TeXeS Special Ed 161 Practice questions

A student is taking a reading test in which several words have been replaced with blanks. Below each blank is a series of three possible answers. The student chooses the right answer from each set. The student is taking: a. A Cloze test, which is a type of Maze test. b. A Maze test, which is a type of Cloze test. c. A multiple-choice quiz. d. A vocabulary test incorporating a type of multiple-choice quiz.

B: A Maze test, which is a type of Cloze test. A Cloze test offers a text with key words blanked out and the student must determine the most likely words based upon context and his vocabulary. A Maze test offers a number of possible answers and the student must read very carefully in order to make the correct selection.

In the first week of school, a resource teacher asks her high school students to make lists of things they know how to do well. How is this activity most useful to the teacher? a. It establishes a feeling of success in her students from the start. b. It is an informal assessment of their writing skills and gives the teacher an idea of each student's interests and abilities. c. It is a formal assessment of prior knowledge. d. It invites further discussion of each student's unique contributions and will help the class bond with mutual respect.

B: It is an informal assessment of their writing and also gives the teacher an idea of each student's interests, abilities and skills. This assignment gives the teacher an idea of her students' writing abilities at the beginning of the year. She can return to this piece of writing during the school year to assess progress.

IDEA requires that students identified with learning disabilities or other special needs be educated in _________ learning environment appropriate for theirneeds. a. The safest b. The least restrictive c. The most appropriate d. The most desirable

B: Least restrictive. IDEA requires the least restrictive environment (LRE) appropriate to a child's needs is the proper learning environment so children are not unnecessarily isolated from non-disabled children. The student's IEP team is responsible for determining the LRE.

A special education teacher feels some of his strategies aren't effective. He asked a specialist to help him improve. The specialist suggests he: a. Begin a journal in which he considers strategies he has used. Which seemed to work? Which didn't, and why? b. Meet with the specialist to discuss the teacher's goals. c. Permit the specialist arrive unannounced for observation. This will prevent the teacher from unconsciously over-preparing. d. Set up a video camera and record several student sessions to review. They can effectively collaborate at that time.

B: Meet with the specialist to discuss the teacher's goals. It isn't possible to determine if strategies are effective or determine a future course unless the teacher has a firm grasp of his goals and expectations.

A child has been losing strength in her muscles over a period of time. The loss is very gradual, but the teacher is concerned and would like the child to see a doctor. The possible diagnosis is: a. Cerebral Palsy b. Muscular Dystrophy c. Muscular Sclerosis d. Spastic Muscular and Nerve Disorder

B: Muscular dystrophy. There are 20 types of muscular dystrophy, a genetically inherited disease that frequently first manifests in childhood. By contrast, muscular sclerosis almost never appears in childhood. Cerebral palsy is not a deteriorating disease, as is muscular dystrophy.

When transitioning from one subject to another and when she becomes anxious, a student always taps her front tooth 5 times then opens and closes her eyes 11 times before leaving her desk. The child most likely has: a. Repetitive Disorder b. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder c. Anxiety Disorder d. Depression

B: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Children and adults with OCD typically engage in a series of highly ritualized behaviors that are rigidly performed when they feel stressed. Behaviors include tapping, snapping fingers, blinking, counting and so forth.

Behavior problems in special education students are most effectively handled with: a. Zero tolerance. b. Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) c. Acceptance and tolerance d. Positive Behavioral Control (PBC)

B: Positive Behavior Support. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 is the recommended method of dealing with behavioral problems in children with disabilities.

The answer in the above word problem is: a. 8.75 hours b. 97.60 hours c. 8.25 hours d. none of the above

C: 8.25 hours. 3.5 hours+2.75 hours=6.25 hours+1.25 hours=7.5 hours +.75 hour=8.25 hours.

An ORF is: a. An Oral Reading Fluency assessment. b. An Occasional Reading Function assessment. c. An Oscar Reynolds Feinstein assessment. d. An Overt Reading Failure assessment.

A: An ORF is an Oral Reading Fluency assessment. An ORF, also called Curriculum-BasedMeasurement (CBM) is a one-minute assessment in which the student reads a grade-level text aloud. The test supervisor notes errors the reader doesn't self-correct and the number of words read correctly.

As defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Secondary Transition is a synchronized group of activities that are: a. Results-oriented and include post-school activities, vocational education, employment support and adult services and considers the individual's strengths, preferences and interests. b. Socially structured and consider the individual's strengths, preferences and interests and vocational requirements. c. Designed to support vocational training, results-oriented and have a strong social component. d. Selected by the parent(s) or guardian because the student cannot choose for himself.

A: Are results-oriented, includes post-school activities, vocational education, employment support, adult services and considers the individual's strengths, preferences and interests. Additional activities that compose Secondary Transition are instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives and, if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.

ADHD refers to: a. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder b. Anxiety/ Depression Hyperactivity Disorder c. Aggression-Depression Hyperactivity Disorder d. Atkinson, Draper and Hutchinson Disability

A: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Children with ADHD exhibit a myriad of symptoms including: disorganization, easily distracted and frustrated, defensive, immature, impulsive, often interrupts conversations and hyperactive behaviors.

A diabetic first grader is very pale, trembling and covered in a fine sweat. The teacher attempts to talk to the child, but the girl's response is confused and she seems highly irritable She is most likely experiencing: a. Diabetic hypoglycemia. b. Lack of sleep. c. Hunger. d. Diabetic hyperglycemia.

A: Diabetic hypoglycemia. Diabetic hypoglycemia, also known as insulin reaction, occurs when blood sugar falls to a very low level. It is important to treat it quickly or the diabetic could faint, in which case an injection of glucagon is administered.

The teacher knows there are several ways to arrive at the correct answer. She also knows if she explains them to the student, he will not only be able to understand where he made errors, but he might also see the relationships between various methods of solving applied math problems. The teacher should show the student how to: a. Estimate the answer; convert all of the numbers to minutes and divide the answer by 60 to determine the number of hours and minutes; determine the percentage of an hour 45 minutes is, and write that number as .75; create a graph. b. Estimate the answer; add the relevant numbers by removing the decimal points, then insert a decimal point in the answer; use a calculator to avoid problems in addition. c. Estimate the answer; remove all decimal points; add all of the numbers; divide by 60 using a calculator; make a graph; d. Estimate; create a graph; use a digital clock; add the relevant numbers together by removing the decimal points, then insert a decimal point in the answer.

A: Estimate the answer; convert all of the numbers to minutes and divide the answer by 60 to determine the number of hours and minutes; Determine the percentage of an hour 45 minutes is, and write that number as .75; create a graph.

A new high school student is being assessed. He reads a 500 word text. He misreads 35 words. At what level is he reading? a. Instructional level. b. Independent level. c. Unsatisfactory level. d. Merit level.

A: Instructional level. In one minute, a student who reads with 95-100% accuracy is at an independent reading level. A student who reads with 90-95% accuracy is at an Instructional level. A student who reads with less than 90%accuracy is at a frustration level.

Strategies to increase reading fluency for English Language Learners include: a. Tape-assisted reading. b. Reading aloud while students follow along in their books. c. Asking parents to read with the child each evening. d. A and B.

D: A and B. Any opportunity for an ELL to hear spoken English while simultaneously seeing it in print will help facilitate reading fluency.

The teacher in the above example wants to give the student something he can manipulate to arrive at the correct answer. The student should be given: a. Graph paper so he can properly align the numbers. b. A blank page to make a visual representation of the problem. c. A calculator. d. A digital clock that can be manually moved forward.

D: A digital clock that can be manually moved forward. This student's error is the result of two misunderstandings. The first is that 45 minutes is represented as 5 in the ones column and 4 in the tens column, but that 2.5 hours is represented with .5 in the tens column and 3 in the ones column. The second misunderstanding is the student includes the red herring 2.5 hours, which should not be in the equation. With a digital clock that can be manually moved forward, the student can begin at 0:00 and move the clock forward as he adds the numbers. The teacher can remind him 45 minutes is not 45 hours and it is irrelevant thefirst train returned to point B in 2.5 hours.

Word recognition is: a. One of the building blocks of learning. b. Useful only to fluent readers. c. Culturally based. d. Especially important to English Language Learners and students with reading disabilities.

D: Especially important to English Language Learners and students with reading disabilities. Word recognition isthe process of identifying a word's meaning and pronunciation. While it is important to all readers, it is essential to ELLs.

A teacher asks an English Language Learner to do a picture walk through a book and describe what he thinks the story is about. This helps the student's awareness of the story's __________. a. Deeper meaning b. Theme c. Context d. Events

D: Events. A picture walk invites a reader to prepare for the act of reading the text by previewing the illustrations in order to understand the events that will unfold in the story.

At what point should the teacher in the above example offer the children picture books and ask them to read to her? a. When the children are able to script initial sounds, end sounds and interior sounds. She should wait until this point to avoid frustration. b. After the teacher has read the picture books several times, the children can 'practice reading' to her, while learning to handle books, turn pages, and pay attention to context clues. c. After the children have learned the sight words. d. From the first day of school. Picture walks help young readers understand books are arranged sequentially. Pictures provide narrative coherence and contextual clues. Holding a book and turning pages also gives young readers a familiarity with them.

D: From the first day of school. Picture walks give young readers the idea books are arranged sequentially. Pictures provide narrative coherence and context clues. Holding a book and turning pages gives young readers a familiarity with them.

A high school student has been diagnosed with ODD. Some of the manifestations of the diagnosis are: a. Obsessive and compulsive activities such as hand washing, counting and ritualistic behaviors. b. He is self-occupied, depressed and disorganized. He keeps to himself, is considered odd by his classmates and could be suicidal. c. The student is overly occupied with others, defending them from imagined slights and determined they recognize his concern as real rather than psychotic. d. He goes out of his way to annoy others, is defiant and goes into childish rages in which he blames others.

D: He goes out of his way to annoy others, is defiant and goes into childish rages in which he blames others. This student has been diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, a psychiatric disorder characterized by noncompliance, tantrums, extremely irritating conduct, refusal to follow rules, argumentative behavior and blaming others.

A seventh grader with mild intellectual disabilities is having considerable trouble with algebra. His stepfather is trying to help, but the more he drills the boy, the less he seems to understand. The teacher suggests: a. He continues drilling and enhances with pop quizzes. It may take the student longer to understand algebraic terms, expressions and equations, but with hard work he will eventually learn them. b. He calls a moratorium on at-home algebra work. The student is becoming less willing to work at school and the teacher is concerned he is losing confidence due to failure at home. c. He continues drilling but breaks the study sessions into no more than 3 five-minute periods per day. d. He substitutes fun activities for math drills. Incorporating algebra blocks, math games, and applications of algebra to real-life situations will make math more fun and more relevant.

D: He substitutes more enjoyable algebra activities for math drills. Incorporating manipulatives such as algebra blocks, math games and applications of algebra to real-life situations, will make math both more fun and more relevant. When both parent and child are enjoying the work, they will accomplish morein a shorter period of time and the child will feel happy and successful, which encourages her to embrace further learning opportunities.

A resource teacher wants to design a lesson that will help first and second graders learn sight words so all the students can read their lists. She should teach them how to: a. Divide sight words into syllables. Considering one syllable at a time provides a sense of control and increases confidence. b. Recognize word families. Organizing similar words allows patterns to emerge. c. Sound out the words by vocalizing each letter. Using this approach, students will be able to sound out any sight word. d. Memorize their lists by using techniques such as songs, mnemonic devices and other fun activities. By definition, sight words cannot be decoded but must be recognized on sight.

D: Memorize their lists by using techniques such as songs, mnemonic devices and other fun activities. By definition, sight words cannot be decoded but must be recognized on sight.

A teacher working with students who have math disabilities has had success with a variety of multi-sensory techniques including: a. Estimating, converting fractions, multiplication families, graphic organizers. b. Graphic organizers, math textbooks, multi-step problems, converting fractions. c. Memorizing tables, drawing graphs, converting fractions, charting information. d. Power point presentations that include music, manipulatives, graphic organizers, clapping games.

D: Power point presentations that include music, manipulatives, graphic organizers and clapping games. Multi-sensory techniques include visual, audio, tactile and kinesthetic approaches to teaching.

A teacher is introducing a new subject to her special education student. She reminds the student what she knows about the subject, offers a graphic organizer with which she can organize her learning, teaches key vocabulary and models an activity the student will undertake in her study. The teacher is providing: a. Building Blocks. b. Strategic Framing. c. Multiple Learning Styles Techniques. d. Scaffolding.

D: Scaffolding is an umbrella teaching approach that offers a learner a multitude of supports and encourages her to reach out in many directions to enhance learning. Elements of scaffolding include prior knowledge, mnemonic devices, modeling, graphs, charts, graphic organizers and information the student will need prior to undertaking the lesson, such as vocabulary or mathematical formulas.

How can a teacher teach spelling effectively? a. Students who have an understanding of letter-sound association do not need to be taught to spell. If they can say a word, they can spell it. b. Students who have an understanding of letter-sound association and can identify syllables and recognize when the base word has a Latin, Greek or Indo-European ancestry don't need to be taught to spell. They can deduce what is most likely the correct spelling using a combination of these strategies. A teacher who posts charts organizing words into their ancestor families, phonemic units and word-sound families is efficiently teaching spelling. The rest is up to the student. c. Students who spell poorly will be at a disadvantage for the rest of their lives. It is essential students spend at least 15 minutes a day drilling spelling words until they know them forward and backward. The teacher should alternate between students individually writing a new word 25 times and the entire class chanting the words. d. Students should be taught writing is a process. By applying spelling patterns found in word families, the spelling of many words can be deduced.

D: Students should be taught that writing is a process.By applying spelling patterns found in word families, the spelling of many words can be deduced.

Which classroom environment is most likely to support a student with ADHD? a. Students with ADHD become bored easily so a classroom with distinct areas for a multitude of activities will stimulate her. When she loses interest in one area, she can move to the next and continue learning. b. Students with ADHD are highly aggressive and easily fall into depression. The teacher needs to provide a learning environment in which sharp objects such as scissors, tacks or sharpened pencils are eliminated. This ensures greater safety for both student and teacher. c. Students with ADHD are highly creative. A room with brightly colored mobiles, a multitude of visual and physical textures (such as striped rugs and fuzzy pillows) and plenty of art-based games will stimulate and encourage learning. d. Students with ADHD are extremely sensitive to distractions. A learning environment in which visual and audio distractions have been eliminated is best. Low lighting, few posters and a clean whiteboard help the student focus.

D: Students with ADHD are extremely sensitive to distractions. A learning environment in which visual and audio distractions have been eliminated is best. Low lighting, few posters and a clean whiteboard will help minimize distractions.

When working with English Language Learners, teachers should: a. Avoid idioms and slang; involve students in hands-on activities; reference students' prior knowledge; speak slowly. b. Speak slowly; use monosyllabic words when possible; repeat each sentence three times; use idioms but not slang. c. Use monosyllabic words when possible; repeat key instructions three times but not in a row; reference students' prior knowledge; have students keep a journal of new vocabulary words. d. Use both idioms and slang; reference students' prior knowledge; speak at a normal rate of speed; involve students in hands-on activities.

A: Avoid idioms and slang; involve students in hands-on activities; reference students' prior knowledge; speak slowly. Informal use of speech such as idioms and slang are likely to confuse ELLs. Involving students in hands-on activities such as group reading and language play makes the experience more meaningful and more immediate. New knowledge can only be absorbed by attaching it to prior knowledge so referencing what students already know is essential. Speaking slowly to English Language Learners is important since they are processing what is being said at a slower rate than a native speaker.

The four types of Bilingual Special Education Instructional Delivery Models include: a. Bilingual Support Model, Coordinated Services Model, Integrated Bilingual Special Education, Bilingual Special Education Model. b. Bilingual Instructional Education, Coordinating Instruction, Disintegrative Support, Bilingual Special Education Model. c. Integrated, Disintegrative, Bilingual Support, Corresponding Services. d. Special Instructional Education, Bilingual Instruction, Bilingual Delivery, Special Support Education.

A: Bilingual Support Model, Coordinated Services Model, Integrated Bilingual Special Education, Bilingual Special Education Model. The Bilingual Support Model teams bilingual paraprofessionals with English-speaking special educators to assist with the IEP implementation. The bilingual assistant gives instruction in areas specified in the IEP. In the Coordinated Services Model, the team consists of an English speaking special education teacher and a bilingual educator. The Integrated Bilingual Special Education model is applied in districts with bilingual special education teachers who can give instruction in the native language, English as Second Language (ESL) training and transition assistance as the student gains proficiency. The Bilingual Special Education Model integrates all school personnel who focus on bilingual special education instruction and services. All professionals have been trained in bilingual special education.

A special education teacher shows parents of a dyslexic child a study that examined brain scans of dyslexic and non-dyslexic readers. The study demonstrated that dyslexics use (the) __________ side(s) of their brains while non-dyslexics use (the) _______ side. a. Both, the left. b. Both, the right. c. Left, right. d. Right, left.

A: Both, the left. Research using MRIs show dyslexics use both sides of their brains for activities such as reading, while non-dyslexics use only the left side.

Explicit instruction includes: a. Clarifying the goal, modeling strategies and offering explanations geared to a student's level of understanding. b. Determining the goal, offering strategies and asking questions designed to ascertain if understanding has been reached. c. Reassessing the goal, developing strategies and determining if further reassessing of the goal is required. d. Objectifying the goal, assessing strategies and offering explanations geared to a student's level of understanding.

A: Clarifying the goal, modeling strategies and offering explanations geared to a student's level of understanding. Well-organized teaching that offers simple steps and frequent references to previously learned material defines explicit instruction.

Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) depends upon which two practices? a. Cooperative learning and reading comprehension. b. Reading and metacognition. c. Reading comprehension and metacognition. d. Cooperative learning and metacognition.

A: Cooperative learning and reading comprehension. CSR is group of four reading strategies that students with learning disabilities can use to decipher and understand texts. Small groups of studentsat various reading levels support one another by going through the strategies as they read aloud or silently. Before reading, the group previews, applying prior knowledge and prediction. Next readers target words or syllables they didn't understand calledclunksand apply a number of strategies to decode the clunks. Third, students get the gistby determining the most important character, setting, event or idea. Finally, the students wrap it upby creating questions to discuss their understanding of the text and summarize its meaning.

A resource teacher notices one of her students has made the same reading error numerous times the past few days. She decides the student wrongly believes that 'ou' is always pronounced as it is in the word through.She corrects this misunderstanding by showing the student word families containing words like though, ought, ground. This strategy is called: a. Corrective feedback b. Positive reinforcement c. Consistent repetition d. Corrective support

A: Corrective feedback. Corrective feedback is offered to a student in order to explain why a particular error is, in fact, an error. Corrective feedback is specific; it locates where and how the student went astray so that similar errors can be avoided in the future.

It is important to teach life skills to developmentally delayed students to prepare them for life after school. Which of the following skills sets should these students be taught? a. Count money, plan meals, grocery shop, recognize safety concerns. b. Count money, order delivery meals, dating skills, how to drive. c. How to drive, style and hygiene tips, social strategies, dating skills. d. Stock market investment, hairdressing, house painting, pet care.

A: Count money, plan meals, grocery shop, recognize safety concerns. These are among the most basic life skills developmentally delayed students must master. Other life skills include specific occupational skills, home maintenance, clothes selection and care, food preparation and personal hygiene.

By law, a child with a disability is defined as one with: a. Intellectual disabilities, hearing, speech, language, visual, orthopedic or other health impairments, emotional disturbance, autism, brain injury caused by trauma or specific learning disabilities and needs special education and related services. b. Intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance, autism, brain injury caused by trauma or specific learning disabilities who needs special education and related services. c. A child who is unable to reach the same academic goals as his peers, regardless of cause, and needs special education and related services. d. The term "disability" is no longer used. The correct term is "other ability".

A: Intellectual disabilities, hearing, speech, language, visual, orthopedic or other health impairments, emotional disturbance, autism, brain injury caused by trauma, or specific learning disabilities who needs special education and related services. Children with one or more of these conditions are legally entitled to services and programs designed to help them achieve at the highest level of their ability.

Research indicates oral language competency in emergent readers is essential because: a. It enhances students' phonemic awareness and increases vocabulary. b. The more verbally expressive emergent readers are, the more confident they become. These students will embrace both academic and independent reading levels. c. Strong oral language skills invite students to consider a plethora of ideas. The more they ask, the richer their background knowledge. d. It demonstrates to students their ideas are important and worth sharing.

A: It enhances students' phonemic awareness and increases vocabulary. Strength in oral language helps emergent readers because reading relies largely upon the ability to decode words with knowledge about what sounds the letters represent. A large vocabulary helps the reader recognize words whose sounds are properly decoded but whose meanings aren't familiar. Unfamiliar words slow reading fluency.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that addresses student rights regarding their records. Among the rights the law protects are the right to: a. Obtain requested records within 45 days; request amendment of inaccurate information or information that violates the student's privacy; be notified before personal information is shared with third parties; file a complaint with the U.S. Dept. of Education should the school fail to fulfill these requests. b. Obtain records within 45 days and make amendments at the request of parents only. c. Obtain records within 45 days and make amendments at the request of both parents and student. Neither parent(s) nor students can obtain or amend documents alone. d. Be notified of all requests for personal information by third parties.

A: Obtain requested records within 45 days; request amendment of inaccurate information or information that violates the student's privacy; be notified before personal information is shared with third parties; file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education should the school fail to fulfill these requests. FERPA is a federal law that addresses student rights regarding records.

Ella, a high school student with some mental challenges, is a verbal linguistic learner. This means she learns best using: a. Oral and written materials. b. Materials in both her native language and English. c. Songs combined with movements. d. All types of visual aids.

A: Oral and written materials. Verbal linguistic learners love language in all its forms. They often enjoy tongue twisters, mnemonic devices, poetry, word games and crossword puzzles.

Phonological awareness activities are: a. Oral b. Visual c. Both A and B. d. Semantically based.

A: Oral. Phonological awareness is the understanding of the sounds within a spoken word. While phonological awareness contributes to fluent reading skills, activities designed to develop an awareness of word-sounds are, by definition, oral.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is also known as: a. Pervasive Spectrum Disorder b. Asperger's Syndrome c. Variable Developmental Disorder d. Artistic Continuum Syndrome

A: Pervasive Spectrum Disorders (PSD) is another name for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). PSD causes disabilities in language, thought, emotion and empathy. The most severe form of PSD is autistic disorder. A much less severe form is Asperger's Syndrome.

A ninth grade special education teacher is giving students strategies for taking a Maze test. There will be several paragraphs in which some words have been blanked out. There are five possible answers for each blank. The best approach is to: a. Read all answers; mark out any that are illogical. 'Plug in' the remaining words and mark out those that are grammatically incorrect or do not sound right. Think about context clues. b. Read the first answer. If it is logical and sounds correct, select that word and move on to the next question. c. Cover the answers and try to guess what the correct word is. Look at the five choices. Select the one closest in meaning to the word guessed. d. Do the first and last questions then one in the middle. Look for a pattern and select the remaining words accordingly.

A: Read all answers; mark out any that are illogical. Next 'plug in' the remaining words and mark out those that are grammatically incorrect or do not sound right. Finally, think about context clues. Maze and Cloze tests are related. In a Cloze test, the reader uses context clues and familiar vocabulary to decide which words have been leftout of a text. A Maze test supplies a number of possible answers and the reader must select the correct one. Possible answers can be syntactically possible but illogical, syntactically impossible but make semantic sense and both illogical and grammatically impossible.

Rate, accuracy and prosody are elements of: a. Reading fluency b. Reading comprehension c. Math fluency d. Algebraic function

A: Reading fluency. Fluent readers are able to read smoothly and comfortably at a steady pace. The more quickly a child reads, the greater the chance of leaving out a word or substituting one word for another, i.e., wink instead of sink. Fluent readers are able to maintain accuracy without sacrificing rate. Fluent readers also stress important words in a text, group words into rhythmic phrases and read with intonation (prosody).

Emergent writers understand letters represent sounds, words begin with a sound that can be written as a letter and writing is a way one person captures an idea another person will read. Emergent writers pass through the following stages: a. Scripting the end-sound to a word (KT=cat); leaving space between words; writing from the top left to the top right and from top to bottom of the page. b. Scripting the end-sound to a word (KT=cat); writing from the top left to the top right and from top to bottom of the page; separating the words from one another with a space in between. c. Leaving space between the initial letters that represent words; writing from the top left to the top right and from top to bottom of the page; scripting the final sound of each word and the initial sound (KT=cat). d. Drawing a picture beside each of the initial sounds to represent the entire word; scripting the end-sound to a word (KT=cat); scripting the interior sounds that compose the entire word(KAT=cat).

A: Scripting the end-sound to a word KT=cat; leaving space between words; writing from the top left to the top right and from top to bottom of the page. Each of these steps is progressively more abstract. Scripting the end-sound to a word helps a young writer recognize words have beginnings and endings. This naturally leads to the willingness to separate words with white space so they stand as individual entities. Once this step is reached, the child realizes English, writing progresses from left to right and from the top of the page to the bottom.

What steps are taken to identify specific skill deficits in math? a. Standardized assessment tests, examining areas of weakness in student work to determine patterns, teacher observations, interviews with student. b. Standardized assessment tests, examining areas of weakness in student work to determine patterns, teacher observations, interviews with parent(s). c. Teacher observations coupled with examining areas of weakness in student work are sufficient. d. None of the above.

A: Standardized assessment tests, examining areas of weakness in student work to determine patterns, teacher observations and interviews with the student. At this point the teacher is well-prepared to plan instruction.

An eighth grade student is able to decode many words and has a borderline/acceptable vocabulary, but his reading comprehension is quite low. He can be helped with intervention offering: a. Strategies to increase comprehension and develop vocabulary. b. Strategies to increase comprehension and learn to identify syntax. c. Strategies to improve understanding of both content and context. d. Strategies to develop vocabulary and improve understanding of both content and context.

A: Strategies to increase comprehension and to build vocabulary. He should receive instruction focused on just the areas in which he is exhibiting difficulty. Improved vocabulary will give him greater comprehension skills. Strategies focused on enhancing comprehension together with a stronger vocabulary will provide the greatest help.

The ADA is: a. The Americans with Disabilities Act. b. The Anti-Discrimination Act. c. The American Diabetes Association. d. The Alternatives to Discrimination Act.

A: The Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA is a federal act prohibiting discrimination based on disability in the areas of employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation and telecommunications.

Tourette syndrome is characterized by: a. Facial twitches, grunts, inappropriate words and body spasms. b. Inappropriate words, aggressive behavior and tearful episodes. c. Facial twitches, grunts, extreme shyness and refusal to make eye contact. d. Refusal to make eye contact, rocking, spinning of objects and ritualized behavior.

A: Twitches, grunts, inappropriate words, body spasms. Children and adults with Tourette syndrome are rarely aggressive nor are they reluctant to make eye contact or otherwise engage others. Tourette syndrome is characterized by explosive sounds, sometimes in the form of inappropriate words, more often just as meaningless syllables; muscular twitches of the face or elsewhere in the body and the complete inability to control these spasms. Tourette sufferers often also suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

A high school student is not a strong reader. She loses her place often and misreads key words. She doesn't try to correct her errors, even when they make no sense. She can give only a rudimentary summary of what she read. Which type of instructional focus would be most beneficial? a. Well-organized coaching in decoding, sight words, vocabulary and comprehension several times a week. The more systematic the lessons, the better the chance the intervention will succeed. b. Weekly instruction on one area of reading; more, and the student will become overwhelmed and likely shut down. c. Instruction aimed at helping her become self-motivated and disciplined in her approach to learning. d. Strategies to help her understand the general meaning so that she can gather context clues.

A: Well-organized coaching in decoding, sight words, vocabulary and comprehension several times a week. The more systematic the lessons, the better the chance the intervention will succeed.

A special education teacher has done intervention with an eighth grade student with a reading disability. The student can now successfully use tactics to understand the meanings of unfamiliar words, knows words such as crucial, criticism and witness have multiple meanings and considers what she already knows to figure out a word's meaning. These features of effective reading belong to which category? a. Word recognition b. Vocabulary c. Content d. Comprehension

A: Word recognition. Elements of word recognition include strategies to decode unfamiliar words, considering alternate word meanings to decode a text and the ability to apply prior knowledge to determine a word's meaning.

A Kindergarten teacher is showing students the written alphabet. The teacher pronounces a phoneme and one student points to it on the alphabet chart. The teacher is presenting: a. Letter-sound correspondence b. Rote memorization c. Predictive Analysis d. Segmentation

A:Letter-sound correspondence. Letter-sound correspondence is the relationship between a spoken sound and the letters predictably used in English to transcribe them.

A resource room teacher has a small group of second and third graders who are struggling with reading comprehension. A useful strategy would be to: a. Present a list of vocabulary before students read a particular text. b. Ask students to create a play about the story. c. Read a story aloud. Ask students to raise their hands when they hear an unfamiliar word. d. Have each child keep a book of new vocabulary words. Whenever an unfamiliar word is seen or heard the student should enter the word in her personal dictionary.

B: Ask students to create a play about the story as the teacher reads aloud. This activity grounds the students in thestory action as it is occurring. Acting it out insures understanding; otherwise, the students will most likely stop the teacher and ask for clarification. Furthermore, by acting it out, students are incorporating understanding physically. They will be more likely to retain the story and be able to comprehend the meanings incorporated in it.

A resource teacher can facilitate the greatest achievement in emergent writers who are scripting initial and final sounds by: a. Suggesting they write a book to build confidence, teach sequencing, and encourage them to deeply explore ideas. b. Asking they read their stories to other students. c. Inviting a reporter to write about her emergent writers. d. Inviting parents or guardians for a tea party at which the children will read their stories aloud.

B: Asking they read their stories to other students. Emergent writers scripting initial and final sounds will gain the most immediate and relevant satisfaction by moving around the room, reading what they've written to other students.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, forearm crutches and a head pointer are assistive devices that might be used by a student with: a. Severe intellectual disabilities. b. Cerebral palsy. c. Tourette syndrome. d. Minor skeletal birth defects.

B: Cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term that groups neurological childhood disorders that affect muscular control. It does not worsen over time and the cause is located in damaged areas of the brain that control muscle movement. Depending upon the severity of the disorder, a child with cerebral palsy might benefit from an AAC device to help in speaking, forearm crutches to assist in walking or a head pointer for a child whose best motor control is his head.

Explain the philosophy of inclusion. a. All children should be included in decisions affecting their education. b. Children with special needs are as much a part of the educational community as any other child and necessary services that allow these students to participate in the learning community should be provided. c. Parents are part of a child's learning community and should be included in academic decisions. d. All teachers and support persons, including Para pros, translators and other assistants, should be allowed to participate in academic decisions.

B: Children with special needs are as much a part of the educational community as any other child and necessary services that allow these students to participate in the learning community should be provided.

The development of an IEP is a(n) _____________ process. a. Indirect. b. Collaborative. c. Mathematical. d. Single.

B: Collaborative. The creation of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) involves classroom and special education teachers, family members, the student (if appropriate) and other interested parties who collaborate in the student's best interests.

When a diabetic student goes into insulin shock, she should: a. Call her parents to come get her. b. Drink a soda or eat some hard candy. c. Drink a high-protein shake. d. Put her head on the desk and wait for the episode to pass.

B: Drink a soda or eat some hard candy. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that prevents proper processing of food, resulting in a lack of enough insulin for the blood to transport sugar. Insulin shock, also known as hypoglycemia, is typically brought on by a diabetic's failure to take insulin or to eat often enough. It is a serious condition that must be dealt withimmediately.

At the beginning of the week, a special education teacher asked a group of students to generate a list of verbs that make visual or sound pictures. She suggests students think of verbs that mean ways of walking, talking, eating, sitting and playing. The students spend the remainder of the week compiling the list. They notice interesting verbs as they read books, remark on less common verbs they hear in conversation or on television and locate interesting verbs in signs, magazines and other printed materials. One child begins to draw pictures to illustrate some of the verbs. Two children collaborate to create a play in which they demonstrate some of the verbs in a dance. A boy writes a song incorporating the list of verbs. The project is extremely successful. At the end of the week the students have created the following list: TIPTOE, SCOOT, MUMBLE, MUNCH, LEAP, SPIN, DIVE, POUNCE, GLIDE, SLITHER, MOAN, WHISPER, GRUMBLE, NIBBLE, SHRILL, HOLLER, PERCH, LEAN, STOMP, MARCH, GIGGLE, HOP, STRUT, SLOUCH, GULP, HOWL, WHINE, SLURP, CROUCH, DRIBBLE, DROOL, HOOT, YELP, YOWL, GROWL, WHISTLE, SHRIEK, SNICKER, INSULT, COMPLIMENT, PLEAD, BARK, WIGGLE, TWIST, SLINK, TODDLE, TRUDGE, WANDER, STROLL. The teacher's goal is to: a. Enhance students' understanding of theme by encouraging them to make connections between categories of verbs. b. Enhance students' vocabulary by encouraging them to find examples in the world around them. c. Enhance students' understanding of context by encouraging them to explore verbs for contextual clues. d. Enhance students' sense of curiosity by directing their attention to a number of different resources they may not have considered.

B: Enhance students' vocabulary by encouraging them to find examples in the world around them. Often children have richer vocabularies than they realize. This project simultaneously encourages students to remember words they already know and to learn other words with similar meanings.

Before being assigned to a special education classroom, a student must: a. Agree to the reassignment. b. Have an Individualized Education Plan developed. c. Have an Independent Education Policy developed. d. Be seen by an educational psychologist to confirm her diagnosis.

B: Have an Individualized Education Plan written for her. An IEP is a requirement of law. The plan, written by a team of individuals including her classroom teacher, the special education teacher, her parent s, the studentif appropriate and other interested individuals, establishes objectives and goals and offers a time-line in which to reach them.

A teacher has shown a mentally challenged student a website that integrates music and video clips with a variety of educational games about a topic the student has shown interest in. The student is initially intimidated and fears interacting with the program might result in her breaking the computer. The teacher reassures her she cannot harm the machine and shows the girl how to manipulate the mouse and keyboard. The teacher reminds the student what she already knowsabout the subject. As the student becomes more comfortable with the mouse, she focuses on the images and sounds, at times responding to the program conversationally, telling it what she knows about dinosaurs. The teacher is using the computer along with which teaching strategy? a. Modular instruction. b. Scaffolding. c. Linking. d. Transmutation.

B: Scaffolding. Scaffolding is an umbrella teaching approach which offers a multitude of supports. Scaffolding includes prior knowledge, mnemonic devices, modeling, graphs, charts, graphic organizers and information needed prior to starting the lesson such as vocabulary or mathematical formulas.

A middle school Language Arts teacher begins each class with 10 minutes of journal writing. Students are free to write about whatever they choose. She reminds them this is the perfect place to react to something they've read, write about a problem and try to think of solutions, track a project they've undertaken and otherwise interact honestly with themselves. The teacher should periodically: a. Collect the journals and select an entry to edit; this will show the student how his writing can improve. b. Suggest new and innovative ways students can use their journals, including automatic writing, found poetry, lists, and collages. c. Collect and review the journals to identify students at risk for drugs, alcohol or sexual abuse. d. Say nothing about the journals during the school year. They are intensely private and discussing them in any way with the students violates trust.

B: Suggest new and innovative ways students can use their journals including automatic writing, found poetry, lists and collages. While journals are intensely personal and should never be read without the student's permission, teachers can certainly inspire students to use the journals to explore their ideas in innovative ways.

A special education teacher has a child who doesn't understand the relationship between ones, tens and hundreds. He is a Bodily Kinesthetic learner. The teacher should: a. Draw a colorful chart and put the numbers in the appropriate columns. b. Teach him how an abacus works. c. Create a song and dance about the numbers families. d. Show him the relationship using Monopoly money.

B: Teach him how an abacus works. An abacus gives both a visual/tactile demonstration of how numbers work and allows a child who processes information through hand/body movement to physically experience numerical relationships.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that members of an IEP team include: a. All teachers involved with the student, the parent(s) or guardian and the student (if appropriate). b. The classroom teacher, a special education teacher, the parent(s) or guardian, a representative of the local education agency knowledgeable about specialized instruction, someone to interpret instructional implications, the student (if appropriate) and other people invited by the parents or the school. c. The classroom teacher, a special education teacher, the principal or AP and the parent(s) or guardian. d. All teachers involved with the student, the principal or AP, the parent(s) or guardian and the student (if appropriate).

B: The classroom teacher, a special education teacher, parents or guardian, a representative of the local education agency knowledgeable about specialized instruction, someone to interpret instructional implications, the student if appropriate and other people invited by the parents or the school. IDEA defines the IEP team as a group of people responsible for developing, reviewing and revising the Individualized Education Program for a disabled student.

A high school student struggles with applied math problems. He is given the following word math problem. He selects a. 55 hours. A train travelled from point A to point B in 3.5 hours. The same train travelled from point B to point C in 2.75 hours. Another train left point C 1.25 hours after the first train arrived at point C. This train travelled to point D in 45 minutes. The first train returns to point B in only 2.5 hours. How long did it take to travel from point A to point D? a. 55 hours b. 97.60 hours c. 8.25 hours d. 19.75 hours The student most likely: a. Knows he lacks the skills to solve word problems. He arbitrarily selected the first answer without attempting to solve the problem. b. Tried to solve the problem. He aligned all the numbers as they appeared so that 45 minutes were added with 5 in the ones column and 4 in the tens column. He also added 2.5 hours, which isn't required to solve the problem. c. Tried to solve the problem by estimating and chose the most likely answer. d. Selected the correct answer.

B: Tried to solve the problem. He aligned all the numbers as they appeared so that 45 minutes were added with 5 in the ones column and 4 in the tens column. He also added 2.5 hours, which isn't required to solve the problem.

Identifying specific skills deficient in special education math students is important so the teacher can decide how to remediate. Problems can include an inability to recall math facts, understand mathematical operations and formulas and how rules are used in solving problems or focusing on attention to details. Such students might be: a. Able to solve math problems when they haven't been taught an operation required to do so. b. Unable to locate errors in their own work. c. Able to solve math problems in another language. d. Unable to count higher than 100.

B: Unable to locate errors in their own work. This is the only logical answer. Answers a, c and d do not make sense in context.

A Cloze test evaluates a student's: a. Reading fluency b. Understanding of context and vocabulary c. Phonemic skills d. Ability to apply the Alphabetic Principle to previously unknown material.

B: Understanding of context and vocabulary. A Cloze test presents a reader with a text in which certain words are blocked out. The reader must determine probable missing words based on context clues. In order to supply these words, the reader must already know them.

Reading comprehension should be evaluated: a. Every two months using various informal assessments. Done more than twice a year, assessments place undue stress on both student and teacher and do not indicate enough change to be worth it. b. With a combination of informal and formal assessments including: standardized testing, awareness of grades, systematically charted data over a period of time and teacher notes. c. With bi-weekly self-assessment rubrics to keep the student aware of his progress. d. By testing the student before reading a particular text to determine which vocabulary words he already knows and can correctly use.

B: With a combination of informal and formal assessments including standardized testing, awareness of grades, systematically charted data over a period of time and teacher notes. Comprehension and vocabulary cannot be sufficiently assessed with occasional, brief studies. Continuous observation, high-stakes and standardized testing, attention to grades and closely tracking the outcomes of objective-linked assessments are interrelated tools that, when systematically organized, offer a solid understanding of students' strengths and weaknesses.

A resource room teacher has a middle school student recently diagnosed with depression. The student has been put on an antidepressant. The teacher knows the student may develop certain transitory reactions to the medication. One reaction might be: a. Extreme sleepiness. b. Increased, persistent thirst. c. Anxiety, coupled with an urge to verbalize a continuous inner dialogue. d. Inappropriate anger.

B:Extreme, persistent thirst. Although there are a number of antidepressants available, most of them share the side effect of a dry, cottony mouth that lasts for a few weeks at the beginning. The student is likely to ask for water frequently because this type of thirst isn't easily quenched. The teacher and the student should understand this side effect will ease and disappear with time.

Response to Intervention (RTI) is: a. Parents, classroom teacher, special education teacher and other caring persons stage an intervention to express how a student's socially unacceptable behavior upsets them. b. An opportunity for a student to openly and freely respond to specific interventions without fear of reprimand. c. A strategy for diagnosing learning disabilities in which a student receives research-supported interventions to correct an academic delay. If the interventions do not result in considerable improvement, the failure to respond suggests causal learning disabilities. d. A formal complaint lodged by a parent or guardian in response to what they consider an intrusion by a teacher into private matters.

C: A strategy for diagnosing learning disabilities in which a student with an academic delay receives research-supported interventions to correct the delay. If the interventions do not result in considerable academic improvement, the failure to respond suggests causal learning disabilities.

According to the Assistive Technology Act, assistive devices are: a. Electronic devices that support learning such as computers, calculators, student responders, electronic self-teaching books and electronic reading devices. b. Any mechanical, electrical or electronic device that helps teachers streamline efficiency. c. Any device that could help a disabled student in school or life functions. d. Experimental, high-tech teaching tools that teachers can obtain by participating in one of 67 government funded research projects.

C: Any device that could help a disabled student in education or life functioning. The Assistive Technology Act of 1998 is the primary legislation regarding assistive technology for disabled students and adults. The act funds 56 state programs concerned with the assistive technology needs of individuals with disabilities. Assistive devices include wheelchairs, hearing aids, glare-reduction screens, Braille devices, voice-recognition software, screen magnifiers and a wealth of other tools.

How could a teacher effectively use a picture book of folk tales from an English Language Learner's country of origin? a. Share the book with other students to educate them about the ELL's culture. b. Ask the ELL to rewrite the folk tale, modernizing it and using the United States as the setting. c. Ask the student to tell one folk tale in her native language. The teacher writes key English words and asks the child to find them in the book. When the child finds the words, they read them together. d. None of the above. It's best to encourage the student to forget about her first country as quickly as possible to help her acclimate. Folktales from her country will only make her homesick.

C: Asking the student to tell her one folk tale from the book in her native language. The teacher writes key English words and asks the child to find those words in the book. When the child finds the words, they read them together. The teacher might also suggest the child write the new English words in a notebook and extend the lesson by having thechild write sentences using the words.

A teacher suspects one of her kindergarteners has a learning disability in math. Why would the teacher suggest intervention to the child's concerned parents rather than assessment as the first step? a. She wouldn't; assessment should precede intervention. b. She wouldn't; kindergarteners develop new skills at radically different rates. Suggesting either intervention or assessment at this point is premature. The teacher would more likely observe the child over a three month period to note her development before including the parents about her concern. c. Assessing a young child for learning disabilities often leads to an incorrect conclusion because a student must be taught the subject before it's possible to assess her understanding of it. Intervention teaches the child specific skills to correct her misconceptions. If the intervention fails, assessment is the next step. d. Assessment at this stage is unnecessary and wastes time and money. Since an assessment that resulted in a diagnosis of a learning disability would recommend intervention to correct it, it is more efficient to proceed directly to intervention.

C: Assessing a young child for learning disabilities often leads to an incorrect conclusion because a student must be taught the subject before it is possible to assess her understanding of it. Intervention teaches the child specific skills to correct her misconceptions. If the intervention fails, assessment is the next step. Many experts recommend such assessment should not be undertaken until a child is at least six years of age.

A kindergarten teacher has a new student who will not make eye contact with anyone so she doesn't appear to be listening. She often rocks back and forth and does not stop when asked or give any indication she has heard. She avoids physical contact. Sometimes the teacher must take her arm to guide her from one place to another. Occasionally the student erupts, howling in terror and fury. The most likely diagnosis is: a. Asperger's Syndrome b. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder c. Autism d. Antisocial Psychosis

C: Autism. Autistic children are typically very withdrawn, avoid eye contact and are not responsive to verbal or physical attempts to connect. Some autistic children fall into repetitive behaviors that are very difficult to arrest or prevent. These behaviors include rocking, spinning and handshaking.

Lead teaching, learning centers / learning stations, resource services, team teaching and consultation are all used in: a. Innovative teaching b. Strategic teaching c. Collaborative teaching d. Self-contained classrooms

C: Collaborative teaching. Classrooms with a lead teacher often include a specialized teacher to listen to the lesson then work with special needs children. Other methods are: learning centers or stations in which collaborating teachers are responsible for different areas, assigning special needs students into a resource room, team teaching and/or consultation by the special education teacher to the classroom teacher.

A special education teacher gives a struggling reader a story with key words missing: The children were hungry. They went into the ______. They found bread, peanut ______ and jelly in the cupboard. They made __________. They __ _ the sandwiches. Then they were not _______ anymore.The student is able to complete the sentences by paying attention to: a. Syntax. Word order can provide enough hints that a reader can predict what happens next. b. Pretext. By previewing the story, the student can determine the missing words. c. Context. By considering other words in the story, the student can deduce the missing words. d. Sequencing. By ordering the ideas, the student can determine the missing words.

C: Context. By considering the other words in the story, the student can deduce the missing words. Referring to other words when a reader encounters an unfamiliar or missing word, can often unlock meaning.

Assessing silent reading fluency can best be accomplished by: a. Having the student summarize the material to determine how much was understood. b. Giving a written test which covers plot, theme, character development, sequence of events, rising action, climax, falling action and outcome. A student must test at a 95% accuracy rate to be considered fluent at silent reading. c. Giving a three minute Test of Silent Contextual Reading Fluency four times a year. d. Silent reading fluency cannot be assessed. It is a private act between the reader and the text and does not invite critique.

C: Giving a three minute Test of Silent Contextual Reading Fluency four times a year. This test presents a student with a string of text in which no spaces between words appear; punctuation is also removed. The student must divide one word from another by marking where division should occur. When presented with a strand such as: Thesmalldogherdedthefluffysheepintothebarn would ideally be sectioned as The/small/dog/herded/the/fluffy/sheep/into/the/barn. The more words a student accurately separates, the higher the silent reading fluency score.

A student with Asperger's Syndrome is most likely to display which set of behaviors? a. He is confrontational, argumentative and inflexible. b. He is fearful, shy and highly anxious. c. He is socially distant, focused on certain subjects to the point of obsession and inflexible. d. He is flighty, tearful and exhibits repetitive, ritualized behavior.

C: He is socially distant, focused on certain subjects to the point of obsession and inflexible. Asperger Syndrome is a mild form of autism. Children with this disorder typically do interact with teachers, other adults and sometimes other children; however, the interaction is rather remote and without emotional expression. They are also very focused on subjects of great interest to the abandonment of all others. When asked to redirect focus, Asperger children often become emphatically obstinate, refusing to shift focus.

A third grade boy is new to the school. His teacher has noticed he happily plays with other children, redirects his attention without upset when another child rejects his offer to play and doesn't mind playing on his own. However, the boy doesn't pay attention when academic instruction is given. He continues to speak with other children, draws, or distracts himself. The teacher reminds him repeatedly to listen and follow instruction. When he does not, she moves him to a quiet desk away from the others. When isolated, the boy puts his head on the desk and weeps uncontrollably, or stares at a fixed spot and repeats to himself, "I hate myself, I hate myself. I should be dead." During these episodes, the teacher cannot break through to the student; his disconnection seems complete. The teacher has requested a conference with his parents, but they do not speak English and have not responded to her offer of a translator. The teacher should: a. Establish a consistent set of expectations for the child. He needs to understand there are appropriate times for play and for learning. b. Isolate the boy first thing. His behavior suggests manipulation. By third grade children fully understand they are expected to pay attention when the teacher is speaking. The boy is punishing the teacher with tears and repetitive self-hate, consciously or unconsciously attempting to make the teacher feel guilty. c. Immediately refer him to the counselor. The boy is exhibiting serious emotional distress suggesting abuse or neglect at home or outside of school. d. Recognize the child's highly sensitive nature; offer comfort when he acts out self-loathing. Carefully explain why he must learn to pay attention so he will use reason instead of emotion when making future choices.

C: Immediately refer him to the counselor. The boy is exhibiting serious emotional distress suggesting either abuse or neglect at home or elsewhere. While his behavior may seem manipulative, the fact that the boy is unreachable once he's in the highly charged emotional state in which he repeats, "I hate myself" suggests emotional trauma. The fact the child is socialized with peers, playing with them when invited and not taking rejection personally, suggests his emotional distress may be caused by an adult who has convinced him he is unworthy. A trained counselor is the best choice.

A second grader finds it impossible to remain in her seat. She wanders around the room, sprawls on the floor and rolls back and forth when asked to do math problems and jumps up and down when waiting in line. When the teacher tells her to sit down, she rolls her eyes in apparent disgust and looks to other students for support. When she finds a student looking back, she laughs and makes a face. The teacher has noticed when a reward is attached to good behavior; the girl is consistently able to control her actions for long periods of time. But when reprimanded without the promise of a reward, she becomes angry, tearful and pouts. This child is most likely manifesting: a. Tourette's Syndrome b. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder c. Lack of sufficiently developed behavior and social skills d. Psychosis

C: Lack of sufficiently developed behavior and social skills. The child may or may not be hyperactive, but the fact that she can control her behavior for extended periods if a reward is involved suggests the child is overly indulged outside of class. In addition, she appears to act out in an effort to seek peer admiration; this excludes the possibility of Tourette syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In the first case, she would be unlikely to seek approval. In the second, she would be unlikely to be able to control herself under certain circumstances. There is nothing in her behavior to suggest psychosis.

A classroom teacher has a student with learning disabilities that affect her ability to do math. The teacher consults with the special education teacher and decides she will modify the work the child is given by reducing the number of problems, let her have extra time to finish, and provide her with a multiplication chart. The teacher is: a. Giving the student an unfair advantage. Letting her have extra time should be sufficient. b. Giving the student an unfair advantage. Providing a multiplication chart should be sufficient. With that, she should get her work done on time. c. Making appropriate modifications. Each child is different. In this case, she consulted with the special education teacher and concluded the child needs multiple supports. d. Modifying the student's work because it makes it easier on the teacher. There is less to explain and less to grade.

C: Making appropriate modifications. Each child is different. In this case, she has consulted with the special education teacher and concluded the child needs multiple supports.

When asked a question, the new student answers with as few words as possible. He prefers to draw airplanes over and over again rather than play with the other children. The classroom teacher isn't sure how to help the child. The special education teacher suggests the teacher: a. Leave the child alone. He is likely adjusting to the new situation and will come out of his shell soon enough. b. Remind other children in the class to include the new student. c. Observe the child over the course of a week or two. Draw him into conversation to determine if vocabulary is limited. Note how the child interacts with others in the class. Does he initiate conversation? If another child initiates, does he respond? d. Refer him to the school counselor immediately. It is likely the child is suffering from serious problems at home.

C: Observe the child over the course of a week or two. Draw him into conversation to determine if vocabulary is limited. Note how the child interacts with others in the class. Does he initiate conversation? If another child initiates, does he respond? Once the teacher has observed, she is in a better position to offer information to the special education teacher or counselor and to determine her best course of action.

A middle school student is preparing to transition from a self-contained special education classroom to a general education classroom. This transition should be made: a. With proper preparation. A student this age needs to acclimate socially and can best do so with the same group of students in every class. b. At the beginning of the next school year so the student doesn't have a stigma when joining the new group. c. One class at a time with the special education teacher supervising academic and social progress. d. By transitioning into classes he is most interested in because he is most likely to succeed with subjects he cares about. The confidence he gains from academic success will support him as he transitions into classes he's less interested in.

C: One class at a time, with the special education teacher supervising his academic and social progress. It is important to make this transition slowly, to permit the special education teacher to remain in the student's life as both academic and emotional support and the student to adjust to her larger classes and studentsshe doesn't know as well.

The four required activities described by the Assistive Technology Act (AT ACT) of 1998 are a public awareness program, coordinating activities among state agencies, technical assistance and training and: a. Specialized training for special education teachers and support. b. Outreach to underrepresented religious groups, ethnicities and urban populations. c. Outreach to underrepresented and rural populations. d. New technologies training on a quarterly basis for special education teachers and support.

C: Outreach to underrepresented and rural populations. The four required activities of the AT ACT of 1998 are: a public awareness program, coordinate activities among state agencies, technical assistance and training and outreach to underrepresented and rural populations.

Binh, a high school senior, is concerned his school records might contain inaccurate information. He has requested them. By law, the school must: a. Obtain permission from his parents first. b. Provide the records within 7 days. c. Provide the records within 45 days. d. The school can refuse; by law, they own the records and may share them as they see fit, regardless of requests.

C: Provide the records within 45 days. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that addresses student rights regarding their records. Among FERPA regulations is the requirement that a student be given records within 45 days of making the request.

At the beginning of each month, a student reads a page or two from a book he hasn't seen before. The resource teacher notes the total number of words in the section and the number of times the student leaves out or misreads a word. If the student reads with more than a 10% error rate, he is: a. Reading with full comprehension. b. Probably bored and his attention is wandering. c. Reading at a frustration level. d. Missing contextual clues.

C: Reading at a Frustration reading level. At a Frustration reading level, a student is unable to unlock meaning from a text regardless of teacher support or strategies. The reader is at this level when he has less than 90% accuracy in word recognition and less than 50% in comprehension, retelling a story is illogical or incomplete and the student cannot accurately answer questions about the text.

Language load is: a. The weight of books in a child's backpack or the damage to the child's body the weight may cause in the future. b. The vocabulary a child has upon entering a new classroom. c. The number of unrecognizable words an English Language Learner encounters when reading a passage or listening to a teacher. d. The number of languages a person has mastered.

C: The number of unrecognizable words an English Language Learner encounters when reading or listening. Language load is one of the barriers ELLs face. Rephrasing, dividing complex sentences into smaller units and teaching essential vocabulary before the student begins reading areall strategies which can lighten the load.

Dr. Gee reads the following sentence to a group of 5th graders: "The turquoise sky is reflected in the still lake. Fat white clouds floated on the lake's surface as though the water was really another sky. It was such a beautiful day. The students were to write the word "beautiful" in the blank. One student wrote 'pretty' instead. This suggests: a. The student doesn't know the meaning of the word 'beautiful'. b. The student is highly creative and believes he can substitute a word with a similar meaning. c. The student did not know how to spell 'beautiful'. d. The student did not hear what the teacher said. He heard 'pretty' instead of 'beautiful.'

C: The student did not know how to spell 'beautiful'. It is doubtful the student heard "pretty" instead of beautiful since the two sound nothing alike. It is equally unlikely he doesn't know the meaning of the word 'beautiful' since his substitution, 'pretty', is a synonym for beautiful. It is likely this child is creative, but that alone wouldn't be sufficient reason to replace one word with another. The most logical answer is that he simply didn't know how to spell 'beautiful'. He does know that some words mean almost the same thing, and since he already knew how to spell 'pretty', he incorrectly believed a synonym would be acceptable.

Jacob, a high school student, destroyed his motorcycle in an accident on a rainy night. He did not appear to be seriously injured. A previously excellent student, after the accident he became extremely moody and defiant. His school work became spotty. While on occasion he does quite well, more often he fails to turn in homework or doesn't write down the assignment. These behaviors are often found in: a. All teenagers and should not be cause for alarm. b. Emotionally troubled teens; sometimes these teens 'act out' by putting themselves in danger, such as riding a motorcycle in bad weather. c. Traumatic brain injury. d. Students learning they are responsible for their own actions. Jacob is most likely angry his motorcycle was destroyed and is expressing his reluctance to take responsibility by behaving like a child.

C: Traumatic brain injury. Although Jacob appears to have escaped unhurt, his dramatic change in classroom behavior suggests he may be suffering from TBI. Other symptoms of TBI are: hyperactivity, impulsivity, memory and communication problems, sexually uninhibited, improper language, failure to recognize social cues, inability to focus, and physical problems such as balance.

A teacher has a student with dyscalculia who has trouble organizing addition and subtraction problems on paper. She can best help him by: a. Encouraging memorization of number families. Committing them to memory is the only way. b. Demonstrating a problem in different ways. Write a problem on the board: 11 -3. Gather 11 books and take 3 of them away. Draw 11 x's on the board and erase 3. c. Use graph paper to help him organize. Show him how to write the problems, keeping each number in a box aligned with other numbers. d. Make a game of addition and subtraction problems. Divide the class into groups and let them compete to see which group can solve the most problems.

C: Use graph paper to help him organize. Show him how to write the problems, keeping each number in a box aligned with other numbers. This will help him determine which numbers are in the ones group, the tens group, the hundreds group and so on.

Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences organizes learners into what types of intelligences? a. Verbal linguistic, mathematical, musically attuned, visual special, body embraced, interpersonal, naturistic, existential. b. Emphatic, recessive, aggressive, assertive, dogmatic, apologetic, determined, elusive. c. Verbal linguistic, mathematical logical, musical, visual spatial, body kinesthetic, interpersonal, naturistic, existential. d. Dramatic, musical, verbal, mathematical, dance-oriented, sports-oriented, scientific, socially concerned.

C: Verbal linguistic, mathematical logical, musical, visual spatial, body kinesthetic, interpersonal, naturalistic, existential. Harvard Professor Howard Gardner cites his theory of multiple intelligences, also called learning styles, as an answer to how teachers can most effectively reach all their students. It is especially important to recognize the learning styles of students with learning disabilities and design lessonsfor those students accordingly.

A special education teacher working with a group of third graders is about to begin a unit on birds. She asks the children what they know about birds. They tell her birds fly, lay eggs and build nests. She asks the students to draw a picture of a bird family. Some children draw birds in flight; one draws a mother bird with a nest of babies; another draws an egg with the baby bird inside the egg. These pre-reading activities are useful because: a. They help assess prior knowledge. b. They establish a framework in which to integrate the new information. c. They create a sense of excitement and curiosity. d. All of the above.

D: All of the above is correct. This project gives the teacher the opportunity to evaluate what students already know, establishes a scaffold of accessible information to which the students can integrate new information and creates a sense of curiosity and excitement in the students, which encourages them to learn.

In the above example, how could the teacher use the students' lists in her lesson planning? a. On the last day of school, she can return the lists and ask the students to add the new skills they've learned, so they can see how far they've come. b. She can have the students exchange lists so they can find other students who share the same interests. c. She can use the lists when planning independent reading and research projects for each student. d. All of the above.

D: All of the above. The writing prompt is multipurpose. The teacher can use it in a number of ways, including planning independent reading and research projects for each student, inviting students to share their writing to find others with the same interests and as a way of demonstrating to each student their academic growth at the end of the school year.

In the previous example, how could the teacher extend the lesson and apply it across the curriculum? a. Create a Word Wall with the words the students collected. b. Have students work on a class dictionary, putting the words in alphabetical order and explaining what they mean. c. Ask students to create a chart noting which verbs have 1, 2 or 3 syllables, which verbs contain double letters, which verbs are also nouns and which verbs have common word-endings. d. All of the above.

D: All of the above. There is often a multitude of ways a teacher can apply skills and information learned in one lesson to other subjects. In this case, vocabulary building is enhanced with a word wall; logic and reasoning skills are developed by putting the words into alphabetical order then carefully considering how to define them; and both math skills and word recognition ability are improved by creating a chart demonstrating a variety of ways one can categorize a list of words.

A fifth-grade lead teacher and the special education teacher have scheduled a parent conference to discuss the behavior problems of the student. They anticipate the boy's mother will be anxious and defensive as she has been at previous conferences. The best approach for the teachers to take is to: a. Draw the parent out about issues in her own life so that she will feel reassured and trusting. Point out possible connections between the mother's emotions about her own life and her son's behaviors and reactions. b. Be very firm with the mother, explain the penalties and disciplines her son can expect if the behavior continues and stress neither the parent nor the child has input regarding punishment. c. Stress the teachers will not do anything without the parent's approval since they do not want to face liability issues. d. Begin by welcoming the mother and telling her about her son's academic improvements. Stress the teachers, the mother and the child share goals for the student's success. Explain the behavior problems and ask if the mother has any insights to share.

D: Begin by welcoming the mother and discussing her son's academic improvements. Stress that the teachers, the mother and the child share goals for the student's success. Explain the behavior problems and ask if the mother has insights to share. It's important to keep communication open.

What kind of load does the previous example employ? a. Cognitive load b. Language load c. Bilingual load d. Cultural load

D: Cultural load. Cultural load is concerned with how the relationship between language and culture can help or hinder learning. By using a familiar folk tale, the student is given the opportunity to learn new words in a culturally familiar context.

A four year old child has difficulty sorting plastic cubes, circles and triangles by color and shape, doesn't recognize patterns or groups and doesn't understand the relationship between little/big, tall/short, many/few. The child enjoys counting, but does not say the numbers in proper order nor recognize the meaning of different numbers. This child most likely: a. Is exhibiting signs of intellectual disabilities. b. Is developing within an acceptable range. c. Has dysgraphia. d. Has dyscalculia.

D: Dyscalculia. Dyscalculia defines a range of difficulties in math, such as the inability to understand numbers' meanings, measurements, patterns, mathematical terms and the application of mathematic principals. Early clues include a young child's inability to group items by size or color, recognize patterns or understand the meaning or order of numbers.

A student with ______________ has a great deal of difficulty with the mechanical act of writing. She drops her pencil, cannot form legible letters and cannot decode what she has written. a. A nonverbal learning disorder b. Dyslexia c. Dyspraxia d. Dysgraphia

D: Dysgraphia. Dysgraphic individuals cannot manage the physical act of writing. While many dysgraphics are highly intelligent and able to express themselves cogently, they have extreme difficulty holding a writing implement and shaping letters.

An intellectually disabled teen has been offered a job by an elderly neighbor. The neighbor wants the teen to work alongside her in the garden twice a week. They will plant seeds, transplant larger plants, weed, lay mulch, water and fertilize. Later in the season, they will cut flowers and arrange bouquets, pick produce and sell them at the neighbor's roadside stand. The neighbor, the teen's mother and special education teacher meet to discuss the proposal. The plan is: a. Tentatively accepted. Because the teen is excited about having a job, her mother and teacher reluctantly agree. They both know the girl is likely to lose interest quickly and caution the neighbor that if she truly needs help she may want to look elsewhere. However, no one wants to disappoint the girl and all decide the experience will be good for her. b. Rejected. Despite the teen's insistence that she can manage these tasks, her mother and teacher believe that she cannot. They fear trying will set her up for failure. c. Tentatively rejected. The teacher and her mother are very uncomfortable with the neighbor's offer. They suspect the elderly woman is simply lonely or may be a predator who has selected an intellectually disabled victim because such children are particularly vulnerable. d. Enthusiastically accepted. The adults discuss a background check and the possibility that the teen might discover gardening is not for her and want to quit. However, this is most likely to happen early in her employment, giving the neighbor sufficient time to find another helper. The teacher is pleased because the girl will learn new skills through modeling and repetition. The mother is pleased because the experience will add to the girl's self-esteem and show her she is capable of learning. The elderly neighbor is pleased because she is compassionate and truly needs help. The girl is delighted the neighbor recognizes her potential and sees her as valuable.

D: Enthusiastically accepted. The adults discuss a background check and the possibility the teen might discover gardening is not for her and want to quit. However, this is most likely to occur early in her employment, giving the neighbor sufficient time to find another helper. The teacher is pleased because the girl will learn new skills through modeling and repetition. The mother is pleased because the experience will add to the girl's self-esteem as well as show her she is capable of learning. The elderly neighbor is pleased because she is both compassionate and truly needs help. The girl is delighted the neighbor recognizes her potential and sees her as valuable.

Sixth graders Alfie and Honesty ride the same bus. Honesty constantly teases Alfie. Alfie is embarrassed because he believes she is berating him. The bus driver told their teacher it was possible that Honesty is actually interested in Alfie, but doesn't express it well. The best form of conflict resolution would be for the teacher to: a. Take Honesty aside and explain boys don't like overly aggressive girls. b. Take Honesty aside and teach her less embarrassing methods of getting a boy's attention. c. Explain to Alfie that Honesty probably teases him because she likes him and he should take it as a compliment. d. Suggest to Alfie that if he is disturbed by Honesty's teasing, he have a calm, assertive conversation with her and tell her he doesn't like it and insist she stop.

D: Suggest to Alfie that if he is disturbed by Honesty's teasing, he might have a calm, assertive conversation with her in which he tells her he doesn't like it and insist she stop. By encouraging Alfie to act on his own, it shows him he has primary responsibility for taking care of himself. By offering social strategies, he learns a set of skills that will serve him throughout life. If Honesty continues to tease him, he can ask a teacher to step in, but doing so without his invitation is inappropriate.

A special education teacher is creating a developmental history for a high school student. She wants to know when the teen reached certain behavioral, academic and developmental milestones. She should consult: a. The student's previous teachers. This information should be in the file. b. The student. Involving him in the process will make him more interested in his progress. c. The student's doctor and therapist. These professionals know how to elicit and document this information. d. The parent or guardian because he or she has known the student from the beginning.

D: The student's parent or guardian, who has known the student throughout his life, is the correct answer. When compiling a developmental history it's best to consult people who have had a close personal relationship with the student over his lifetime. They are the most likely to possess the greatest amount of information regarding the student's development over time.

A student has been identified with a cluster of learning disabilities. She will be joining a special education classroom. She is understandably nervous about making the change to a different teacher and group of classmates. In order to help her make the transition, the child should: a. Have a party to which her new classmates are invited along with some friends from the fifth-grade class she is leaving. b. Prepare to begin classes with her new teacher the next day. Once the decision has been made, nothing will be gained by postponing the inevitable. c. Be brave and understand life will be full of transitions. This is an opportunity to learn new skills that will serve her well in the future. d. Visit the classroom, meet the teacher and her new classmates and be given the opportunity to ask questions about the change she is about to make.

D: Visit the classroom, meet the teacher and her new classmates and be given the opportunity to ask questions about the change she is about to make. When she is able to visualize what the classroom looks like, meet the people that will become her new educational 'family' and have her concerns and questions addressed, she will feel more confident about the transition.

Verbal dyspraxia is: a. Trouble with the physical act of writing. b. Refusal to speak. c. Misplacing letters within words. d. A motor skill development disorder which includes inconsistent speech errors.

D: is correct: A motor skill development disorder which includes speech errors that don't clearly follow a pattern and so appear to be inconsistent. An example is a student who can pronounce /p/ when it is followed by a long i, as in pine, but not when followed by an ou diphthong, as in pout. Verbally dyspraxic individuals are unable to correctly place the tongue, lips and jaw for consistent sounds that can be organized into syllables. Dyspraxia appears to be a brain disorder in which the area that controls production of particular sounds is damaged.