Professional Knowledge: Elementary

Use the case study below to complete the assignment that follows. Background Ms. Jordan is a new kindergarten teacher. Her class includes 22 students, most of whom are quite active. Every morning, the class gathers for 40 minutes on a large carpeted area in the classroom for circle time. During circle time, Ms. Jordan goes over the day's schedule, two students have a turn at show and tell, and the whole group practices a selected concept through recitation, songs, and fingerplays. Ms. Jordan has been having some difficulty with students' behavior during circle time. Some of the issues with student behavior include fidgeting, invading others' space, and interrupting. Ms. Jordan decides to discuss these problems with her students. _________________________________ Circle Time Discussion An excerpt from the circle time discussion is shown below. Ms. Jordan: Boys and girls, we've been having some trouble during circle time. I think we need to review the rules. Let's say them together. Everyone: Sit still. Keep your hands and feet to yourself. Wait your turn to talk. Ms. Jordan: Mary, you're forgetting the first rule. Please sit still. Each of you has your own place on the carpet. That's called your personal space because it's just for you. We have a rule about keeping our hands and feet to ourselves so that each of you can have your own personal Brian: Jason is in my space! His feet are Jason: They are not! Ms. Jordan: Boys, stop interrupting! Everyone, when I hold my hand up like a stop sign (demonstrating), that is the signal. It means wait your turn to talk. I will use this signal to remind you about the third rule. ____________________ Outcome of Discussion After the discussion, the fidgeting decreased for about the first ten minutes of circle time each day, but increased significantly thereafter. Ms. Jordan continued to remind the students about the rules, but the problems with respecting one another's personal space continued with little or no improvement. The hand signal seemed to help somewhat in reducing students' tendency to interrupt one another and Ms. Jordan. _____________________ Ms. Jordan's Reflections I'm really seeing little improvement in circle time behavior. The students just can't seem to sit still for very long, and I'm beginning to think that they don't know how to distinguish their space from their neighbor's on the carpet. I did see some students using the wait-to-talk hand signal with one another yesterday. I'm thinking about asking the other kindergarten teacher for some suggestions of ways to improve circle time for everyone. Case Study Assignment Write a response in two parts based on the elements of the case study presented. Part One • describe one strategy Ms. Jordan used to try to improve students' behavior during circle time, and • explain why this was a good strategy to try. Part Two • describe one additional strategy Ms. Jordan could have used to further improve students' behavior during circle time, and • explain why this strategy would have been effective in further improving students' behavior during circle time. Please note: The response you type in the box below will not be scored. However, this response will be available for you to review as part of your practice test score report, along with the scoring scale and sample responses to the assignment representing each point in the scoring scale.

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According to Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, the elementary years are a critical period for individuals to develop a sense of: A. competence B. autonomy. C. identity. D. trust.

A. Competence [Correct Response: A. (Competency 0001) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of major concepts, principles, theories, and processes of human development as related to students from early childhood through the elementary years. Erik Erikson theorized that individuals pass through eight stages of psychosocial development from infancy through late adulthood. At each stage, an individual who is developing in a healthy way confronts and masters a new challenge. According to Erikson, during the elementary years, beginning around age six, children confront the challenge of "industry versus inferiority." At this time, the child must successfully deal with the demands of learning new skills or risk developing a sense of inferiority, failure, and incompetence. Thus, for Erikson, the elementary years are a critical period for individuals to develop a sense of competence

Use the information below to complete the assignment that follows. Imagine that you are a new elementary teacher. Your principal has asked you to serve on a faculty committee whose goal is to identify ways for teachers to use the results of their annual teacher evaluations to enhance their professional skills. Two years ago the school began implementing a new system for teacher evaluations, and although teachers generally view the system as fair and useful, results of a recent survey suggest that few teachers actually use their evaluation results to promote their own professional growth. School staff have made increasing teachers' use of annual evaluation results to enhance their professional skills a goal for the following year. Write a response to other members of the committee describing your ideas about the issue of increasing teachers' use of annual evaluation results to enhance their professional skills. Your response should: • explain why increasing teachers' use of annual evaluation results to enhance their professional skills is important; • describe two steps individual teachers can take to increase their use of annual evaluation results to enhance their professional skills; and • explain why each step you describe would be effective in increasing teachers' use of annual evaluation results to enhance their professional skills. Please note: The response you type in the box below will not be scored. However, this response will be available for you to review as part of your practice test score report, along with the scoring scale and sample responses to the assignment representing each point in the scoring scale.

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In which of the following situations is the teacher's strategy most likely to promote students' ability to regulate their own learning? A. A teacher shows third-grade students how to use a log to record each book they read for recreation during a grading period. B. teacher helps each fourth-grade student identify weekly goals that target the student's specific academic needs. C. A fifth-grade teacher uses the results of regularly administered interest inventories to select reading materials for the classroom library. D. A sixth-grade teacher offers after-school review sessions before tests, but allows students to decide for themselves whether to participate.

B. A teacher helps each fourth-grade student identify weekly goals that target the student's specific academic needs. [Correct Response: B. (Competency 0001) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of typical developmental challenges for students from early childhood through the elementary years, such as those related to peer interactions, self-esteem, self-direction, decision making, and goal setting, and effective ways to help students address these challenges. Successful students generally use a variety of self-regulation strategies. Such strategies give students increased control over what they learn and how they learn it and help students become more reflective about their own thinking and learning processes. Methods teachers can use to promote student self-regulation offer students opportunities to make decisions and solve problems on their own without being told what to do at all times. One such method involves helping students set their own goals for learning, and then having students plan and implement ways to achieve these goals.

A first-grade teacher gives each student in a small group a ball of clay of approximately the same size. The teacher observes that after several students split their clay into two pieces, one student is unhappy, stating that "they have a lot more clay" than he has. The teacher's observation most strongly suggests that this student: A. may be showing signs of a possible developmental delay in the cognitive domain. B. has not yet developed the concept of conservation of mass. C. may be showing signs of a possible developmental delay in the social-emotional domain. D. has not yet developed the concept of object permanence.

B. has not yet developed the concept of conservation of mass. Correct Response: B. (Competency 0001) This question requires the examine to recognize developmental milestones and developmental variation in the physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, affective, and moral domains and their significance for instructional decision making for students from early childhood through the elementary years. Jean Piaget noted that until children reach the concrete operational stage of cognitive development, usually at around age seven, they cannot understand and apply the concept of conservation of mass. A child who has developed the concept of conservation of mass understands that the amount of something remains the same even if its arrangement or appearance has changed, as long as nothing has been added or taken away. In the situation described, the student believes that his classmates have more clay than he has because they have each divided their ball of clay into two pieces and he has not. Therefore, the student in question has not yet developed the concept of conservation of mass.

An elementary teacher observes that some students tend to talk to themselves softly during individual problem-solving activities. The teacher should be aware that this type of self-talk: A. suggests that a student is feeling a high level of anxiety about the learning task. B. helps guide a student's thinking about the learning task. C. plays a key role in developing a student's self-confidence in his or her ability to learn. D. indicates that a student may have an undiagnosed learning disability.

B. helps guide a student's thinking about the learning task. Correct Response: B. (Competency 0001) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of characteristics and behaviors related to physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, affective, and moral development in students from early childhood through the elementary years and ways in which a student's development in one domain may affect development and performance in other domains. Self-talk, or private speech, can play an important role in children's cognitive development by promoting their ability to self-regulate and to plan, monitor, and guide their own thinking and problem solving. As children get older, self-talk generally changes from spoken to whispered speech, then to silent lip movements, and finally to simply thinking the guiding words. Therefore, in the situation described, the teacher should recognize that the use of self-talk by some students during individual problem-solving activities is to be expected and helps guide the students' thinking about the task at hand

A first-grade teacher notices that even though all students in the class know their letters and numbers, a few students routinely reverse certain letters and numbers when writing them. In this situation, the teacher's most appropriate initial course of action would be to: A. gather a sample of the students' work and meet with the special education teacher to determine whether the students should be formally evaluated. B. provide the students with a variety of homework activities to help them learn how to orient letters and numbers correctly. C. recognize this tendency as part of the normal range of development and continue to observe the students' work for potential learning problems D. require the students to redo class activities and homework with the letters and numbers correctly oriented.

C. recognize this tendency as part of the normal range of development and continue to observe the students' work for potential learning problems. [Correct Response: C. (Competency 0001) This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of the range of developmental differences in students within any given age group from early childhood through the elementary years and the implications of this variation for instructional decision making. When young children first learn to write, they often reverse certain letters and numbers. Some children continue doing this into first grade, while many others do not. First graders who still reverse written letters or numbers may turn out to have a learning problem, or they may simply be exhibiting normal variation in development. Given the range of variation that exists in relation to letter or number reversals, the teacher's most appropriate action in the situation described would be to continue observing the students' work to determine whether a true learning problem appears to exist.

A teacher is planning a long-term project that will require each student to research and report on a topic related to an upcoming unit of study. The teacher would like to use the project to enhance students' organizational and time-management skills. Which of the following teacher strategies would best help promote achievement of this goal? A. having students track their own progress on a teacher-developed chart that lists the tasks required for the project and indicates when each task should be complete B. giving students a clearly defined project deadline and being available to assist any students who need help in meeting the deadline as their work proceeds C. assigning pairs of students with different strengths and needs to monitor each other's work on the project and provide each other with regular feedback D. providing students with the rubric that will be used to evaluate their projects and prompting them to use the rubric to assess their work in progress on an ongoing basis

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0002) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' development of independent thinking and learning, reflection and higher-order thinking skills, organizational and time-management skills, and sense of ownership and responsibility with regard to their own learning. Students often have difficulty organizing and managing their efforts to ensure timely completion of complex, long-term assignments such as the one described in the question. Of the response options provided, having students use a teacher-developed chart listing required project tasks and deadlines would best serve to enhance students' organizational and time-management skills. It would do this not only by providing a tool that students can use independently to define and clarify ongoing needs and expectations for the current project, but also by serving as a procedural model that they can use to address similar needs for future assignments

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.

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0002) This question requires the examine to identify strategies and technologies for facilitating learning for students with various characteristics and needs in given instructional contexts. Scaffolding refers to support that is provided to students to promote their learning and problem solving. Such support can be given in many forms, such as providing clues, reminders, examples, encouragement, breaking a problem into a series of steps, or any other method that promotes a student's understanding and independence in learning. Because every student is unique, scaffolding is most effective when the teacher chooses scaffolding techniques that take into consideration a student's particular characteristics and needs and that reflect the specific challenges that the student is currently facing as a learner.

An elementary classroom includes students with diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The teacher can best provide a positive learning environment that promotes all students' ability to achieve to their potential by emphasizing which of the following approaches? A. taking into account students' particular strengths, needs, and interests when planning and delivering instruction B. using strategies, such as posting grades or offering rewards for excellence, that facilitate students' ability to compare performance among individuals and groups C. giving students frequent opportunities to work in groups whose membership is based on common background factors D. emphasizing the use of student self-assessment and peer assessment over teacher assessment for evaluating student learning and academic progress

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0003) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies for creating a positive, supportive classroom environment for all students and for promoting students' understanding of and appreciation and respect for diversity within the classroom and the community. Research on best practices in education indicates that effective teachers build bridges between the content to be taught and the students they are teaching. To do this, teachers must begin by considering their students' particular experiences, capacities, understandings, and backgrounds, and then determining which instructional strategies will best serve to connect with students and promote their achievement of defined learning goals. Therefore, in the situation described, the teacher can best provide a positive learning environment that promotes all students ability to achieve to their potential by taking into account the students particular strengths, needs, and interests when planning and delivering instruction.

A sixth-grade teacher is planning a lesson to introduce a new science concept to a class that includes English language learners with varying levels of English language proficiency. The teacher can best help ensure that the lesson will be responsive to the needs of the English language learners 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 English language learners to complete for homework C. reviewing content covered in fourth-grade and fifth-grade science textbooks that is relevant to the targeted concept D. asking the English language learners to identify strategies they believe will be most effective in helping them learn the targeted concept

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0003) This question requires the examine to identify strategies for working and interacting effectively in various classroom contexts with students with diverse characteristics and needs, including students who are English language learners and students with exceptionalities. To promote English language learners' successful acquisition of new concepts, teachers need to use instructional practices that help make the content more accessible and comprehensible for the students. A number of practices have been shown to be effective in achieving this goal. One such practice is to emphasize active methods of learning that reinforce and clarify new concepts by making the concepts more concrete and facilitating students' ability to connect to the concepts and construct their own meaning. Therefore, in the situation described, the teacher's best strategy would be to plan ways for students to use hands-on materials and activities to reinforce and apply the targeted concept.

A teacher is planning to present a new concept to a class of elementary students. Which of the following is the most important reason for the teacher to question the students periodically throughout the presentation? A. to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction B. to help students stay focused on the presentation C. to highlight the main points of the lesson D. to provide students with positive reinforcement for learning

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0004) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies for integrating assessment and instruction, for aligning assessment with instructional goals, and for using assessment to monitor student understanding and to guide instruction. Effective teachers make a practice of monitoring their students' understanding on an ongoing basis as they implement each lesson. A typical monitoring strategy used by teachers who are presenting new content to a class involves questioning students periodically throughout the presentation. The purpose of such questioning is to determine whether students are learning lesson content as intended and to let the teacher know when instruction has not been effective and when alternative instructional approaches may be needed.

A checklist would likely be most useful and appropriate for achieving which of the following assessment goals in an elementary classroom? A. monitoring students' use of various reading skills and strategies as they read orally B. evaluating students' mastery of content covered during an instructional unit C. analyzing steps used by students to solve mathematical problems at various levels of complexity D. documenting students' overall level of academic effort and improvement over time

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0004) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of important assessment concepts, such as reliability, validity, and bias, and the characteristics, uses, advantages, and limitations of various types of formal and informal assessments. Checklists provide an efficient way to evaluate a student's level of skill mastery. Teachers can develop a checklist of skills to systematically, quickly, and efficiently record whether specific skills or behaviors are or are not present during an observation. Of the response options provided, a checklist would be most useful and appropriate for monitoring students' use of particular reading skills and strategies as they read orally. A checklist used for this purpose would allow the teacher to identify specific reading skills and strategies that a student is using and has mastered and to determine those areas in which the student needs additional instruction and support.

In a class that includes students with diverse backgrounds, strengths, and needs, the teacher gathers evaluative information obtained through written tests and quizzes. The teacher also gathers information informally by observing students during class activities and discussing instructional content with students. Which of the following is the most important benefit of the teacher's approach to evaluating student performance? A. It helps ensure an accurate assessment of students' mastery of instructional content and skills. B. It communicates to students that their real-world performance is more important than performance in formal testing situations. C. It increases students' sense of accountability for their own school achievement and progress. D. It facilitates assessment of students' overall cognitive development as well as their knowledge of specific content.

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0004) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of the benefits of using multiple assessment methods to support instruction and appropriate strategies for adapting classroom assessments for students with various characteristics and needs, including students who are English language learners and students with exceptionalities. Some students do not do well on written assessments even though they have learned the content and skills being tested, either because written assessments make them anxious or because the use of written language is particularly challenging for them. Supplementing written assessments with observation and discussion as described in the question gives students multiple and varied opportunities to show what they know and can do, and therefore allows the teacher to gain a fuller, more accurate view of all students' mastery of targeted content and skills.

An elementary teacher is considering alternative strategies for grouping students for an upcoming instructional activity. In deciding which of the grouping strategies to use, the teacher should place the greatest emphasis on determining which one is likely to be most effective in: A. providing appropriate challenge and support for all students B. allowing all students to complete the activity within the allotted time. C. facilitating use of any supplemental resources that are available for the activity. D. ensuring that students will be able to work with peers with whom they are most familiar and comfortable.

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0005) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of key factors to consider in instructional planning, such as local, state, and national standards; the nature of the content; and students' characteristics, prior experiences, current knowledge and skills, and readiness to learn. A typical elementary classroom includes students who exhibit a broad range of characteristics and needs. In planning any instructional activity, a key teacher goal should be to determine how best to ensure that all students, including those with different achievement levels, different learning styles and preferences, different backgrounds, and different interests, will grow and learn as a result of the activity. Therefore, in deciding how best to group students for a given activity, a teacher's first priority should be to determine which grouping strategy (e.g., heterogeneous small groups, homogeneous small groups, whole class, student pairs) is most likely to provide all students with both the challenge and the support they will need to learn effectively during the activity

Which of the following steps would be most helpful and appropriate for a teacher to take first in planning differentiated instruction to help the students in a class achieve a particular learning goal? A. diagnosing the students' various levels of readiness and need in relation to the defined learning goal B. identifying a variety of texts and other resources related to the defined learning goal that are available within the school C. conducting an informal survey to determine current student attitudes regarding the defined learning goal D. creating heterogeneous groups of students who will work together on activities related to the defined learning goal

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0006) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of how to organize and implement instruction that promotes the ability of all students to achieve learning goals and of how to continuously monitor instructional effectiveness and respond flexibly to student understanding, engagement, and feedback. Differentiated instruction involves the use of a variety of strategies to promote all students' learning and success in achieving curricular goals. This approach is based on the idea that students bring different strengths, needs, and preferences to the learning process and that teaching and learning are most effective when teachers make available to students multiple options and avenues for acquiring knowledge and skills. For teachers to determine which options will be most effective for particular students, they must know a good deal about their students. Therefore, in planning differentiated instruction to help students achieve a particular learning goal, an important first step for the teacher is to diagnose students' various levels of readiness and need in relation to that goal.

Which of the following language arts activities would best promote the development of elementary students' higher-order thinking skills? A. examining the persuasive techniques used in advertisements for a popular soft drink B. surveying their peers about the character they most admire in a book the class has recently read C. responding to a set of comprehension questions after reading a magazine article D. following a checklist of steps for developing an oral presentation on a self-selected topic

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0006) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of how to provide instruction that promotes higher-order thinking and creativity; encourages independent thinking and learning; enhances students' ability to synthesize knowledge, solve problems, and acquire, analyze, and organize information; and helps students work cooperatively and productively. In Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis are defined as types of higher-order thinking skills. In planning instruction, teachers should strive to elicit many types and levels of thinking from their students, including higher-order thinking. Of the activities described, having students examine the persuasive techniques used in particular advertisements would best promote the development and use of higher-order thinking skills. This activity would engage students in higher-order thinking by requiring them to analyze the advertisements, identify and reflect on the specific persuasive techniques that are being used, and make evaluative judgments about the effectiveness of those techniques in prompting individuals to purchase the product.

A fifth-grade teacher is planning to engage students in a project about local government. The teacher has arranged for individuals holding various positions in local government to mentor students through e-mail during the project. Although many students use e-mail informally with their peers, this will be a new use of e-mail for most students. This use of technology is likely to be particularly effective in achieving which of the following instructional goals? A. providing students with an authentic context in which to develop written communication skills B. exposing students to many different perspectives on a given issue C. increasing students' awareness of privacy issues associated with online communication D. helping students develop the skills necessary for effective collaboration

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0006) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of the use of technology in instruction and strategies for effectively integrating technology into specific instructional situations to support student learning. During the elementary years and beyond, an important instructional goal is to help students learn to communicate effectively for a variety of purposes and with a variety of audiences both orally and in writing. Many of the fifth graders described in the question already use e-mail to communicate informally with their peers. However, most are much less familiar with more formal types of e-mail communication. Therefore, an important instructional benefit of using e-mail for contact between students and individuals in local government would be to provide the students with an authentic context in which to develop and expand their written communication skills.

Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A fifth-grade teacher uses the approach shown below when presenting new content to students through direct instruction. • Review related prior lesson (S). • Present new material. • Provide guided practice with feedback. • Assign independent practice. The teacher observes that students make errors or provide incorrect answers most frequently during the guided practice portion of the lesson. Which of the following is the most appropriate and effective strategy for the teacher to use in addressing these errors? A. using a related but simpler question or problem to help students discover the correct answer B. showing students where to find the correct answer in their textbook C. writing the correct answer to the question or problem on the board for students to copy D. encouraging students to make an educated guess at the correct answer

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0007) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of communication strategies for meeting specific instructional needs and for promoting understanding and engagement of all students in learning, including students who are English language learners and students with exceptionalities. When students make errors during guided practice, the teacher's goal should be to provide them with support aimed at helping them understand what they did wrong and figure out how to respond correctly. One way to do this is to give students a related but simpler question or problem to respond to. This strategy is particularly effective because it facilitates students' ability to figure out on their own what needs to be done while giving them additional practice in applying the new content. It also gives them an opportunity to be successful with the new content and thus gain confidence in their own ability to move forward in learning.

An upper elementary teacher regularly utilizes peer tutoring in math. The teacher pairs students according to skill level and makes sure that each of the students has a turn in the role of tutor. Which of the following is likely to be the most important benefit of incorporating this type of peer support into instruction? A. increasing students' motivation to learn math content B. prompting students to evaluate their math performance in relation to that of their classmates C. helping students develop efficient and effective study skills in math D. accelerating the pace at which students are able to master math content

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0007) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, strategies for gaining students' attention and promoting motivation to learn, and ways to use encouragement and various types of peer support to sustain student interest and promote learning. Peer tutoring, which can take various forms, has been shown to have a number of benefits for the students involved. In the situation described, the teacher implements peer tutoring by pairing students with similar skill levels and having the students in each pair alternate in the role of tutor. Since explaining a concept to another person helps extend one's own learning, this type of peer tutoring gives both students opportunities to enhance their understanding of the material being studied. In addition, research indicates that socialization processes that occur during peer tutoring can benefit both the tutor and the tutee by motivating students to learn and by increasing their social standing among peers.

A teacher can best promote students' intrinsic motivation to master content and skills by using evaluation practices that: A. acknowledge each student's improvement and progress in learning. B. reinforce strong student performance through the provision of concrete rewards. C. take into account each student's performance relative to that of peers in the classroom. D. define individualized criteria for mastery based on students' prior performance.

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0007) This question requires the examine to recognize factors and situations that tend to promote or diminish student motivation, appropriate ways to apply various motivational strategies, and the expected outcomes of different strategies in given situations. The essential difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to learn involves whether the motivation arises naturally within the student or comes about as a result of external factors, such as rewards, punishments, or pressure from others. Students who are intrinsically motivated to master content and skills have an internally driven desire to learn and improve their capabilities. Of the response options provided, evaluation practices that acknowledge each student's improvement and progress in learning would best promote intrinsic motivation by fostering recognition of the value of learning and progress for its own sake rather than as a means of earning rewards, outperforming peers, or meeting criteria defined by the teacher.

Which of the following teacher strategies is likely to be most effective in helping maximize time on task for a class of first graders? A. guiding students to learn and use specific behaviors for making transitions between activities B. beginning each school day by reviewing with students the day's learning goals and activities C. sequencing lessons in a way that allows students to alternate between individual and group activities D. establishing a system in which different students are assigned to serve as class monitor each day

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0008) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for creating an organized and productive classroom environment that fosters excellence, promotes learning, optimizes students' time on task, and encourages self-regulation and a sense of responsibility and accountability. By taking proactive measures, teachers can avoid classroom management problems that may result in a significant loss of instructional time. Research indicates that one particularly effective measure is to teach students to use particular procedures as they make transitions from one period or activity to the next. Such procedures help maximize students' time on task by avoiding confusion and chaos and helping maintain a sense of momentum in the classroom.

Which of the following strategies is likely to be most effective in fostering prosocial behaviors in kindergarten students? A. modeling, the desired behaviors for students consistenty in the context of everyday dassroom situations B. inviting the school counselor to discuss examples of the desired behaviors with students C. issuing frequent verbal reminders to students about using the desired behaviors D. creating a bulletin board or other classroom display illustrating the desired behaviors

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0008) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for promoting positive student interactions, facilitating conflict resolution, and promoting students' understanding and application of ethical principles such as honesty, courtesy and respect, academic and personal integrity, and civic responsibility. Young children use the important adults in their lives as role models for appropriate behavior. This is known to be among the most powerful ways in which young children's socialization occurs. Therefore, of the response options provided, a kindergarten teacher could best foster students development and use of prosocial behaviors by modeling desired behaviors consistently in situations that arise naturally in the classroom.

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 least restrictive environment 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 Individualized Education Program (IP) each grading period in response to his or her classroom performance. D. provide the student with instruction that enables him or her to perform at grade level in the basic skill areas of reading and mathematics.

Correct Response: A. (Competency 0010) This question requires the examine to recognize teacher requirements in given situations, such as providing instruction to students with special needs, ensuring educational equity for all students, maintaining the confidentiality of student records, and seeking copyright permission for use of instructional resource materials. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) is a federal law that governs how states must address the educational needs of children with disabilities. Its purpose is to ensure that children with disabilities are provided with a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that prepares them for further education, employment, and independent living. One of the primary principles governing the education of students with disabilities is that of least restrictive environment. This means that any student who has a disability should have an opportunity to receive instruction with nondisabled peers to the greatest extent possible and appropriate given the student's particular needs.

Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A first-grade teacher develops the following math activities to help promote students' understanding of geometry concepts. Feel-It Box Students select shapes from a box and explore them first with their eyes closed, then with their eyes open. Make a Shape Small groups of students work with elastic cords to form various shapes. Build and Rebuild a Shape Students use a variety of blocks and other items such as straws and clay to build, take apart, and rebuild two- and three-dimensional shapes. Which of the following describes the greatest strength of this set of activities? A.prompting students to engage in increasingly abstract thinking B. providing each student with opportunities for active engagement with the content C. incorporating a variety of materials into learning tasks D. making connections between the content and students' lives and experiences

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0001) This question requires the examine to evaluate various instructional strategies, approaches, and learning goals in relation to the developmental characteristics and needs of students from early childhood through the elementary years. In the activities described, the teacher has individual students and small groups of students use different senses and methods to explore and create geometric shapes in two and three dimensions. Therefore, an important strength of the activities is that they give each student ample opportunity for active engagement with the targeted instructional content.

An elementary teacher is planning a geography lesson to introduce students to the concept that the resources available in a region influence the size and distribution of the region's population. The teacher is likely to be most successful in promoting student understanding of the targeted concept by implementing a lesson that: A. prompts students to explore the specific cognitive skills they will be using in learning the concept. B. relates the concept to familiar situations or to concepts the students have previously learned. C. provides concrete reinforcement for students demonstrating significant effort to learn the concept. D. allows students to take the lead in determining procedures to be used to learn the concept.

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0002) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of processes by which students construct meaning and develop skills, including the use of different types of learning strategies and various types of play, and techniques for making knowledge accessible and meaningful for all students from early childhood through the elementary years, including students who are English language learners and students with exceptionalities. The elementary curriculum includes conceptual content that many students at this level are likely to find difficult to grasp. Various instructional strategies have been shown to be particularly effective in helping students comprehend abstract concepts such as the one described in the question. One such strategy involves making the concept more concrete and "real" for students by showing them how it is similar to everyday situations with which they are already familiar. Another strategy teachers can use is to help students see how the new, unfamiliar concept relates to content and concepts that they have already learned.

An elementary teacher is considering using within-class ability grouping as part of an overall approach to reading instruction. The teacher can best reduce the potential negative effects of this grouping strategy by taking particular care to: A. establish instructional goals for each group that are aligned with students' past academic performance. B. view groups as flexible and regroup students as appropriate to address specific learning needs. C. engage groups in a number of noninstructional tasks to promote the development of a group identity. D. assign neutral labels to groups and vary the order in which he or she works with groups on a daily basis.

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0002) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of various classroom practices, such as grouping practices and teacher-student interactions, and their significance for student learning. Within-class ability grouping involves dividing the students in a classroom into two or more groups based on ability in an effort to accommodate student differences and provide appropriate support and challenge for all students. Although this practice is used in many elementary classes, especially for reading, some oppose it because of its potential to negatively affect the self-concept of lower-achieving students and widen the gap between higher and lower achievers. Best practice guidelines for using within-class ability grouping emphasize procedures that minimize the likelihood of these possible negative effects. One such guideline is to view groups as flexible and change group placement frequently as student needs and achievement change.

A fourth-grade 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 student that would address the same instructional goal?

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0003) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of different types of student exceptionalities, their characteristics, and their implications for teaching and learning. The 1975 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its 1997 amendments mandated that children with disabilities be educated with children who do not have disabilities to the greatest extent possible. In working with students who have special needs, general education teachers have a responsibility to try to maximize the students' participation in class activities and their engagement with their peers. This often involves using various strategies to adapt activities or modify student roles in activities. Therefore, in the instructional planning situation described, the teacher's first consideration in regard to the student with disabilities should be to determine what steps can be taken to facilitate the student's fullest possible participation in the small-group activity.

A fourth-grade teacher plans to have students write book reports throughout the year. The teacher would like to have the students use self-assessment as part of the process of evaluating their book reports. Which of the following teacher actions would best support students in using effective self-assessment skills for their book reports? A. having the students use the teacher's evaluation of their book reports as a means of guiding their own self-assessments B. helping the students identify specific criteria for evaluating a book report and apply those criteria in their self-assessments C. giving the students self-assessments written by students in previous years to use as models for their own self-assessments D. providing class time for the students to write their self-assessments as soon as possible after they finish each book report

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0004) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies for providing students with timely, accurate, and effective feedback and for helping students use teacher assessment, peer assessment, and self-assessment to guide their own learning. To evaluate any type of work product, the individual who is performing the evaluation needs to clearly define the evaluative criteria that should be applied. Therefore, to help students engage in effective self-assessment of their own book reports, important actions for a teacher to take would include working with the students to identify specific criteria to use in evaluating their book reports and then helping the students apply the criteria effectively to their own work.

When constructing an end-of-unit test for students in an elementary classroom, it is most important for the teacher to ensure that the test questions: A. require students to use varied levels of thinking from recall to analysis in relation to unit content. B. are aligned with the unit's defined instructional objectives. C. reflect a range of difficulty levels from relatively easy to highly challenging. D. prompt students to apply unit content in new ways.

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0004) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of appropriate assessment instruments and practices for given instructional situations or needs and how to select or construct assessment instruments for various purposes. The purpose of an instructional unit is to help students achieve a set of specific, clearly defined instructional objectives. For an end-of-unit test to be meaningful, the teacher must ensure that the questions on the test align with and address the instructional objectives that were the goal of unit instruction. Only in this way can the teacher determine whether the instructional objectives intended to be achieved during the unit were actually achieved.

Students in an upper elementary class are studying rain forests. The class has briefly discussed some of the issues related to the shrinking of rain forests around the world, and the teacher would like to help students gain a deeper understanding of these issues. One strategy the teacher plans to use is to have students read and respond to recent magazine articles on these issues. In selecting articles for this activity, the teacher's primary goal should be to select articles that: A. present information using various types of tables and graphs. B. can be read and understood by students with different knowledge and skill levels. C. are free from content that could be considered controversial. D. include bibliographies of materials for students who wish to study the topic independently.

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0005) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of how to use appropriate criteria to evaluate instructional resources, including technological resources, and how to select resources to meet various instructional needs. In planning instruction, teachers need to ensure that the methods and materials they select are responsive to their students' varied characteristics and needs. A typical upper elementary class would be expected to include students with varying prior knowledge of rain forests and different levels of reading ability, from those who can easily comprehend materials written at a relatively sophisticated level to those whose reading skills are below grade level. For the activity described to be effective in promoting all students' learning, the teacher must ensure that all students will have access to articles that they can read and understand. Therefore, the teacher's primary goal in selecting articles should be to ensure that the chosen articles include materials that can be read and understood by students with significantly different levels of knowledge and skills.

While presenting a language arts lesson to the whole class, an upper elementary teacher notices a number of students whose attention seems to be drifting away from the lesson. Some are staring out the window and a few are drawing on the lesson handouts. Which of the following strategies is likely to be the teacher's best initial response to this situation? A. allowing students to take a brief break to chat with one another before continuing with the lesson B. varying the instructional approach by incorporating a partner or small-group activity into the lesson C. giving a short quiz addressing content that has been covered in the lesson so far D. assigning students an independent written activity related to the lesson topic

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0006) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of how to organize and implement instruction that promotes the ability of all students to achieve learning goals and of how to continuously monitor instructional effectiveness and respond flexibly to student understanding engagement, and feedback. During a lesson, students cannot learn well if they are not mentally engaged. In the situation described, student attention is wandering and many students are no longer focused on the presentation being given by the teacher. In such situations, the teacher's goal should be to reengage students with the content of the lesson. Of the response options provided, the best way to do this would be to vary the current instructional approach by incorporating a partner or small-group activity into the lesson. This strategy would give students a change of pace that would promote their active participation and thus their engagement and learning.

During history units, a fourth-grade teacher often introduces lessons about a particular U.S. president with a narrative that features that president as the central character. Such narratives typically include incidents from the president's childhood, examples of obstacles he had to overcome, and some of the successes and failures he experienced in his life. These narratives are likely to be effective in enhancing students' interest in learning about the presidents primarily because this approach: A. projects to students the teacher's enthusiasm for the content. B. makes the content more concrete and personal for students C. conveys to students the value of the content to be learned. D. directs students' attention to unusual aspects of the content.

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0007) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of the relationship between direct engagement in learning and students' interest in lessons and of procedures for enhancing relevance and promoting intrinsic motivation to learn. Motivation to learn is heightened when teachers tap into students' interests and emotions. By using a narrative format as described to introduce lessons about U.S. presidents, the teacher can be expected to increase students' interest in and ability to relate to the targeted historical figures. This approach makes the content more concrete and personal for students by helping them visualize a real person who was once a child like them and who had a life full of the kinds of challenges and successes that all people encounter.

Federal law requires that schools honor which of the following requests by parents/guardians? A. to reassess their child's academic performance using a different standardized testing instrument B. to inspect and review their child's educational records C. to delete reference to disciplinary actions from their child's records upon transfer to another school D. to allow their child to attend a specific school within the district

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0010) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of students, teachers, and parents/guardians in various educational contexts. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of students' educational records. FERPA gives parents/guardians specified rights with respect to their children's educational records, including the right to inspect and review the records. Therefore, schools are required to honor parent/guardian requests to inspect and review their child's educational records.

A second-grade teacher is planning a science activity in which students will work in pairs to perform a simple experiment. The experiment involves multiple steps that must be performed in the correct sequence. The teacher can best communicate these steps to second-grade students by using which of the following strategies? A. having each student copy the steps for the experiment from an overhead transparency B. stating one or two steps of the experiment at a time and then assisting students in completing those steps C. asking the class to read the steps aloud before beginning the experiment D. posting a complete list of steps for the experiment on the board and directing students' attention to them from time to time

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0007) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of factors such as age, gender, and cultural and linguistic background that can affect classroom communication and methods for interacting effectively with all students to achieve specified communication goals such as clarifying content, communicating high expectations for learning, building student self-esteem, and promoting a climate of collaboration and support. The science experiment described in the question involves multiple steps that each pair of students will have to perform in the correct sequence. Second graders can be expected to need significant and continuous teacher support in successfully meeting the challenges of this type of activity. Many second graders are likely to have very limited ability to read technical or complex text or to remember a complex series of steps read aloud. Therefore, of the response options provided, the teacher's best strategy for communicating the steps would be to state one or two steps at a time and then assist students in completing those steps before moving on to subsequent steps.

A teacher is planning an introductory lesson for a new instructional unit. The teacher would like to use the lesson to promote students' interest in and motivation to learn the material in the upcoming unit. The teacher can best achieve this goal by developing an introductory lesson that: A. offers students a preview of key unit concepts and ideas. B. arouses students' curiosity about unit content. C. communicates high teacher expectations for student learning during the unit. D. promises students opportunities for significant challenge as the unit proceeds.

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0007) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, strategies for gaining students' attention and promoting motivation to learn, and ways to use encouragement and various types of peer support to sustain student interest and promote learning. Students' interest and motivation to learn are likely to be greatest when they find some personal meaning or value in the material to be learned. Of the response options provided, the teacher described in the question could best help students find such meaning or value by providing them with an introductory lesson that arouses their curiosity about the content in the upcoming unit. By using this approach, the teacher would promote students' intrinsic motivation and their desire to learn more about the content.

Each day as fifth-grade students enter their classroom, they move their nametags from the main board to the "buying" or "bringing" lunch board. As students unpack their belongings, the teacher notes absences indicated by unmoved nametags as well as the lunch count for the day. Which of the following statements provides the best rationale for this procedure? A. Giving each student a specific role in the operation of the classroom helps build a sense of community. B. The effective use of routines saves a significant amount of time for instruction over the course of the school year. C. Transition activities can promote students' learning even when they are not receiving formal instruction. D. The implementation of standard classroom procedures minimizes unnecessary student questions and confusion.

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0008) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for creating an organized and productive classroom environment that fosters excellence, promotes learning, optimizes students' time on task, and encourages self-regulation and a sense of responsibility and accountability. Effective teachers put in place well-defined routines for addressing a variety of daily situations and needs, such as getting students' attention, preparing to go to lunch or change classes, and turning in homework assignments. Such routines save instructional time by avoiding confusion and wasted effort in dealing with everyday situations. The routine described in the question not only ensures that students know exactly what is expected of them as they enter the classroom each morning, but also facilitates the teacher's ability to take care of various administrative responsibilities with minimal time and effort. Therefore, of the response options provided, the best rationale for using this procedure, and for using routines generally, is to save a significant amount of time for instruction over the course of the school year.

One of the goals in an elementary school is to ensure educational equity for all students. Teachers in the school can best help evaluate their own performance in this area by asking themselves whether they are: A. giving all students opportunities to provide input into curricular and instructional decision making. B. supporting all students in meeting high standards of achievement. C. using nontraditional assessments and flexible criteria to judge all students' performance and progress. D. using similar instructional methods and materials with all students.

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0010) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of important traits and behaviors associated with effective teaching (e.g., curiosity and love of learning, tolerance and open-mindedness and strategies for using reflection and self-assessment to identify teaching strengths and challenges and to improve professional practice. The concept of educational equity encompasses a number of components. These include providing all students with equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of the educational process, and holding and communicating high expectations for all students' academic achievement and school success. Therefore, in evaluating their own performance with respect to ensuring educational equity for all students, one important and appropriate question for teachers to consider is whether their classroom practices support all students in meeting high standards of achievement.

While meeting with small reading groups in one corner of the classroom, a second-grade teacher sits against the wall in order to keep an eye on those students who are working together in centers or independently at their desks. The teacher visually scans the classroom from time to time and redirects students as needed. The most important benefit of this approach is that it: A. promotes students' recognition of their own responsibility for maintaining the overall momentum of instruction. B. faciliates the teacher's abily io maintain students on-task behavior in a complex leaming ervironment. C. promotes students' reflection on and evaluation of their own behavior and learning on an ongoing basis. D. helps the teacher communicate to students that the classroom is a safe and secure environment in which to learn.

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0008) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of various strategies for managing student behavior and relationships between specific classroom management approaches and student learning, attitudes, and behaviors. A basic principle of good classroom management focuses on the idea that preventing discipline problems before they occur is more positive, effective, and efficient than responding to discipline problems after they occur. Such proactive approaches to classroom management require ongoing teacher monitoring of student behavior and interactions to identify and address potential problem situations before they become more significant. In the situation described, the teacher manages a learning environment in which multiple student activities occur simultaneously in part by positioning himself or herself in a way that facilitates such ongoing monitoring and thereby helps maintain students' on-task behavior.

In which of the following situations is a teacher using proximity as an intervention for student misbehavior? A. The teacher issues a warning about personal space to a student who has spread materials across several desks. B. While reading an excerpt from the textbook aloud, the teacher walks to the back of the room to stand near two students who are passing notes C. The teacher asks a student who is talking to a peer during independent seatwork to move to a different part of the classroom. D. During a playground argument between two students, the teacher restrains the students to prevent them from hitting one another.

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0008) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of various strategies for managing student behavior and relationships between specific classroom management approaches and student learning, attitudes, and behaviors. In classroom management, proximity refers to a teacher moving closer to students who are misbehaving in order to signal teacher awareness and a need for the students to cease their misbehavior. Of the various interventions teachers can use to respond to student misbehavior, proximity is often considered the least intrusive and is therefore a good first step that frequently proves effective in bringing about the desired result. Of the response options provided, the best example of a teacher using proximity as an intervention is the teacher who walks to the back of the room while continuing instruction to stand near two students who are passing notes.

A social studies teacher and the library media specialist are meeting for the first time to discuss an upcoming unit they will be teaching together. Which of the following should be the primary focus of this initial meeting? A. determining who will be the lead teacher in each lesson B. identifying student learning goals for the unit C. analyzing their individual teaching styles to identify similarities D. generating a list of potential student activities for the unit

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0009) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of how to collaborate effectively with specialists and others in the school community to meet student needs and enhance student learning. Instruction should always be aimed at helping students achieve particular learning goals. Having clearly defined goals when instructional planning begins helps ensure that instruction will be appropriately targeted and helps minimize the likelihood that class time will be wasted on activities that are not directly related to desired outcomes. In addition, when two educators will be teaching together, defining clear learning goals at the outset facilitates collaboration by helping ensure that both understand and are in agreement about the ultimate purpose(s) of their instruction. Therefore, in the situation described, the primary focus of an initial meeting between the teacher and the library media specialist should be to identify and agree on student learning goals for the unit.

A third-grade teacher is beginning a math lesson when the parent/guardian of a student who has been struggling in the teacher's class enters the classroom unexpectedly. The parent/guardian is upset and states that she wants to discuss her child's performance. Which of the following would be the teacher's most appropriate response in this situation? A. "Perhaps you would like to make arrangements to observe your child's performance in class. Then we can meet to discuss your concerns in more detail." B. "I see that you're very concerned, but I cannot interrupt instruction to discuss this with you now. I will contact you to arrange a conference time that accommodates your schedule." C. "Let me assign students a seatwork activity and I will be glad to meet with you. There is a quiet corner at the back of the classroom where we can have our discussion." D. "I'm sorry, but visitors are not allowed in my classroom during instruction without making prior arrangements. Here is my schedule for the month; please call to set up a formal conference time."

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0009) This question requires the examine to identify strategies for conducting effective conferences with parents/guardians, addressing the concerns of parents/guardians in various contexts, and interacting effectively and appropriately with all families, including those with diverse characteristics, backgrounds, and needs. In the situation described, the teacher's first priority should be to try to maintain a focus on the class and continue with the planned instruction as quickly and seamlessly as possible. The parent/guardian who entered the classroom uninvited and with no prior notice should be dealt with politely but firmly and promised a time to meet and talk as soon as appropriate arrangements can be made. Of the response options provided, only response B meets these criteria.

During a lesson in an elementary classroom, a student asks a question that the teacher does not know how to answer. The teacher responds by saying, "What an interesting question! I'd really like to know that myself. Let's see what the computer can tell us." The teacher helps the class research the question on the Internet and then leads an animated class discussion about the findings. Which of the following is likely to be the most important benefit of the teacher's actions? A. giving students an opportunity to explore instructional content from varied perspectives B. modeling for students intellectual curiosity and strategies for pursuing new learning C. promoting students' use of divergent thinking in relation to academic content D. prompting students' self-reflection on their own understanding of lesson content

Correct Response: B. (Competency 0010) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of important traits and behaviors associated with effective teaching (e.g., curiosity and love of learning, tolerance and open-mindedness) and strategies for using reflection and self-assessment to identify teaching strengths and challenges and to improve professional practice. In the situation described, a student asks the teacher a question that the teacher is unable to answer. Rather than being embarrassed or hesitant to admit lack of knowledge, the teacher expresses great interest in learning more and enthusiastically seeks out an answer using computer resources available in the classroom. Since student attitudes and behaviors are often influenced in significant ways by observing the actions of important adults in their lives, a key benefit of the teacher's actions is most likely to be to model intellectual curiosity for the students as well as strategies they can use to pursue new learning.

Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A first-grade teacher develops the following math activities to help promote students' understanding of geometry concepts. Feel-It Box Students select shapes from a box and explore them first with their eyes closed, then with their eyes open. Make a Shape Small groups of students work with elastic cords to form various shapes. Build and Rebuild a Shape Students use a variety of blocks and other items such as straws and clay to build, take apart, and rebuild two- and three-dimensional shapes. According to Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, students who are most comfortable with this set of activities and find them most useful in promoting learning are likely to demonstrate particular strength in which of the following areas of intelligence? A. intrapersonal B. verbal-linguistic C. visualspalial D. naturalist

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0002) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of major theories and concepts related to the learning process and their application in educational contexts. Visual-spatial intelligence involves such elements as visual perception of the environment and the ability to create and manipulate mental images. Characteristics of those who possess visual-spatial intelligence include, for example, learning by seeing and observing and enjoying reproducing objects in visible form, constructing three-dimensional products, and creating concrete or visual representations of information. The learning activities described in the scenario require students to recognize particular shapes and patterns and then use various materials to create them on their own in two- and three-dimensional forms. Therefore, students who are likely to be most comfortable with the activities and to find them most useful in promoting learning would be expected to demonstrate particular strength in visual-spatial intelligence.

A teacher who is planning instruction for an upper elementary class should assume that, in general, male and female students are likely to differ most in regard to: A. the learning styles and modalities with which they are most comfortable. B. the importance they place on connecting what they are learning to their own lives and needs. C. their interest in and perceptions about the relevance of particular topics. D. their overall level of cognitive development and ability to apply cognitive skills.

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0003) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of different types of student diversity, such as diversity in cultural or racial background, socioeconomic background, gender, linguistic background, religion, and family structure, and the implications of given types of diversity for teaching and learning. Children's socialization involves the learning of culturally defined gender roles. By the time most children reach the upper elementary grades, they have learned and internalized the various behaviors and attitudes that are considered appropriate for their gender. In school contexts, this is often reflected in boys' and girls' different level of interest in and views about the relevance of particular instructional topics that are more commonly associated with one gender or the other.

Which of the following teacher strategies would be most effective and efficient in determining elementary students' preferred learning styles? A. having students fill out interest inventories and incorporating their areas of interest into instruction B. trying out different instructional approaches and formally evaluating students' learning after using each approach C. giving students meaningful choices in learning tasks and observing the selections they make D. engaging students in a variety of small-group activities and changing the composition of the groups frequently

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0003) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for enhancing one's own understanding of students' diverse backgrounds and needs, resources in the school and community for meeting individual student needs, and strategies for connecting students and their families to these resources. Different students are most comfortable and learn best in different kinds of settings and circumstances. For example, some students prefer quiet, solitary learning, while others prefer to work in groups. Similarly, some students are happy and productive with little teacher guidance, while others seem to need significant teacher direction and input. Given opportunities to choose their own learning tasks, students can be expected to select most often those tasks that reflect their preferred learning style. Therefore, of the response options provided, a teacher can most effectively and efficiently determine students' preferred learning styles by giving the students choices and observing the selections they make.

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 complete a family based project the option of using library research for their projects instead

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0003) This question requires the examine to identify strategies for working and interacting effectively in various classroom contexts with students with diverse characteristics and needs, including students who are English language learners and students with exceptionalities. In the situation described, the teacher has created a learning activity that is impossible 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.

A teacher has scheduled individual conferences with students to discuss their performance on a recent writing assignment. During each conference, the teacher will comment on positive aspects of the student's writing and also point out particular errors or faulty strategies that the student used. Which of the following additional steps taken by the teacher during each conference would best promote students' learning and progress in writing? A. prompting the student to assess his or her own level of effort and motivation for the assignment B. having the student review and discuss an exemplary paper written by a classmate or other peer on a similar topic C. providing the student with specific suggestions for improving his or her work on the assignment D. offering the student an opportunity to agree with or refute particular aspects of the teacher's evaluation of his or her assignment

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0004) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of how to interpret assessment results and how to communicate assessment results to students and their families. Research indicates that teacher feedback is most helpful when it is personalized, when it includes comments on positive aspects of the student's work, and when it provides constructive criticism that not only identifies errors or faulty strategies, but also offers suggestions about how to improve. Therefore, in the situation described, the teacher could best use the individual conferences to promote students' learning and progress by including in each conference specific suggestions about steps or strategies a student can use to improve his or her work

A small number of students in an elementary class have been identified as academically gifted. Which of the following instructional adaptations would be most appropriate for the teacher to make to meet the needs of these students? A. establishing more rigorous criteria for grading the students on work assigned to the class B. using the students' self-assessment of their work as the primary basis for evaluating their performance C. assisting the students in designing their own independent projects related to current unit topics D. giving the students additional assignments to complete when they finish work assigned to the class

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0005) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies for modifying curriculum and instruction based on student characteristics and needs and for adapting lessons to ensure the success of all students in learning, including students who are English language learners and students with exceptionalities. Supporting gifted students can be a challenge for teachers in the regular classroom because these students often already know most of the content being taught and are quickly able to learn what they do not yet know. As with other students, the teacher's primary responsibility to gifted students is to ensure that they have ample opportunity to learn and grow. A particularly effective way to achieve this goal is to encourage their participation in independent, self-initiated, project-based learning related to unit topics that the rest of the class is studying. This strategy provides gifted students with authentic, meaningful, and interesting work that offers appropriate challenge while promoting in-depth learning and self-responsibility.

A third-grade teacher is planning a language arts lesson to introduce students to fables. In an appropriately sequenced lesson, the teacher should begin with which of the following activities? A. providing students with a graphic organizer and helping them fill in information from selected fables B. having students work in pairs to rewrite the morals of several familiar fables C. reading students several fables aloud and pointing out the key features that define a fable D. assigning students to work in small groups to answer comprehension questions about selected fables

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0005) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of how to define appropriate learning goals and objectives, select effective instructional approaches, and determine the sequence of instruction. In the situation described, the teacher's goal in the lesson is to introduce students to fables. When teaching any new concept or idea, one particularly effective strategy is to begin by providing students with examples and then discussing the attributes of the examples. This helps students establish the new category-in this case fables--in their own minds. Therefore, of the response options provided, the best initial activity for the teacher to choose would be to read students several fables aloud and point out the key features they include that make them fables. Although the other options involve students' use of fables, none would be effective in helping the students understand what a fable is or what distinguishes that genre from other types of literature.

A sixth-grade social studies teacher has students read several articles on recycling and the use of recycled materials. After reading the articles, students work in small groups to fill in a T-chart listing the pros and cons of recycling. This follow-up activity is likely to be particularly effective in helping students: A. recall important factual information included in the articles. B. improve their ability to comprehend technical content included in the articles. C. analyze the information presented in the articles. D. evaluate strategies used in the articles to convey a specific point of view.

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0006) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of how to provide instruction that promotes higher-order thinking and creativity; encourages independent thinking and learning; enhances students' ability to synthesize knowledge, solve problems, and acquire, analyze, and organize information; and helps students work cooperatively and productively. Elementary students often benefit from support in processing complex ideas presented in written materials. A T-chart is a type of graphic organizer that students can use to list and examine two facets of a topic, such as pros and cons or advantages and disadvantages. In the situation described, having students complete a T-chart after reading several articles on recycling would help them analyze the information contained in the articles by facilitating their ability to identify and organize the key points presented. Implementing this activity in small groups would further enhance students' analytic efforts by promoting discussion, testing, and refinement of ideas.

Students in a third-grade class are studying volcanoes. The teacher wants to use technology to support students' understanding of the nature of volcanic activity. Which of the following strategies represents the most appropriate and effective use of technology for this purpose? A. arranging for students to use an online database of scientific journals to look for articles that describe volcanic activity B. demonstrating for students the types of results they are likely to get when using different Internet search terms related to volcanoes C. bookmarking for students on classroom computers a few Internet sites with streaming video of actual volcanic activity D. having individual students summarize for the class selected articles about volcanoes from an online science encyclopedia

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0006) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of the use of technology in instruction and strategies for effectively integrating technology into specific instructional situations to support student learning. Most third graders function at the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. Research indicates that during this stage, student understanding of new concepts and ideas is significantly enhanced through the use of concrete props and visual aids. Therefore, of the response options provided, the teacher can best use technology to support students' understanding of the nature of volcanic activity by helping them access Internet sites with streaming video of actual volcanic activity. This use of technology would help make the new content more concrete and real for students and thus promote their learning and understanding.

Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A fifth-grade teacher uses the approach shown below when presenting new content to students through direct instruction. • Review related prior lessons. • Present new material. • Provide guided practice with feedback. • Assign independent practice. The most important benefit of beginning direct instruction with a review of prior lessons is that this strategy: A. minimizes the amount of practice or reinforcement students will require to learn new material. B. enhances students' ability to monitor their own learning progress. C. provides students with a sense of continuity and logical extension in their learning. D. reduces the need for informal assessment of student learning.

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0006) This question requires the examine to identify the characteristics, uses, benefits, and limitations of various instructional approaches, such as direct instruction, cooperative learning, inquiry, and class discussion. When initiating direct instruction, a teacher's review of related content from prior lessons helps prepare students for new learning by promoting recall of relevant knowledge they already possess and by helping them logically connect what they already know to the new content they are about to learn. Therefore, of the response options provided, the greatest benefit of reviewing prior lessons is most likely to be to provide students with a sense of continuity and logical extension in their learning.

56. A teacher is planning a science unit on living things. During a lesson on differences between plants and animals, the teacher will draw the following diagram on the board and then have students help fill in the diagram as the lesson proceeds. Use of this diagram can be expected to enhance student learning primarily by: A. facilitating students' recall of relevant prior knowledge. B. encouraging the use of divergent thinking in relation to lesson content. C. clarifying complex ideas and relationships. D. promoting students' self-monitoring of their own learning throughout the lesson.

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0007) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of communication strategies for meeting specific instructional needs and for promoting understanding and engagement of all students in learning, including students who are English language learners and students with exceptionalities. The purpose of any graphic organizer, including the Ven diagram shown in the question, is to provide a visual aid to facilitate learning. In the situation described, the Venn diagram would offer students a visual representation of new information that would help them recognize and comprehend previously unknown patterns and relationships involving plants and animals. Therefore, the teacher's use of the Venn diagram as described would be expected to enhance students' learning mainly by clarifying complex ideas and relationships for them.

At the beginning of the school year, a sixth-grade teacher tells students that they will be assigned an eight-page research paper in the spring. Which of the following teacher comments about this assignment best communicates high expectations for student performance? A. "Eight pages is a big research task, so you'll need to be sure to pay close attention in class and ask questions if you don't understand something." B. "To prepare yourselves for this research task, you must develop strong organizational and time-management skills." C. "Eight pages may seem like a lot now, but over the next few months we will work on the skills you will need for this research task, so you will be prepared and confident." D. "I know that this may be the first time many of you have had to complete such an extensive research task, so let me know right away if you begin to fall behind."

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0007) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of factors such as age, gender, and cultural and linguistic background that can affect classroom communication and methods for interacting effectively with all students to achieve specified communication goals such as clarifying content, communicating high expectations for learning, building student self-esteem, and promoting a climate of collaboration and support. Of the response options provided, the teacher's comments in response C best communicate high expectations for student performance because they not only acknowledge the challenge of the task, but also assure students that they will be provided with all of the preparation they will need to feel confident and be successful. The other options would be far less effective in communicating high expectations because they are framed primarily as warnings to students about what they must or must not do in order to avoid failing at the task.

An elementary teacher makes a practice of regularly displaying students' work in the classroom. The teacher displays work that represents progress as well as work that represents exemplary performance in one or more aspects of an assignment. Which of the following is likely to be the primary benefit of this practice? A. establishing a learning environment that is visually and cognitively stimulating to students B. providing students with a frame of reference for evaluating their own performance C. creating an inviting environment in which students feel a sense of ownership and pride D. communicating to students the teacher's expectations for their learning and achievement

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0008) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies and procedures for creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment that encourages students' active engagement, risk taking, and collaboration in learning. By ensuring that all students and not just high achievers have frequent, ongoing opportunities to have their best work displayed in the classroom, the teacher would achieve a variety of goals, including creating a classroom environment that is personally meaningful to all students and that acknowledges and celebrates each student's work and effort. In this way, a primary benefit of the teacher's practice would be to create an inviting environment in which students feel a sense of ownership and pride.

A fourth-grade teacher holds regular class meetings with students. The meetings follow the agenda shown below. • Express compliments and appreciation. • Follow up on solutions to earlier issues. • Discuss new issues and consider possible solutions. • Plan for upcoming class activities. This approach is likely to be most effective in achieving which of the following goals? A. providing a classroom environment that is responsive to students' individual needs and preferences B. encouraging students to think objectively about classroom problems and concerns C. promoting in students a sense of belonging to a caring and cooperative classroom community D. reinforcing for students the value of adhering to classroom norms for individual and group behavior

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0008) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for promoting positive student interactions, facilitating conflict resolution, and promoting students' understanding and application of ethical principles such as honesty, courtesy and respect, academic and personal integrity, and civic responsibility. Holding regular class meetings that follow the agenda indicated would be expected to have a strong positive influence on classroom climate by emphasizing collaboration and supportive interactions, providing regular opportunities for public recognition of student accomplishments, and giving all students a voice in dealing with issues affecting everyone. In this way, the teacher's use of the meetings is most likely to promote students' sense of belonging to a caring and cooperative classroom community.

A first-grade teacher distributes a form, available in students' home languages, to parents/guardians at the beginning of the school year. Part of the form is shown below. Help Wanted Our class is looking for individuals who would like to: ______listen to students read aloud. ______help students with math skills. ______assist students with an art project. ______attend a field trip. ______cut materials at home. ______send supplies or food for celebrations. ______work on a class newsletter. ______share a special talent or interest (please specify): ____________________________________________________________________________ Which of the following is likely to be the greatest benefit of this approach? A. promoting ongoing communication with parents/guardians about expectations and activities in the teacher's classroom B. establishing a relationship of trust between the teacher and students' parents/guardians C. communicating a welcoming attitude to parents/guardians regarding their involvement in the life of the classroom D. fostering parents'/guardians' sense of mutual responsibility for their children's school achievement

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0009) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies for developing partnerships with families to support student learning and for encouraging and facilitating the involvement of parents/guardians in their children's education. The form shown in the question offers parents/guardians a wide range of opportunities for active participation in their children's school activities. Distributing this form to all parents/guardians, and including translated versions for students with different home languages, sends a strong message to parents/guardians about the teacher's desire to have them participate in class activities in any number of ways, according to their own preferences, skills, and time limitations. Of the response options provided, the greatest benefit of the form is thus to communicate a welcoming attitude to parents/guardians about their involvement in the life of the classroom.

Which of the following describes the most effective use of community resources to enhance student learning? A. A local restaurant owner provides refreshments for a special evening event featuring student projects. B. College students help supervise a class during a field trip to a local museum. C. A local veterinarian makes a presentation about pet care and answers students' questions. D. Students make decorations and perform seasonal songs for residents of a local senior center.

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0009) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of how to develop partnerships with individuals, businesses, and institutions in the community and how to use community resources to expand and enrich student learning. Teachers can arrange to have their classes interact with and benefit from individuals and groups in a community in many ways. All of the response options described in the question represent reasonable and appropriate types of student interactions with community members. However, a veterinarian making a presentation about pet care and answering students' questions is the only response option in which a community member is directly contributing to student learning by sharing his or her specialized knowledge.

A new elementary teacher has a goal of maintaining effective communication with parents/guardians about their children's learning. Which of the following is an important first step in achieving this goal? A. adopting a standard format for home-school communications B. arranging a visit to each student's home to meet family members C. determining each family's preferred mode of communication and times of availability D. creating a conference schedule to send home with each student early in the school year

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0009) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of the importance of school-home communication, factors that facilitate or impede communication, and methods of initiating and maintaining effective communication with all students' families. Teachers today should expect the parents/guardians of any class of students to have a variety of preferences and needs in regard to the times they are available to be contacted and the type(s) of communication (e.g., e-mail, telephone, notes) they wish to use. Therefore, if a teacher wishes to maintain effective communication with parents/guardians about their children's learning, an important first step would be to determine each family's preferred mode of communication and times of availability.

A new teacher and the teacher's assigned mentor have decided that they will meet every other week. The new teacher can best help ensure that the meetings will be as productive as possible by using which of the following approaches? A. permitting the mentor to take the lead in identifying the topics) to be addressed in each meeting B. taking careful notes during each meeting and reviewing the notes when the meeting is over C. arriving at each meeting prepared to ask about specific issues or concerns that have arisen in the classroom D. reviewing current research and ideas in a particular aspect of education before each meeting occurs

Correct Response: C. (Competency 0010) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of various types of professional organizations and professional development opportunities and resources, including research; action research; interactions with mentors, supervisors, and colleagues; and their use in enhancing professional knowledge, skills, and expertise. Mentoring programs for new teachers are intended to increase new teachers' success by providing them with personalized support from a more experienced peer. Mentoring is likely to be most effective when the mentor is able to focus assistance and support on those specific areas in which the new teacher is struggling most. One effective way for mentors to become aware of specific areas of need is for the new teacher to identify those areas in which he or she is experiencing particular problems. Therefore, in the situation described, the new teacher can best help ensure productive meetings with a mentor by arriving at the meetings prepared to ask about specific issues or concerns that have arisen in the classroom.

Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A first-grade teacher develops the following math activities to help promote students' understanding of geometry concepts. Feel-It Box Students select shapes from a box and explore them first with their eyes closed, then with their eyes open. Make a Shape Small groups of students work with elastic cords to form various shapes. Build and Rebuild a Shape Students use a variety of blocks and other items such as straws and clay to build, take apart, and rebuild two- and three-dimensional shapes. The teacher decides to follow the Feel-It Box activity by having students describe each of the geometric shapes and match them to other similar shapes. This activity is likely to be most effective in promoting students' development of which of the following cognitive abilities? A. hypothetical thinking B. seriation C. cause-and-effect reasoning D. classification

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0001) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of cognitive development in students from early childhood through the elementary years and how to plan learning experiences and environments that support students' cognitive development. Classification skills, which contribute to the development of analytic and other thinking skills, involve the ability to group objects into sets based on similarities and differences in specified characteristics such as color, shape, or size. Young children learn classification skills by exploring objects and grouping new objects in relation to previously discovered ones. The matching activity described in the question, in which students seek out and identify shapes that are similar to those they are learning about, would therefore be most effective in promoting students' classification skills.

An upper elementary teacher regularly incorporates self-directed learning projects into instruction. Which of the following is likely to be the most important benefit of this approach? A. prompting students to develop strategies for monitoring their own learning progress B. promoting students' acquisition of behaviors that are required in the world of work C. extending the amount of time students are able to focus their attention on a learning task D. enhancing students' ability to construct their own understanding of content

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0002) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of various teacher and student roles in the learning process and how different roles may affect learning processes and learning outcomes. Self-directed learning projects give students choice and responsibility in regard to their own learning. Such projects require students to develop and apply self-management and self-monitoring skills, as well as skills for accessing and processing the information they need for a self-defined purpose. As a result, engagement in this type of work enhances students' ability to construct their own understanding of content.

Which of the following factors is likely to have the greatest influence on the academic performance of a third-grade student? A. the degree to which the student's teacher allows him or her to have choices in regard to learning goals and objectives B. the age at which the student was first enrolled in a preschool program and the nature of the program(s) he or she attended C. the extent to which the student has access to computers and other technological tools in the home and school environments D. the attitudes and expectations expressed by significant adults in the student's life in regard to his or her school achievement

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0002) This question requires the examine to demonstrate awareness of factors in the home, school, and community that can affect student learning and the implications of these factors for teaching and learning. A student's self-esteem and belief in his or her own capabilities and potential to learn have a significant influence on school success. Students who have confidence in themselves and believe that they can succeed are far more likely to be motivated to pursue learning energetically and optimistically than students who lack self-esteem and confidence in their academic potential. Although a variety of factors can influence student attitudes and beliefs about themselves as learners, research suggests that the most important factor often involves attitudes and expectations communicated by important adults in a child's life, typically parents/guardians and teachers, and the encouragement that these individuals provide

Which of the following situations best illustrates the use of metacognitive skills to facilitate learning? A. A student uses teacher feedback on the first draft of book reports and other written work to improve the quality of the final version. B. A student who has strong interpersonal skills and enjoys working with peers often chooses to engage in collaborative activities. C. A student who has difficulty in math often seeks assistance from higher-achieving classmates to complete challenging math assignments. D. A student considers which of several reading strategies is most appropriate to use for each assigned reading task.

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0002) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of major theories and concepts related to the learning process and their application in educational contexts. Metacognition refers to a level of thinking in which the individual exerts active control over the process of thinking that he or she is using in a learning situation. Specific metacognitive skills include, for example, planning the best way to approach a particular task, monitoring one's comprehension and progress while engaging in a task, and determining how to modify strategies to improve performance on a task. Therefore, of the response options provided, the best example of using metacognitive skills to facilitate learning is a student considering which of several reading strategies is most appropriate to use for various assigned reading tasks.

In which of the following situations would it be most appropriate for an elementary teacher to accelerate content-area instruction for a small group of students? A. The students exhibit similar levels of task commitment and independence in their learning. B. Observations of class discussions and activities reveal that the students have extensive background knowledge in the content area. C. The students consistently exhibit a high level of motivation for learning. D. Results of formal and informal assessments show that the students have achieved most of the grade-level standards in the content area.

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0003) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies for planning and adapting instruction that is responsive to the characteristics, skills, strengths, and needs of all students and for ensuring that all students participate fully in classroom life and activities. Classroom teachers should provide instruction that is adapted to the learning needs and rates of all students, including those who may be performing above grade level. These students are frequently asked to participate in practice exercises or instructional activities that address material that they have already mastered, which can lead to boredom, inattentiveness, and underachievement. Accelerating content-area instruction, when based on evidence of mastery, helps ensure that all students are appropriately challenged and have ample opportunity to continue learning and growing.

At the beginning of the school year, an elementary teacher learns that the class includes two students who have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Which of the following teacher actions would be most effective in addressing the academic needs of these students? A. providing the two students with regular opportunities to engage in learning tasks likely to present them with minimal challenge B. organizing instruction in ways that keep students in the class focused on only one or two subject areas during each school day C. encouraging the two students to work together and support each other during paired and group learning activities D. creating spaces in the classroom where individual students can go and work with minimal distraction as needed

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0003) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of different types of student exceptionalities, their characteristics, and their implications for teaching and learning. Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have problems with distractibility, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. A variety of teacher strategies have been shown to be effective in adapting instruction and improving learning for students with ADHD. One such strategy involves creating quiet work spaces in the classroom that are relatively free of distractions where individual students can go to complete tasks as needed. Modifying the classroom in this way can enhance a student's ability to concentrate on the task at hand by helping minimize distracting stimuli in the student's immediate environment.

During a six-week mathematics unit, a teacher gives the class a quiz each Friday to assess students' understanding of the content that was covered that week. The students perform well on the Friday quiz for weeks 1 and 2, but then they score very poorly on the quiz for week 3. The teacher can best respond to the students' poor performance by using which of the following approaches? A. creating a unit test that places greater weight on week 3 content than on other unit content B. reviewing week 3 content at the end of the unit when students have a stronger knowledge base C. agreeing to ignore results for the week 3 quiz if student performance improves on later unit quizzes D. reteaching week 3 content before moving on to the content planned for week 4 of the unit

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0004) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies for integrating assessment and instruction, for aligning assessment with instructional goals, and for using assessment to monitor student understanding and to guide instruction. The content addressed at any point in a given unit often builds on and requires knowledge of content previously addressed in the unit. If students do poorly on a weekly quiz in the middle of a unit, indicating that they have not mastered that week's content, they are likely to have problems with content planned for the following weeks. Therefore, in the situation described, the teacher should reteach the content that students have not yet mastered before moving forward to help ensure that the students will be able to benefit fully from subsequent instruction.

An elementary teacher plans to give students a test that includes both multiple-choice questions and essay questions. The class includes a student with a learning disability that makes written expression very difficult for the student. The teacher can most appropriately adapt the unit test to meet the student's needs by using which of the following approaches? A. applying more lenient criteria to evaluate the student's performance on the essay portion of the test B. having the student answer additional multiple-choice questions as an alternative to the essay questions C. giving the student as much time as required to complete the essay portion of the test D. allowing the student to provide oral responses to the essay questions that appear on the test

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0004) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of the benefits of using multiple assessment methods to support instruction and appropriate strategies for adapting classroom assessments for students with various characteristics and needs, including students who are English language learners and students with exceptionalities. A test that requires a written essay would unfairly disadvantage a student with a learning disability that affects the student's written expression. In adapting such a test for the student, the teacher's goal should be to identify an alternative means of assessment that requires the same kinds of knowledge and the same types of thinking as the original assessment to the greatest extent possible. Of the response options provided, allowing the student to provide oral responses to the essay questions that appear on the test would best meet this goal.

A new elementary teacher wants to be sure that the instructional units presented to the class will be organized in a logical, coherent way. Which of the following practices would best help the teacher achieve this goal? A. defining a single primary learning goal for each unit B. using student feedback to modify each unit on an ongoing basis C. linking content taught during each unit to state or national standards D. planning each unit in its entirety before starting instruction on it

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0005) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of effective lesson and unit plans and their characteristics, such as logical sequence, completeness, and feasibility. Poor unit planning can result in inadequate time for some topics and an overemphasis on others, as well as an illogical sequencing of content that may confuse students and make it more difficult for them to grasp key ideas and their connections. Given limited class time for any particular unit and an enormous range of topics and activities that could potentially be addressed, teachers need to think carefully about how best to organize their instruction to ensure that students will be able to learn as intended. By planning each unit in its entirety before beginning instruction on it, teachers can maximize the likelihood that all essential topics will be covered, that appropriate emphasis will be placed on various components of the unit, and that instruction will progress in logical ways that facilitate student understanding.

A kindergarten class includes a number of students who have little or no prior experience with books. The teacher uses various strategies to promote the students' understanding and appreciation of reading, including reading them stories aloud on a regular basis. In selecting stories to read aloud to these students, the teacher should place the greatest emphasis on identifying stories that: A. teach the students about letters, numbers, and other elements of the kindergarten curriculum. B. will expose the students to new ideas and points of view. C. include characters and plots likely to be familiar to the students from their experiences outside of school. D. will be engaging and enjoyable for the students.

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0005) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of how to use appropriate criteria to evaluate instructional resources, including technological resources, and how to select resources to meet various instructional needs. In working with young students who have little or no prior experience with books, a key teacher goal should be to promote the students' view of reading as an enjoyable and appealing activity and thereby motivate them to want to engage further with books. Therefore, in the situation described, the teacher should place most emphasis on selecting stories to read to the students that they will find engaging and enjoyable.

A second-grade teacher will be planning a lesson to introduce students to a science concept included in the state curriculum for second graders. The teacher can best help ensure an effective lesson by considering which of the following questions during the planning process? A. Is the targeted science concept more or less complex than other science content the class has studied? B. To what extent do the science texts available to the class match the state science curriculum? C. What has been the students' overall level of interest in science instruction during previous lessons? D. What is the extent of the students' prior knowledge related to the targeted science concept?

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0005) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of key factors to consider in instructional planning, such as local, state, and national standards; the nature of the content; and students' characteristics, prior experiences, current knowledge and skills, and readiness to learn Effective instruction builds on what students already know. Therefore, instructional planning should be guided by a teacher's understanding of students' prior knowledge and needs in relation to the targeted instructional topic. This allows the teacher to determine how best to use students' existing knowledge to promote new understandings while helping ensure that the instruction provided will be neither too advanced nor too basic for a particular student or group of students.

The fifth-grade teachers in a school are planning their first cross-curricular unit. The teachers have reviewed relevant content standards and identified interdependence as the unifying theme for the unit. Which of the following would be the most appropriate and effective step for the teachers to take next in the planning process? A. preparing an annotated list of instructional resources related to the theme of the unit that individual teachers can use to plan lessons B. assigning each teacher a specific responsibility for planning activities and assignments that support the theme of the unit C. creating a standard format for written lesson plans that reflects the targeted standards as well as the theme of the unit D. developing a planning web on which to note connections among specific ideas in each content area and the theme of the unit

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0005) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of the benefits of and strategies for integrating curricula, creating interdisciplinary units of study, and planning learning experiences that provide students with opportunities to explore content from integrated and varied perspectives. Interdisciplinary, or cross-curricular, units break down the usual barriers between academic disciplines and focus instead on integrating views and ideas from a variety of disciplines to explore broad themes or to answer important questions. Research indicates that using this approach to instruction offers students more relevant, less fragmented, and more stimulating learning experiences. In the situation described, the teachers have begun planning a cross-curricular unit by selecting a broad theme that is relevant to the content standards in various disciplines and that will serve as the organizational center of the unit. The next step in planning such a unit typically involves creating a graphic organizer, such as a planning web, that can be used to list content or ideas in each discipline that are connected to the selected theme. This provides a way to define the specific ideas in each discipline that will be addressed in the unit and how they relate to one another and to the unit's central theme.

A kindergarten teacher can best apply the concept of developmentally appropriate practice by making which of the following a priority? A. minimizing the amount of structure and routine in students' learning environment B. providing students with frequent opportunities to participate in cooperative learning activities C. focusing instruction on students' social skills rather than on their academic skills D. designing a learning environment that supports the essential role of play in students' learning

D. designing a learning environment that supports the essential role of play in students' learning [Correct Response: D. (Competency 0001) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of major concepts, principles, theories, and processes of human development as related to students from early childhood through the elementary years. Play is essential to young children's cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development. Through play, children expand their understanding of themselves and others, their knowledge of the physical world, and their ability to communicate with peers and adults. Rather than needing structured activities, they benefit most from substantial time to explore and play in a variety of ways. Therefore, of the responses provided, a kindergarten teacher can best apply the concept of developmentally appropriate practice by designing a learning environment ¡that supports the essential role of play in students' learning

Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A fifth-grade teacher uses the approach shown below when presenting new content to students through direct instruction. • Review related prior lessons. • Present new material. • Provide guided practice with feedback. • Assign independent practice. The teacher's approach to direct instruction is most likely to have which of the following outcomes for student learning? A. accelerating the pace at which students are able to achieve stated learning objectives B. promoting students' ability to apply previously learned content in new contexts C. enhancing students' ability to use a variety of learning strategies effectively D. helping students master fundamental content that is essential to subsequent learning

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0006) This question requires the examine to identify the characteristics, uses, benefits, and limitations of various instructional approaches, such as direct instruction, cooperative learning, inquiry, and class discussion. In the situation described, the teacher regularly implements a standard set of procedures that are commonly used to provide direct instruction. These procedures include introducing new content by relating it to relevant prior learning, presenting the new content, supporting students' acquisition of the new content through guided practice and teacher feedback, and finally having students engage in independent practice related to the new content. Research indicates that direct instruction is best used to teach basic or foundational knowledge and skills and that the procedures described facilitate student mastery of such foundational knowledge and skills. Therefore, of the response options provided, the teacher's approach is most likely to help students master fundamental content that is essential to subsequent learning.

An elementary teacher who wishes to create an inclusive learning environment should place the highest priority on addressing which of the following patterns observed in the classroom? A. Male and female students often choose to participate in different kinds of activities and games. B. Students often show impatience with a classmate who fails to comply with established class rules. C. Some students consistently learn more quickly and perform better on assignments than others in the class. D. Students tend to interact mainly with classmates from their own cultural or language background.

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0008) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies and procedures for creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment that encourages students' active engagement, risk taking, and collaboration in learning. An inclusive learning environment is characterized by supportive interactions, respect for diversity and individual differences, and active engagement in learning by all students. Of the patterns observed by the teacher, the one that would be most detrimental to the creation of an inclusive learning environment involves students interacting mainly with classmates from their own cultural or language background. This pattern suggests exclusionary behavior and possible lack of acceptance of peers due to background factors, and so addressing it should be a high priority for the teacher.

In an open house meeting with parents/guardians early in the school year, it would be most helpful and appropriate for an elementary teacher to include information about the: A. students' current reading and math levels. B. teacher's previous professional experience. C. demographics of the students in the class. D. e-mail or phone number for contacting the teacher.

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0009) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of strategies for developing partnerships with families to support student learning and for encouraging and facilitating the involvement of parents/guardians in their children's education. School open houses at the beginning of the school year can have many purposes. The most important purposes often include clarifying the teacher's key goals for student learning and development, enhancing family support for the educational program, giving parents/guardians a flavor of the types of activities in which their children will be engaged, and establishing procedures for facilitating continued school-home communication throughout the school year. Therefore, of the response options provided, it would be most helpful and appropriate for an elementary teacher to include in an open house meeting information about how parents/ guardians can communicate with the teacher using e-mail or telephone.

A second-grade teacher often discusses upcoming unit topics and planned lesson activities with the school's art and music teachers and considers ways to integrate fine arts and content-area instruction. Which of the following is likely to be the most important positive outcome of this approach? A. helping ensure consistency in the instructional approaches used across subject areas B. enhancing the overall quality of the school work environment C. minimizing the potential for redundancy in curriculum goals and objectives D. promoting a climate of professional collaboration and mutual support

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0009) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of effective methods for establishing and maintaining supportive, collaborative relationships with professional colleagues in given school contexts. As described in the question, the second-grade teacher often seeks out colleagues in the school who teach art and music and works collaboratively with them to identify strategies for enhancing teaching and learning by incorporating aspects of the arts into instruction. This action demonstrates the teacher's understanding of and respect for the potential contributions of the fine arts teachers to the educational mission of the school. In this way, one important outcome of the teacher's approach would most likely be to promote a climate within the school of professional collaboration and mutual support.

A second-grade teacher is sending a note to the parents/guardians of a usually well-behaved student who has cried and refused to comply with the teacher's requests three times in the last week. In composing this note, the teacher would be best advised to: A. provide a detailed description of each incident that has occurred and the teacher's actions in response. B. request information about any family issues that may be causing the observed problems in class. C. ask the parents/guardians to discuss the incidents with the student and then inform the teacher of the outcome. D. explain the situation briefly and invite the parents/guardians to meet to explore the problem and plan a solution.

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0009) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of the importance of school-home communication, factors that facilitate or impede communication, and methods of initiating and maintaining effective communication with all students' families. When young students exhibit abrupt and dramatic behavior changes, teachers should try to seek help from parents/guardians in figuring out why the changes have occurred and what might be done to remedy the situation. Such situations are generally best addressed through face-to-face interactions with parents/guardians since this can help avoid possible misunderstandings and help ensure that all relevant issues are adequately explored. In the situation described, the teacher's goal in sending a note home should be simply to alert the parents/guardians that there is a problem needing attention and suggest a meeting as soon as possible to talk about it. Therefore, of the response options provided, the teacher's best strategy would be to compose a note focusing on a brief explanation of the situation and an invitation to meet to explore the problem and potential solutions.

With regard to children's education, parents/guardians are required by law to: A. monitor the accuracy of their child's educational records. B. share relevant information about their child's health and development with appropriate school staff. C. participate in decisions related to their child's educational program. D. ensure that their child meets the state's minimum requirement for school attendance.

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0010) This question requires the examine to apply knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of students, teachers, and parents/guardians in various educational contexts. Every state has a compulsory school attendance law. Children's attendance at school, which can include public school, private school, and often homeschooling, is considered a responsibility of every parent and guardian of children in a particular age range, as defined by each state. Therefore, in regard to their children's education, parents/guardians are legally required to ensure that their child meets their state's minimum requirement for school attendance.

Which of the following activities would best help new elementary teachers expand their knowledge of instructional strategies and how to implement them effectively? A. creating a professional portfolio with evidence of their teaching successes B. reviewing relevant sections of high-quality pedagogy textbooks on an as-needed basis C. asking students for feedback on selected units, lessons, or instructional activities D. observing instruction in the classrooms of highly qualified and experienced colleagues

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0010) This question requires the examine to demonstrate knowledge of various types of professional organizations and professional development opportunities and resources, including research; action research; interactions with mentors, supervisors, and colleagues; and their use in enhancing professional knowledge, skills, and expertise. Teachers typically begin their career with a good deal of textbook knowledge about effective instruction but with limited experience in applying this knowledge in actual classroom settings. Research shows that new teachers are often helped when they have opportunities to learn by example by observing more experienced peers who can serve as models of effective practice. Therefore, of the response options provided, new teachers can best expand their knowledge of instructional strategies and how to implement them effectively by observing instruction in the classrooms of highly qualified and experienced colleagues.

Which of the following behaviors by an elementary teacher would be considered unethical? A. talking to the principal about the poor quality of a colleague's teaching without first talking to the colleague B. forming homogeneous groups based on student achievement for some reading and math activities C. using lesson plans found on educational Web sites without acknowledging or requesting permission from the authors D. discussing a student's home life and academic problems with other teachers in the faculty lounge

Correct Response: D. (Competency 0010) This question requires the examine to recognize teacher requirements in given situations, such as providing instruction to students with special needs, ensuring educational equity for all students, maintaining the confidentiality of student records, and seeking copyright permission for use of instructional resource materials. Teachers have a responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of their students' personal and academic information. They can best uphold this responsibility by ensuring that they communicate about confidential student information only to those colleagues who have a legitimate educational need to know. Therefore, it would be considered unethical for a teacher to discuss a student's home life and academic problems with other teachers in a faculty lounge, which is likely to include individuals who have no legitimate need to know the information.