the lookout for ways to involve families in their children's education. As she reviews student records before the opening of school, she notes that several families new to the school speak home languages other than English. Which of the following would likely be the teacher's best strategy for fostering these families' involvement? a. memorizing a greeting word/phrase in each family's home language to use when the family comes to school for a conference b. arranging ongoing get-togethers to help the families develop informal support systems with other families that share their home language c. suggesting that the families bring bilingual friends/family members when meeting the school staff who do not speak their home language d. sending notes to the families in their home languages urging them to contact the school with any issues or questions related to the program

b

A second-grade teacher is planning to begin a unit about insects by having a classroom discussion. Which of the following questions posed by the teacher would most likely promote students' use of higher-order thinking skills? a. "Who can tell me the name of the insect in this picture?" b. "Why do we have insects in our environment?" c. How many hundreds of ants do you think live in one colony?" d. "Which insects are most often found around our homes?"

b

A teacher decides to become a member of a professional organization for early childhood educators. Which of the following is likely to represent the most significant benefit of membership in such an organization? a. greater access to Web sites on which early childhood educators post lesson plans, thematic units, and other resources for educators b. expanded opportunities to take part in support networks and idea sharing with other educators in the field c. greater access to reviews of books, software, and other resources for early childhood educators and classrooms d. expanded opportunities to meet pre-eminent theorists and researchers in the field of early childhood education

b

A teacher is watching two-year-old Maria as she begins to play with a circus set. Maria holds up a toy elephant and says to herself, "doggie." She then holds up a lion and repeats, "doggie." She continues this pattern with several other animals. Which of the following conclusions would be most appropriate for Maria's teacher to make base on this observation? a. Maria is not perceiving any differences among these animals. b. Maria is making a type of generalization common at her age. c. Maria requires additional language stimulation. d. Maria is using play to express a personal preference.

b

A teacher wishes to create an overall atmosphere of calm and serenity in the infant room. Which of the following practices would be likely to make the most significant contribution in this regard? a. having all infants in the room follow the same schedule for feeding and nap times each day b. routinely playing classical music or lullabies at a low volume c. providing a pacifier for each individual infant to use at nap times and when he/she is upset d. keeping the lights in the room dimmed for most of the day

b

A third-grade teacher is responsible for planning a weekly forty-minute computer lab for her class. Which of the following would be the most appropriate principle on which to base the computer lab lessons? a. activities should focus on teaching discrete computer skills in the context of games in which individuals try to beat their own personal best scores b. activities should support classroom instruction through assignments differentiated according to individuals' computer proficiency c. activities should be devoted to individuals' use of the programs most relevant to their own interests, whether graphics, word processing, or games d. activities should consist primarily of individualized drill-and-practice tasks based on student' need in specific academic areas

b

A three-year-old and a four-year-old have been competing for opportunities to ride the swing. Both children are capable of seating themselves in the swing and pushing it. Which of the following responses from their preschool teacher will best serve to foster the children's social problem-solving skills? a. suggesting that the children take turns using the swing and determining who should use the swing first b. asking the children to explain the situation and help them decide what to do c. redirecting the children to different activities and keeping them separated until their attention is refocused d. reminding the children that arguing is against class rules and making the swings off limits to them for the rest of the day

b

At the beginning of the school year, Mr. Beanally learns that Kayla, a student with special needs, will be in his class. Mr. Benally meets with the special education teacher to review the goals in Kayla's Individualized Education Program (IEP). Which of the following best describes Mr. Benally's responsibilities with regard to Kayla's IEP goals? a. choosing and prioritizing Kayla's IEP goals for instructional planning b. incorporating Kayla's IEP goals into classroom activities across the curriculum c. setting up a reward system to use whenever Kayla attains and IEP goal d. providing information on which of Kayla's IEP goals need modification to corresponds to classroom goals

b

At the beginning of the school year, a third-grade teacher is scheduling the class's annual spring field trip. Which of the following questions would be most important for the teacher to ask when deciding where to go for the field trip? a. Which of the possible field trips would offer students the greatest range of hands-on activities? b. What field trip destination would best support important curriculum content or themes? c. Which of the possible field trips would require the least amount of preparation and student monitoring? d. What field trip destination would provide most or all of the students with an entirely new experience?

b

At the beginning of the school year, the level of exposure to printed materials varies greatly among the children in Ms. Begay's kindergarten class. In this situation, which of the following would be Ms. Begay's best strategy for promoting all of the children's literacy development? a. sending families a series of letters that offer tips on fostering early literacy, beginning with concepts about print and moving on to more advanced concepts and skills b. intergrate literacy experiences across the curriculum and differentiating instruction based on individual children's needs c. using the first few months of school to provide intensive literacy instruction to those most in need while the more advanced readers engage in independent reading d. pairing children with differing levels of literacy experience and asking the more experience children to act as tutors for those with less experience

b

During recess, Ms. Wilson sees tow kindergartners crying as they run toward her. When they reach Ms. Wilson, both begin to speak at once: Kayla: "Every day Ada hos the rings at recess! She never gives me a turn!" Ada: "Kara grabbed my arm and made me fall off!" Ms. Wilson: "Is this true Kaya?" Kaya: "But she doesn't take turns!" Which of the following would be the most appropriate statement for Ms. Wilson to make at this point? a. "Ada, you can go back to the rings. Kaya is going to sit by me and take a break." b. "Kaya, you may be angry, but you need to use words to ask Ada for a turn. It's not okay to hurt people." c. "Ada, do you see how not sharing makes other people want to be mean to you? Don't you want your classmates to like you?" d. "Kaya, I'm going to keep you in for recess for a week. I need to be sure that you won't do something dangerous when you get angry."

b

Every summer, a school schedules a Visiting Day in which kindergartners who will be entering in the fall spend a few hours together in their assigned classrooms. Teachers plan engaging activities that encourage the children to explore the environment, work with materials, play with other children, etc. While the children are in their classrooms, their parents/guardians attend an orientation with presentations by various staff members, receive a tour of the school and have a chance to socialize over refreshments. Which of the following should the school's primary goal in regards to the families that attend Visiting Day? a. ensuring that families understand the school's schedules and are familiar with the schools' rules and policies b. promoting a sense of membership in the school community and understanding of ways families can support their children's transition to kindergarten c. providing information about the school's organizational structure and which office to contact about general or specific issues of concern d. making families aware of their responsibilities in various areas (e.g., attendance, communication)

b

Midway through the school year, a first-grade teacher is planning individual conferences with the parents/guardians of her students. In general, the most effective way for the teacher to begin each conference would be to: a. hand the parents/guardians a list of discussion points and give them a few minutes to read the list b. share with the parents/guardians a positive observation or story about their child c. urge the parents/guardians to feel free to voice any criticisms or concerns they may have d. express the importance of the parents/guardians participation in their child's education

b

Mr. Hanson would like to incorporate interdisciplinary learning into the students' study of butterflies. Which of the following activities would best promote this objective? a. assigning students to prepare an oral presentation on butterflies based on the information they gathered during their individual research projects b. reading aloud poems, stories, and creation myths involving butterflies and having students write their own creative works about butterflies c. gathering a collection of photographs and scientifically accurate drawings of butterflies and posting them around the classroom d. creating a display of advertisements, labels, and products related to butterflies and asking a student to contribute objects to display

b

One child who is enrolled int eh kindergarten program as ADHD. In regard to the upcoming Visiting Day, which of the following would be the best way to meet the needs of this child and his/her family? a. requesting that one/both of the child's parents/guardians remain in the classroom with the child during the Visiting Day events b. arranging for the child and his/her family to visit the classroom before attending Visiting Day to meet the teacher and explore the room c. asking the child's parents/guardians to hire a babysitter so that they can attend Visiting Day without the fear of any potential distractions d. arranging the child's special education teacher to accompany him.her in the classroom for the duration of Visiting Day

b

The children in a class of three year-olds typically arrive between 7:45 and 8:15 in the morning. After greeting each child by name, the teacher could best facilitate each child's transition into the classroom by: a. reading a story to the class as the children continue to arrive b. allowing children to self-select from a variety of activities, such as puzzles or play dough c. having children deposit their things at their cubbies and then sit dow on the circle rug d. helping children form small groups and particpate in role-playing in the dram center

b

The parents of a toddler come to the classroom to observe the morning's activities. When the parents meet with the teacher afterward, they express concern about the program: "All the children did was play. Nobody taught them anything." The teacher's best response would be to: a. inform the parents that what may look like play to them actually constitutes highly challenging learning activities for the children b. explain specific what's in which the morning's activities, the schedule, and the daily routines all promote the children's learning c. point out the academic learning is only one component of a developmentally appropriate early childhood program d. agree to make adaptations for their child if they will offer guidance on the content, teaching approach, and assessment methods they have in mind

b

The teacher of an infant and toddler classroom is committed to encouraging all families' involvement in their children's school experience. This year the teacher has held several open houses after school and in the evenings. He has also extended an open invitation to parents/guardians to visit the classroom. However, while some families participate enthusiastically and attend regularly, others never take part in these activities. Which of the following would be the teacher's best approach in addressing this situation? a. sending a letter to all families explaining the importance of parent/guardian involvement in their children's learning and development b. diversifying the types of opportunities for family involvement and using a variety of strategies for creating bonds with parents/guardians c. making the open house more appealing by featuring guest speakers or entertainers and having the children create the invitations d. speaking with the children whose families do not regularly participate and encouraging them to ask their parents/guardians to come to events at school

b

The two-year-olds in Mr. Yazzi's class have been learning about their bodies, and Mr. Yazzi has invited Dr. Elsie Footracer, a dentist, to visit the classroom to talk to the children about their teeth. Mr. Yazzi can best ensure the success of the visit by taking which of the following steps beforehand? a. asking Dr. Footracer to visit the class briefly to observe the children on a typical day b. talking with Dr. Footracer about the targeted learning goals and the children' prior knowledge of the topic c. meeting with Dr. Footracer to review the two adults' respective roles during the presentation d. providing Dr. Footracer an overview of the language development and common behaviors of children in this age group

b

To provide parents/guardians with an overview of their child's' day, an infant room teacher creates an information sheet. Which of the following would be the most important section to add to the information sheet? a. a "School" section that allows the teacher to share information about upcoming center-related activities b. a "Comments" section that allows the teacher to provide information about the child's day, including general mood, incidents of note, activities participated in, etc. c. a "Suggestions" section that allows the teacher to offer tips on how the parents/guardians can best promote their child's development in various domains d. a "Peers" section that allows the teacher to provide the names and some general information about the children with whom the child played during the day

b

Two nine-month-old infants are sitting on a rug with a teacher. The teacher has gathered a small collection of pots, lids, and large spoons for the children to play with from a bin in the housekeeping area. Given the children's age, which of the following would be the teacher' most appropriate interaction with the children as they pay with these materials? a. prompting them to sue the spoons to pretend to stir and taste imaginary food in the pots b. monitoring their manipulations of the pots, lids, and spoons and talking to them about the effect of their actions c. demonstrating how to find matching lids for the pots and guiding them to cover each pot with a lid d. encouraging them to take turns using the various pots, lids, and spoons the have collected

b

When English Language Learners reach the early production stage of second-language acquisition, they are typically most comfortable performing which of the following language tasks? a. responding verbally to open-ended questions b. speaking in single words or two-word phrases c. using social language in the classroom d. speaking in a compound or complex sentences

b

When children begin to play side-by-side with other children without any interaction. They are paying attention to each other. a. solitary play b. parallel play c. associative play d. cooperative play

b

Which of the following activities would provide the best opportunity for third-grade students to apply critical thinking skills in science? a. constructing graphs to compare data from two separate investigations b. identifying problems in the way an experiment was carried out c. sharing the results of a scientific investigation with the class d. discussing ideas for possible science projects

b

Which of the following express the primary reason that early childhood professionals are required to participate in ongoing professional development activities? a. There is a direct correlation between participation in teacher training activities and higher student scores on standardized achievement tests. b. Knowledge of the latest educational research and teaching methods promotes increased teacher effectiveness in the classroom. c. Participating in periodic opportunities to compare experience outside of the classroom decreases teacher burnout. d. Many new teachers fail to recognize how further training will build on the foundation provided by their teacher preparation program.

b

A teacher observes 21-month-old Keisha as she wraps a doll in a blanket. First, Keisha lays the doll down on the carpet and places a blanket over it. She then pulls off the blanket, set the doll aside, and lays the blanket on the carpet. After spending several minutes spreading out the blanket, she places the doll on it. She repositions the doll repeatedly, smoothing out the blanket each time. Finally, nearly twenty minutes after she began the activity, she pulls the edges of the blanket around the doll and nods in satisfaction. Which of the following would likely be the teacher's best response to Keisha's activity? a. reflection on how she might have subtly guided Keisha to achiever her objective more efficiently b. planning a series of class activities and discussions related to the concept of wrapping c. writing a brief description of the episode as a record of Keisha's behavioral functioning d. prompting Keisha to describe the activity to her classmates during the next circle time

c

A teacher of two-and-a-half to three-year-old children plans to work with small groups of children to foster emerging numeracy skills. For children of this age, which of the following would most likely be a developmentally appropriate learning goal for the intended purpose? a. children will make the correct number of marks on a page when a number between one and ten is spoken aloud b. children will accurately use on-to-one correspondence to count up to fifteen c. children will match three dolls of graduated sizes to their corresponding pieces of doll furniture d. children will arrange a penny, a nickel, a dime, and a quarter in order from least to the greatest value

c

A teacher wishes to modify and infant room to better support the gross-motor needs of children who are making the transition from the crawling stage to the prewalking stage. The teacher could best accomplish this goal by: a. arranging tables, chairs, and play equipment around the room so that children can easily reach one object while holding on to another b. creating a small obstacle course using blocks, pillows, and toys through wich the children can maneuver c. creating a matted area with soft, sturdy materials that children can use to pull themselves erect and support themselves d. placing favorite items on shelves at jus the right height to allow most children to reach them from a standing position

c

A three-year-old recognizes a word on a sign for a fast-food restaurant and understands that people go inside that building to eat. This is an example of a child making meaning from which of the following? a. an illustration b. language experimentation c. environmental print d. a sound-symbol relationship

c

A two-and-a-half-year-old is showing signs of a language delay. She produces only a few, single-syllable words, and her pronunciation is much more difficult to understand than that of her peers. Her language delay is likely to have been influenced most significantly by: a. having a brother who is nine months old. b. having had her grandmother move in with the family. c. having had frequent ear infections in the past 18 months. d. having changed child-care providers the previous year.

c

An infant and toddler teacher makes a habit of recording the children's language use. For each child, the teacher compiles a language notebook in which vocalizations, self-talk, and conversations are recorded over time. Which of the following would be the teacher's best use of these notebooks? a. determining the most appropriate level of language to use when addressing the class as a whole b. providing parents/guardians with a general idea of their children's level of language development in comparison with classmates' c. identifying strategies and activities for building on each child's current level of language development d. evaluating each child' general rate of progress in language development between the beginning and end of the school year

c

As part of a unit on gardening, teachers in the toddler classroom are planning a series of thematic activities. These will include teaching some simple songs, selecting several big books to read during story times, digging and planting an outdoor garden, measuring and graphing plant growth, and harvesting and preparing vegetables to eat. Using such a wide variety of garden-themed activities best addresses which of the following aspects of child development? a. Young children have very short attention spans and need to periodically change activities in which they participate. b. Young children develop critical social skills by engaging in different kinds of interactions. c. Young children benefit from learning activities that engage and stimulate each of their senses. d. Young children need a highly structured program to prepare them for future academic work.

c

At the beginning of individual exploration time. a preschool teacher first shows the children several activities and centers in which they can play. She then calls on the children individually to choose where they will begin playing. Three-year-old David often has difficulty deciding where he would like to play and becomes upset. The teacher could best foster David's decision-making skills in this situation by: a. letting him choose his activity after all the other children have made their selections. b. establishing a fairly short time limit for making a choice and then guiding him to a center selected by the teacher. c. meeting with him beforehand to help him make a choice based on the specific aspect of each activity available that morning. d. asking him to choose a friend to follow for the day and to go to the center the friend selects.

c

At the beginning of the school year, a second-grade teacher asks the student to fill out a favorites list. The teacher then holds a class discussion of the students' responses, expressing interest in the children's entries and making a point of asking each child to elaborate on at least one entry on his/or hear list. She also helps the children identify peers who share some of their "favorites" and prompts a discussion of how people can be alike in some ways and different in others. Which of the following represents the greatest benefit of classroom activities such as this one? a. fostering awareness that an individual may agree with the majority in some areas and disagree in others b. promoting excellence through friendly competition among individuals or groups of students c. fostering a sense of community-based on mutual understanding and appreciation d. promoting the formation of friendship groups based on common skills or interests

c

The parents/guardians of a third grader ask to have a statement by the child's current teacher removed from their child's permanent file because they believe it is inaccurate. If school officials deny this request, the school must inform the parents/guardians that they have a right to: a. have the file officially sealed until the two parties resolve the issue b. stipulate that access to the disputed statement be limited solely to school administrators c. have their complaint investigated by hearing officer d. require the school to transfer their child to another teacher's classroom until the dispute is resolved

c

During individual exploration time, a preschool teacher observes four-year-old Juan as he walks over to the kitchen area to play with Linda. The following interaction occurs: Juan: "Can I help you cook?" Linda: "No, boys don't cook, only girls." Juan: "But I know how to cook." Linda: "Just girls." In this situation, the teacher's most appropriate response would be to: a. take some of the cooking items that Linda is using and set them up at a table to allow Juan to pretend to cook b. suggest that Juan may want to play in another area for now and come back when Linda is playing elsewhere c. affirm Juan's statement that boys can cook and remind Linda that children in their classroom do not exclude others d. send Linda to the time-out area for a few minutes and require her to apologize to Jan before she may resume playing in the kitchen area

c

During the early weeks of school, six-year-old Jamie has a tendency to act aggressively toward other children on various occasions. Now, in the second month of school, the first-grade teacher has the impression that such incidents are increasing. In this situation, the teacher's most appropriate first step would be to: a. inform Jamie's family of her concerns and advise them to apply consequences consistently at home b. ask colleagues whether they share her perception of Jamie's behavior patterns c. conduct a frequency count for a week or two to create a baseline of Jamie's behavior in the area at issue d. develop a behavior contract to implement with Jamie to reduce the incidence of such behaviors

c

In general, which of the following would likely be a first-grade teacher's best strategy for fostering students' sense of confidence and self-efficacy? a. complimenting students on their work regardless of the quality of the finished product b. establishing a series of competitions designed to ensure that each student will have the experience of being a "winner" c. planning engaging tasks that students will be able to accomplish through their own efforts d. choosing a different "student of the week" every week, rotating through the class roster over the course of the year

c

In recent years, the concept of "readiness' as applied to young children who are just entering early childhood programs has been extended specifically to include: a. the readiness of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal government to intervene when all children are not educated equally b. the readiness of teacher preparation programs to ensure that training for early childhood educators reflects the actual needs of children c. the readiness of schools, families, and communities to create the conditions necessary for children's success d. the readiness of state legislatures to make a commitment to treat early childhood education as a funding priority

c

In the United States in the second half of the 20th century, the demand for early childhood education programs grew significantly. Which of the following factors was most responsible for this development? a. a trend toward having more children among families in all demographic groups b. an increasingly educated public's recognition of the need for early intervention for young children with disabilities c. a substantial increase in the number of two-earner and single-parent families d. a perception among American parent they need assistance with their parenting skills

c

In the early childhood years, which of the following would likely be the most appropriate reason for using norm-referenced testing? a. to decide whether a child should be held back a year b. to make grouping decisions in the content areas c. to contribute to a diagnosis regarding special needs d. to identify a child's strongest learning modality

c

One morning, a group of kindergarten students comes into class talking excitedly about the fire trucks they saw on their way to school. The teacher decides to use the event as the basis for a lesson about community and the people who keep communities safe. Which of the following best explains why this would be a particularly effective opportunity for exploring this topic? a. Young students are very concerned about their personal safety and are likely to find any learning activity related to the topic particularly interesting. b. Students who saw the fire trucks are likely to have little trouble visualizing what the teacher is talking about. c. Young students tend to be highly motivated when engaged in learning activities based on the subject matter they can relate to their personal experience. d. Students who saw the trucks are likely to have a great deal to say about the people who keep communities safe.

c

Since the opening of the school, eight-year-old Jennie has had trouble getting along with her third-grade classmates. She interrupts conversations, makes rude comments, and distracts others from their work. It is now November, and the other students in the class have started to ignore and avoid Jeannie as much as possible. In this situation, which of the following would be the teacher's best response? a. taking advantage of a day when Jennie is absent to ask the other children to be more friendly toward her and include her in their activities b. monitoring the situation to see whether Jennie changes her behavior in response to being rejected by her classmates c. taking steps to ensure that Jennie begins receiving intervention as soon as possible to develop positive social behaviors d. conducting regular whole-class discussions about the importance of creating a caring and inclusive classroom community

c

The children in a primary classroom arrive at school one morning talking excitedly about a powerful thunderstorm that struck the area the previous evening. The teacher's best initial response for taking advantage of the children's interest in the storm would be to: a. give the children a longer time than usual to talk among themselves before starting the day's activities. b. encourage the children to visit the school library that day to look for books on thunderstorms. c. begin the day with a discussion of the children's personal experiences and observations about the storm. d. plan to use that afternoon's science period to explain how thunderstorms are formed.

c

The parents of seven-month-old Eric explain to Ms. Whitestone, his early childhood caregiver, that the family pediatrician has suggested a strict daily eating and sleeping schedule for him. Ms. Whitestone is careful to follow the prescribed schedule, but after several weeks she observes that Eric sometimes has difficulty going to sleep as the designated time and often becomes cranky and hungry a half hour before his scheduled feeding time. Which of the following is Ms. Whitestone's primary responsibility in this situation? a. adjusting the schedule and monitoring Eric's behavior of changes of any kind b. documenting Eric's behavior while continuing to follow the prescribed schedule c. describing her observations to Eric's parents and discussing the possibility of adjusting the schedule. d. contacting Eric's pediatrician to ask for advice on implementing the schedule more effectively

c

Which of the following statements best captures the philosophy of developmentally appropriate curriculum? Early childhood education programs should. . . a. be unstructured, non-goal-oriented, and largely free of adult intervention other than the provision of material and the assurance of children's well-being b. focus exclusively on young children's social, emotional, and physical development and avoid activities related to the academic content areas c. be designed to be holistic, individualized, affirming of student initiative and choice, and supportive of learning through hands-on activities and play d. place implicit trust in young children's instinctive recognition of their own learning needs in all domains and in how best to meet them

c

A first-grade teacher notices that several students are having difficulty with simple arithmetic operations. Which of the following would be the most effective way to help these students? a. Give them extra problems to practice at home. b. Spend some class time reviewing math facts. c. Have them work with students who understand the concepts. d. Use concrete examples to model how to solve the problems.

d

A preschool teacher is setting up an art activity using tempera paints and a variety of painting tools. For three and four-year-old children, it would be most appropriate for this activity to be designed primarily for which of the following purposes? a. fostering the children's ability to complete a project without adult assistance b. prompting the children to depict important people or events in their own lives c. focusing the children's attention on how best to create a pleasing final product d. encouraging the children to explore the characteristics of the medium and the materials

d

A teacher in a preschool program is aware that there are some children in the program who have few books or other reading materials in the home. Which of the following would likely be the teacher's best strategy for increasing the children's access to books and literary activities at home? a. taking the class on a field trip to the local branch of the public library and helping each child obtain his/her own library card b. regularly sending home copies of order forms for popular children's book in inexpensive paperback editions c. including a "Spotlight" on one children's book and author in each edition of the school's weekly family newsletter d. building an extensive lending library and frequently recommending books for children and their families to borrow and read together

d

A teacher in an infant and toddler program wishes to adopt a family-centered approach to teaching. Which of the following strategies is most likely to promote ongoing collaboration with children's families? a. identifying the primary authority figure in each family and addressing communications about the child's learning to that person b. provide families with a list of available classroom and school wide volunteer opportunities c. explaining explicitly to families the school's expectations for their involvement in their children's education d. asking families what goals they have for their children and regular communication about children's progress toward those goals

d

A teacher observes 21-month-old Keisha as she wraps a doll in a blanket. First, Keisha lays the doll down on the carpet and places a blanket over it. She then pulls off the blanket, set the doll aside, and lays the blanket on the carpet. After spending several minutes spreading out the blanket, she places the doll on it. She repositions the doll repeatedly, smoothing out the blanket each time. Finally, nearly twenty minutes after she began the activity, she pulls the edges of the blanket around the doll and nods in satisfaction. This episode best illustrates how blocks of time for unstructured play can promote young children's: a. exploration of the physical qualities of unfamiliar materials. b. willingness to engage in risk-taking behaviors. c. resolution of issues in their lives that are causing them distress. d. persistence in accomplishing self-selected tasks.

d

An adult is watching a two-year-old play with a set of colored blocks. Which of the following questions would be most appropriate to ask a child of this age to help promote her emergent numeracy development? a. "How many blocks do we have if we pick two red blocks and three blue blocks?" b. "What is the difference between the blocks in these two piles?" c. "Can you pick out the blue blocks and build a tower with them?" d. "Can you count after me as we put away the blocks?"

d

An early childhood program is located in an area with high teenage pregnancy rate. Which of the following services would be especially important for the program to offer the families of the children enrolled? a. free access to the school's collection of child psychology books b. remedial academic courses c. a swap shop of infants' clothing and equipment d. parenting workshops

d

An early childhood teacher uses the sand table to involve students in various types of learning activities. In the past week, the teacher has supplied many props (sifters, small toys) and has been providing dry and wet sand on alternate days. As the children play with the sand, the teacher watches and occasionally comments on what different children are doing or encourages individual involvement. Which of the following best describes the approach the teacher is using to promote learning? a. engaging the children in problem-solving activities b. offering direct instruction to achieve specific goals c. involving the children in guided-discovery experience d. providing opportunities for exploratory play

d

Mr. Hanson holds a discussion about butterflies, during which the students make many acute observations and ask many questions. Mr. Hanson responds by prompting the students to think about how they can find answers to their questions. In his response to the students, Mr. Hanson has primarily taken on which of the following roles? a. directly imparting information b. challenging preconceived notions c. modeling desired behaviors d. facilitating student inquiry

d

An early childhood teacher wishes to set up a center that will foster active exploration by four-year-old children. Which of the following centers would be most appropriate for this purpose? a. a construction center with a metal erector set accompanied by simple diagrams for making specific structures b. a manipulatives table with a various set of multicolored nesting cubes for children to order according to size c. a writing center with basic sight words written on index cards and lined paper, pens, and pencils for copying the words d. a water table with various objects that sick and float and simple picture charts the children can use to record their findings

d

As part of a community outreach initiative, employees from a local business will be allowed to donate an hour per week volunteering in a local elementary school. Which of the following would likely be the most appropriate way for a first-grade teacher to use the services of such volunteers? a. asking them to conduct lessons with small groups of students b. having them oversee recess while the teacher does administrative tasks c. assigning them to prepare materials for mailing to families d. pairing them with students to read stories together in the book corner

d

At the beginning of the school year, a second-grade teacher finds that several students have not retained some of the skills they learned in first grade. Which of the following factors is likely to have the greatest impact on a student's ability to retain learned academic skills over the extended break? a. the manner in which the skills were taught b. the number of activities the student was given to practice the skills over the break c. the time of year during which the skills were taught d. the degree of the adult to student interaction in using the skills over the break

d

At the beginning of the school year, which of the following strategies is likely to be the most effective way for a second-grade teacher to establish classroom rules? a. create rules for the classroom as issues arise, being as specific as possible (e.g., The boys should not tease the girls) and adding each new rule to a list on the chalkboard b. handing out the rules on the first day of school, read them aloud to the class, and have students take the rules home to their parents/guardians to be signed and returned c. show students the classroom rules from the previous year, ask if they have anything to add, and give each student a photocopy of the rules to keep at his/her desk d. invite the students to help create some broad rules for the classroom behavior, discussing the reasons for each rule and posting the final rules in the classroom

d

At the end of a week punctuated by arguments and aggressive incidents, a preschool teacher decides that she needs to help the children develop a greater sense of community. Earlier in the year, the teacher involved the children in creating classroom rules, which included being polite and helpful, respecting each other's property, and not hurting others. Which of the following additional strategies would be most effective in creating the type of climate the teacher envisions? a. calling a meeting to remind the class of the rules, discussing the number of conflicts the teacher has seen, and warning that any incidents will result in serious consequences from now on b. asking the school counselor to visit the classroom to make a presentation about the importance of sharing materials and getting along with one another c. immediately intervening at the first sign of an incident, making everyone involved take a time-out, and requiring students to apologize to each other afterward d. regularly holding discussions about how to create a safe and happy classroom and taking advantage of opportunities to affim act of kindness by individual students

d

Before the beginning of the school year, a new first-grade teacher is a reflection on how to best manage transitions. Which of the following ideas about transition would best guide the teacher's planning? a. transition tasks should be treated as somewhat tedious but necessary chores to be performes as quickly as possible b. transition times should be thought of as unstructured opportunities for children to demonstrate independent initiative and self-direction c. transition tasks should be designed primarily to keep the children occupied during a potentially chaotic interlude d. transition times should be considered essential parts of the curriculum that provide opportunities for learning

d

Every summer, a school schedules a Visiting Day in which kindergartners who will be entering in the fall spend a few hours together in their assigned classrooms. Teachers plan engaging activities that encourage the children to explore the environment, work with materials, play with other children, etc. While the children are in their classrooms, their parents/guardians attend an orientation with presentations by various staff members, receive a tour of the school, and have a chance to socialize over refreshments. Which of the following types of assessments would be most appropriate to conduct in the kindergarten classrooms during the Visiting Day? a. developmental screening of each child in areas such as cognition, language development, and large and small muscle coordination b. formal measures of traits affecting children's general disposition toward learning (e.g. curiosity, confidence, self-directedness) c. time-sample participation charts to help the teacher assess individuals' patterns of interaction with various materials and with other children d. observation of individual children's behavior during structured and unstructured activities

d

In preparation for an upcoming field trip, Mr. Huynh meets with his third-grade students to develop rules for the trip. After the class has brainstormed a set of rules, Mr. Huynh asks them to help him prioritize the list and explain their thinking. Involving students in prioritizing the list would primarily foster which of the following thinking processes? a. applying metacognitive skills in regard to a specific mental task b. making reasonable predictions based on the available information c. using careful observation to deduce cause-and-effect relationships d. identifying key criteria in order to draw logical conclusions

d

In the toddler years, which of the following strategies has been shown to be most effective in helping children deal with feelings of distress at a caregiver's leave-taking at school? a. having the caregiver slip out of the room unobserved when the child is momentarily distracted b. preparing learning centers of particular interest to the children for whom leave-taking is most difficult c. initiating lively whole-group activities as soon as the las caregivers drop off their children d. ensuring that the caregiver informs the child that he/she is leaving and will come back before too long

d

Sean arrives at a preschool one morning carrying a packet of seeds. He enthusiastically tells his teacher how he has been helping his father in the garden. During circle time, Sean shows the packet of seeds to the other children and talks about the planting process and the vegetables that will grow from the seeds. Which of the following would likely be the most effective way for the teacher to expand on the information Sean has provided to the class? a. asking Sean to bring in some vegetable once they are fully grown so the other children can see the end result. b. urging the other children to ask Sean more questions about planting and growing seeds. c. asking Sean to open the packet of seeds an pour them onto the table so the children can see what they look like d. bringing in dirt, containers, and vegetable seeds the following day for the children to plant and tend

d

Student R has four fewer pencils than student S, and student T has twice as many pencils as student R. If student S has n pencils, which of the following represents the number of pencils that student T has? a. 2n b. n - 4 c. 2n - 4 d. 2(n - 4)

d

The parents of a three-year-old express concern to the teacher that their child, Anna, came home the previous day with scratches inflicted by Nicole, another child in the class. Which of the following responses by the teacher would most likely be considered "unethical"? a. commenting that Anna and Nicole seem to be having trouble getting along these days b. asking probing questions to elicit more information about the parents' perception of the incident c. speculating whether Anna may have said or done something to provoke Nicole d. suggesting that Nicole's behavior may be related to problems her family is currently experiencing

d

To provide parents/guardians with an overview of their child's' day, an infant room teacher creates an information sheet. Which of the following would be the most appropriate system for the teacher to use to distribute the information sheets to the children's parents/guardians? a. meeting briefly with each parent/guardian at pick-up time to fill out and discuss the information sheet b. putting each child' individual sheet in his/her diaper bag at the end of the day c. making an alphabetized sack and asking parents /guardians to collect their own child' sheet a pick-up time d. handing each child's daily sheet to the parent/guardian who comes to take the child home

d

When children begin to share ideas and toys and follow established rules and guidelines. a. solitary play b. parallel play c. associative play d. cooperative play

d

Which of the following materials should a first-grade teacher include in the writing center to best encourage the students to write for various audiences? a. a variety of pictures and story starters b. individual student journals and blank books c. picture dictionaries and an alphabet chart d. different sizes and types of paper, envelopes, and cards

d