FTCE EE K-6 Language Arts and Reading Practice Test with Rationales

__________ are notes recorded by the teacher concerning an area of interest in or concern about a particular student. A. Anecdotal records B. Rating scales C. Informal reading inventories D. None of the above

A. Anecdotal records Anecdotal records are notes recorded by the teacher concerning an area of interest in or concern about a particular student. These records should focus on observable behaviors and should be descriptive in nature.

________ occurs when you remember things by relating them to each other in some way. A. Association B. Visualization C. Concentration D. Repetition

A. Association When you associate, you remember things by relating them to each other in some way.

At Annie's school, the basketball game on Wednesday precedes the bake sale on Friday. What does the prefix pre- mean? A. Before B. During C. After D. Until

A. Before "Pre-" is part of a word that means "before." The basketball game on Wednesday comes before, or precedes, the bake sale on Friday.

A sixth-grade science teacher has given her class a paper to read on the relationship between food and weight gain. The writing contains signal words such as "because," "consequently," "this is how," and "due to." this paper has which text structure? A. Cause and effect B. Compare and contrast C. Description D. Sequencing

A. Cause and effect Cause and effect is one of several text structures. Information structured as cause and effect explain reasons why something happened or the effects of something.

________ is discourse that makes an experience available through one of the five senses: seeing, smelling, hearing, feeling, or tasting. A. Description B. Narration C. Exposition D. Persuasion

A. Description Description is discourse that makes an experience available through one of the five sense: seeing, smelling, hearing, feeling, or tasting. Only by experience an event can the emotions become involved. Poets are experts in using descriptive language.

_________ are used to determine individual weaknesses and strengths in specific areas. A. Diagnostic assessments B. Readiness assessments C. Interest assessments D. Evaluation assessments

A. Diagnostic assessments Diagnostic assessments are used to determine individual weaknesses and strengths in specific areas.

In her short story, a sixth grade student included the following line: "The lake was left shivering by the touch of morning wind." This is an example of: A. Imagery B. Personification C. Alliteration D. Allegory

A. Imagery Imagery describes a word or sequence of words that refers to any sensory experience; anything that can be seen, tasted, smelled, heard, or felt on the skin or with the fingers.

The general tried to instill the hope of victory in his troops. Instill means: A. Infuse B. Delay C. Inscribe D. Indict

A. Infuse Infuse is the best synonym here for instill, meaning to impart, inject, introduce or put something into someone or something.

The New York Times once stated of crossword puzzles, "The craze evidently is dying out fast." Decades later, The New York Times Sunday edition still has the most recognized crossword puzzle. This is an example of: A. irony B. Alliteration C. Onomatopoeia D. Malapropism

A. Irony Expressing something other than and particularly opposite the true meaning, such as words of praise when the author or speaker intends blame is irony. The information above shows an ironic example. In poetry, irony is often used as a sophisticated or resigned awareness of contrast between what is and what ought to be and expresses a controlled pathos without sentimentality.

Identify the literary device used in the following sentence: Caroline was rendered speechless to such a degree that she talked of nothing else for the rest of the day. A. Irony B. Hyperbole C. Personification D. Euphemism

A. Irony Irony is an expression where words are attributed with the opposite of their usual meaning. The fact that Caroline was not rendered speechless, but quite the opposite, is indicated by the fact that she did not stop talking the rest of the day.

The winning team of the World Series often has a jovial attitude. Jovial means: A. Merry B. Sad C. Somber D. Laborious

A. Merry Jovial means happy or merry

These stories about events from the earliest times, such as the origin of the world, are considered true in their own societies. A. Myths B. Tall tales C. Fairy tales D. Fables

A. Myths Myths are stories about events from the earliest times, such as the origin of the world, are considered true in their own societies.

A lyre was played in ancient Rome. The lyre is a: A. Stringed instrument in the harp category B. Percussion instrument C. Wind instrument in the wind class D. Rhythmical percussion device

A. Stringed instrument in the harp category A lyre was a stringed instrument played in ancient Greece and Rome, similar to/a precursor of the modern harp.

All of the following are examples of transitional phrases EXCEPT: A. The B. However C. Furthermore D. Although

A. The Transitional phrases created a link between one thought and the next idea. In the given choices, the word "The" is not a word that lends itself to linking ideas together.

Identify which spelling of "they're," "there," or "their" is used incorrectly in the following sentence: "They're about to get their boots and go hiking, but there worried about the rain and the mud." A. There B. They're C. Their D. None of the above

A. There This sentence should end, "but they're worried about the rain and the mud." The word "they're" is a contraction of the words "they" and "are." The word "there" points to a place, as in, "The boot is over there," making its usage in the sentence incorrect.

The official exhibited a heedless attitude when dealing with the dignitaries. heedless means: A. Thoughtless B. Pleasant C. Friendly D. Bitter

A. Thoughtless Heedless means thoughtless: to heed is to pay attention to, mind, or observe something, and heedless is not paying attention/ignoring.

Your best friend asks you how caterpillars turn into butterflies. You know the answer;, but it is too complicated to explain in one sentence. How would you best express the explanation for your friend? A. Write a paragraph for each step of the process, with each step clearly labeled. B. draw a Venn diagram of the things butterflies and caterpillars have in common C. Look up the facts on how many butterflies fly south to Mexico each year. D. Write a paper, beginning with the time when butterflies are the prettiest

A. Write a paragraph for each step of the process, with each step clearly labeled. The best way to answer a comles question is to go through each step of the answer from beginning to end.

Activities that draw upon ____________ include incorporating oral language activities (which discriminate between printed letters and words) into daily read-alouds, as well as frequent opportunities to retell stories, looking at books with predictable patterns, writing messages with invented spelling, and responding to literature through drawing. A. background knowledge B. conspicuous strategies c. language and conventions of print D. mediated scaffolding

A. background knowledge All children bring some level of background knowledge (e.g., how to hold a book, awareness of directionality of print) to beginning reading. Teachers can utilize children's background knowledge to help them link their personal literacy experiences to beginning reading instruction, while also closing the gap between students with rich literacy experiences and those with impoverished literacy experiences.

Which of the following words best completes the sentence? Billy's grandparents had been extremely angry with the experiment on their car that ended badly and his grandfather's red face hung before his eyes like a dark vision: "Before you _________ some other wild plan, talk to me first so nothing else gets damaged." A. concoct B. invent C. make D. design

A. concoct While the words are all very similar in meaning (denotation), only concoct best matches the tone of the passage: Billy is prone to developing wild ideas that result in disaster

A. __________ is a traditional narrative or collection of related narratives. it is often popularly regarded as historically factual but is actually a mixture of fact and fiction. A. legend B. novel C. myth D. fable

A. legend A legend is a traditional narrative or collection of related narratives, popularly regarded as historically factual but actually a mixture of fact and fiction.

Mrs. Mackey introduces a story that takes place in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Many students in her classroom have been to Atlanta before. This experience will be helpful to them. When a reader uses prior knowledge, he or she is ______________. A. making an inference B. learning new vocabulary C. restating a thesis D. providing the main idea

A. making an inference A reader must use prior knowledge and apply it to what he is she is reading in order to draw an inference and make a conclusion about the text.

Many of the themes found in ________ stories are similar to those in traditional literature. The stories start out based in reality, which makes it easier for the reader to suspend disbelief and then enter worlds of unreality. A. modern fantasy B. science fiction C. modern realistic fiction D. historical fiction

A. modern fantasy Many of the themes found in modern fantasy stories are similar to those in traditional literature. The stories start out based in reality, which makes it easier for the reader to suspend disbelief and enter worlds of unreality. These often appeal to ideals of justice and issues having to do with good and evil; and because children tend to identify with the characters, the message is more likely to be retained.

The atmosphere of attitude that an author conveys through descriptive language is known as the _________ of the story. A. mood B. pragmatics C. morphemes D. phonemes

A. mood Mood helps the reader to better understand the writer's intentions, and usually fits in well with the theme and setting.

Which of the following choices best completes the sentence? When at last Alicia was able to _________ the numerous difficulties associated with the task, she concluded the wisdom of her professor was not only desirable, but absolutely necessary. A. perceive B. perception C. perceptive D. perceived

A. perceive This is the correct form of the word for the sentence. The present tense of the verb is needed to complete the sentence

Choose the option that best reflects proper comma usage in the sentence below. This fishing pole Nathan, has seen better days. A. pole, Nathan, B. has, seen C. Nathan D. No error

A. pole, Nathan The comma after "Nathan" is correct, but there should also be another comma before it. When an address to someone by name is inserted mid-sentence-here between subject and object- it should be set off by commas on both sides.

Students in Ms. Fernandez's classroom are focusing on figurative language. Mitchell, a student in her classroom, raises his hand to share a winter poem that he has written which contains the phrase "as cold as ice." His teacher compliments his use of a ____________, or a direct comparison between two things that uses "like" or "as." A. simile B. metaphor C. personificaton D. hyperbole

A. simile A simile is a direct comparison between two things that uses "like" or "as" to compare.

Attitude reflected in a statement or passage is: A. Author's purpose B. Author's tone C. Main idea D. Inference

B. Author's tone A reader can determine the overall tone of a statement or passage through author's word choice

This begins at birth and continues into the preschool years, during which time the child learns how to use and understand language in order to communicate: A. Hearing development B. Emergent literacy C. Alphabetic principle D. Context clues

B. Emergent literacy Emergent literacy refers to a child's speech and language development. It begins at birth and continues into the preschool years, during which time the child learns how to use and understand language in order to communicate.

You think that longer novels are better than short ones; they give the characters more of a chance to grow and develop. How can you best link these two thoughts together? A. Longer novels are better than short ones. They give the characters more of a chance to grow and develop. B. Longer novels are better than short ones because they give the characters more of a chance to grow and develop C. Longer novels are better than short ones, therefore they give the characters more of a chance to grow and develop D. Longer novels are better than short ones when they give the characters more of a chance to grow and develop.

B. Longer novels are better than short ones because they give the characters more of a chance to grow and develop. "Because" is the best word to use when the second part of a sentence supports the first part.

In his first-grade classroom, Mr. DePaul is aware of the importance of his students having a variety of reading readiness experiences. He focuses each week on word patterns to help his students become confident and fluent readers. Building the following type of skills will help his students to understand word patterns: A. Syntactic B. Morphemic C. Phonemic D. Semantic

B. Morphemic When readers develop morphemic skills, they are developing an understanding of patterns they see in words. This helps readers recognize and understand words more quickly.

A magician wants to make all of his tricks a mystery to his audience. What verb should he use to say this? A. Mysterize B. Mystify C. Mysterious D. Mysteried

B. Mystify The Latin suffix -ify means "to make something become." To mystify is to make something become a mystery.

A student has written a paper with the following characteristics: written in first person; characters, setting, and plot; some dialogue; and events organized in chronological sequence with some flashbacks. In what genre has the student written? A. Expository writing B. Narrative writing C. Persuasive writing D. Technical writing

B. Narrative writing Narrative writing refers to stories. Characteristics include: being written in first person; characters, setting, and plot; some dialogue; and events organized in chronological sequence with some flashbacks.

______ may include clustering, listing, brainstorming, mapping, free writing, and charting. A. Drafting B. Prewriting C. Revising and editing D. Proofreading

B. Prewriting During the prewriting stage of the writing process, students gather ideas before writing. Prewriting may include clustering, listing, brainstorming, mapping, free writing, and charting.

These are purposely exaggerated accounts of individuals with super-human strength: A. Myths B. Tall tales C. Fairy tales D. Fables

B. Tall tales Tall tales are purposely exaggerated accounts of individuals with superhuman strength. Examples include Paul Bunyan, John Henry, and Pecos Bill.

________ gives readers important clues about what to look for. A. A graphic organizer B. Text structure C. A conclusion D. None of the above

B. Text structure In nonfiction, particularly in textbooks, and sometimes in fiction, text structure gives readers important clues about what to look for.

An __________ is based on the assumption that there is a common body of knowledge shared by the poet and the reader and that a reference to that body of knowledge will be immediately understood. A. alliteration B. allusion C. symbol D. imagery

B. allusion An allusion is based on the assumption that there is a common body of knowledge shared by the poet and the reader and that a reference to that body of knowledge will be immediately understood. It is very much like a symbol.

Choose the word that best fills the blank in the following sentence: Craig is so talented with horses that the skittish colt became _________ once Craig took over his training. A. frantic B. docile C. lucid D. prudent

B. docile The word "docile" means easily taught or ready to be taught. The sentence should read: Craig is so talented with horses that the skittish colt became docile once Craig took over his training.

Which of the following sentences shows the correct usage of the hyphen? A. Melanie was a real-estate-broker with Hendry and Henderson, so she understood the importance of a well-cared-for home. B. Robert dialed Joyce's number since it was easy-to-remember and listened with baited breath. C. Although Michael was not an accident-prone person, he knew his older brother did not share this trait. D. James and Austin, both twenty-one year old students, had been able to pass the difficult test for medical school.

C. Although Michael was not an accident-prone person, he knew his older brother did not share this trait. Only choice C correctly uses the hyphen. Hyphens are used for many reasons, such as to make an adjective and a noun a compound word or in numbers (fifty-seven).

Effective reading and comprehension requires: A. Encoding B. Decoding C. Both A and B D. Neither A nor B

C. Both A and B Effective reading requires encoding and decoding. Decoding means translating written words into the sounds and meanings of spoken words (often silently). Encoding, or spelling, is the reverse process. Both are necessary skills to have in the process of reading.

The scientist was able to evoke powerful emotions from her audience. Evoke means: A. Sell B. Calm C. Call forth D. Exaggerate

C. Call forth To evoke means to call forth, elicit, or draw out, as emotions.

A play - comedy, modern, or tragedy - typically in five acts, is known as a: A. Poem B. Romance C. Drama D. Short story

C. Drama Plays - comedy, modern, or tragedy - typically in five acts are known as dramas. Traditionalists and neoclassicists adhere to Aristotle's unities of time, place, and action. Plot development is advanced via dialogue. Literary devices include asides, soliloquies, and the chorus representing public opinion.

Types of suffixes that impart new meaning to the base or root word are known as: A. Compound words B. Prefixes C. Inflectional endings D. Morphemes

C. Inflectional endings Inflectional endings change the gender, number, tense, or form of a base or root word.

The wound exhibited signs of copious drainage and requires medical intervention. Copious means: A. Minimal B. Clear C. Maximal D. Foul

C. Maximal Copious means profuse or abundant

All of the following are common types of narratives EXCEPT: A. Legends B. Short stories C. Poems D. Memoirs

C. Poems A narrative is a spoken or written story. Legends, short stories, and memoirs all tell different types of stories.

All of the following are correctly capitalized EXCEPT: A. Queen Elizabeth B. Congressman McKay C. commander Alger D. the president of the United States

C. commander Alger Commander Alger is a specific title. Therefore, both words need to be capitalized.

A ___________ skill is a skill target that teachers help students develop to sustain learning in specific subject areas that they can apply in other subject areas. A. main idea B. thesis C. critical thinking D. informational text

C. critical thinking Critical thinking skills are higher-order thinking skills. Developing critical thinking skills in students is not as simple as developing other, simpler, skills. Critical thinking skills must be taught within the context of specific subject matter.

Around the time a child learns to crawl, the child is often also in the _________ of oral development, which includes baby noises, physical movements, and interactions with others. A. transition B. language C. protolinguistic D. cognitive

C. protolinguistic The protolinguistic phase of oral development includes baby noises, physical movements, and interactions with others.

Choose the word that correctly fills the blank the following sentence: Jessica still needs to finish her homework: revise her essay, ___________ the next chapter, and complete the math problems. A. reading B. to read C. read D. will read

C. read "Read" (the present tense form of the verb) maintains the parallel structure of the sentence and matches the verb tense for "revise" and "complete."

This refers to the patterns of textual organization in a piece of writing: A. Synthesis B. Evaluation C. Text structure D. Context

C: Text structure Authors arrange their writing in various structures to make their content more comprehensible. Particularly in informational texts, text structure helps readers make sense of the content.

When students present information orally, they should keep the following in mind: A. Volume B. Pace C. Body language D. All of the above

D. All of the above When presenting information orally, it is important to focus on volume, pace, and body language to be an effective speaker.

________ helps store things in your memory. A. Association B. Visualization C. Concentration D. All of the above

D. All of the above When you have difficulty remembering textbook information, you should repeat the procedures for association, visualization, and concentration. The repetition helps store the information in your memory more effectively.

_________ are terse tales that offer up a moral. A. Legends B. Novels C. Myths D. Fables

D. Fables Fables are terse tales that offer up a moral. They often have animals that act uncharacteristically human in them.

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a fable? A. Animals that feel and talk like humans B. Happy solutions to human dilemmas C. Teaches a moral or standard for behavior D. Illustrates specific peoples or groups without directly naming them

D. Illustrates specific peoples or groups without directly naming them Fables have distinct characteristics. Some of these are as follows: Animals that feel and talk like humans, positive solutions to human dilemmas, teaching a moral or a standard for behavior.

_________ can be accomplished in a number of ways to meet the needs of students with diverse literacy experiences. A. Strategic integration B. conspicuous strategies C. Language and conventions of print D. Mediated scaffolding

D. Mediated scaffolding Mediated scaffolding can be accomplished in a number of ways to meet the needs of students with diverse literacy experiences. To link oral and written language, for example, teachers may use texts that simulate speech by incorporating oral language patters or children's writing.

Four athletes are each interested in a different sport. What is the most interesting way to write this information? A. Michael liked skating, Henrietta liked hockey, Violet liked archery, and Geoffrey liked football. B. Michael and Geoffrey like skating and football, while Henrietta and Violet liked hockey and archery. C. Michael liked skating, but Henrietta like hockey, and Violet liked archery, but Geoffrey liked football D. Michael preferred skating, Henrietta favored hockey, Violet was wild about archery, and Geoffrey loved football.

D. Michael preferred skating, Henrietta favored hockey, Violet was wild about archery, and Geoffrey loved football. The different verbs say something about each of the athletes in question, making the sentence more interesting. Repeating the same verb over and over in a sentence can be boring.

Choose the option that best reflects proper comma usage in the sentence below. Lydia seems to be a kind, considerate girl. A. seems, to B. considerate, girl C. kind considerate D. No error

D. No error A comma belongs between two consecutive adjectives modifying the same noun

Choose the option that best reflects proper comma usage in the sentence below. For the Thanksgiving reunion, relatives were sitting in the dining room, on the porch, and in the carport. A. Thanksgiving, reunion B. were, sitting C. porch D. No error

D. No error There is a comma after the initial ,modifying prepositional phrase and after the first and second modifying prepositional phrases in the series of three

______ is a piece of writing - a poem, a play, or a speech - whose purpose is to change the minds of readers or audience members or to get them to do something. A. Description B. Narration C. Exposition D. Persuasion

D. Persuasion Persuasion is a piece of writing - a poem, a play, or a speech - whose purpose is to change the minds of readers or audience members or to get them to do something. Persuasive writing often uses all forms of discourse. The introduction may be a history or background of the idea being presented (exposition). Details supporting some of the points may be stories (narrations). Descriptive writing will be used to make sure the point is established emotionally

Choose the word that best fills the blank in the following sentence: Stanley had never liked Nathan, but he grudgingly __________ Nathan for his idea of holding a car wash for the school fundraiser. A. exalted B. praised C. honored D. commended

D. commended Although the word choices all have similar denotations, the context of the sentence, and especially the use of the word "grudgingly," indicate that Stanley gave only a perfunctory congratulations to Nathan for his good idea. The sentence should read: Stanley had never liked Nathan, but he grudgingly commended Nathan for his idea of holding a car wash for the school fund raiser.

The underlying message that a writer wants to convey is known as the _________. A. setting B. main idea C. generalization D. theme

D. theme Common themes in literature include jealousy, money, love, man/woman vs. nature, friendship, etc... , and are never explicitly stated in the text.