TExES 291: ELA
C
A first-grade teacher can best support vocabulary development by taking which of the following actions? a) Helping students analyze the root of new vocabulary words b) Having students define new vocabulary words in a journal c) Exposing students to new vocabulary words in multiple contexts d) Asking students to recite new vocabulary words every day
B
A fourth-grade student researches information on lions prior to writing an expository essay. Which of the following strategies will help the student to most appropriately organize information before writing the essay? a) Categorizing information as interesting or uninteresting b) Summarizing important information from each resource c) Completing a story map for each resource that was used during research d) Reviewing mechanics and grammar rules with a teacher before beginning to write
B
A fourth-grade teacher is planning a lesson in which students will try to identify and list all of the homophones incorporated into a song. The activity best supports students' spelling development by linking spelling to which of the following? a) Sound blends b) Word meaning c) Writing conventions d) Phonological awareness
C
A kindergarten class is creating an alphabet tree on a bulletin board in their classroom. As each letter of the alphabet is studied, students bring in examples of things beginning with the letter from their homes. The teacher photographs the items and adds the images to the appropriately labeled branch of the alphabet tree. This activity best promotes the development of alphabetic knowledge through a) cooperative learning groups b) teacher modeling c) collaboration with families d) anchor activities
A
A language arts teacher has students set personal reading goals at the beginning of each month. The students monitor, record, and reflect on their progress in data notebooks. The primary purpose of setting and monitoring personal reading goals is to have students a) think metacognitively about reading strengths and weaknesses b) select reading materials they find interesting and engaging c) improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills d) engage in reading a wide variety of genres and text formats
D
A prekindergarten teacher creates a set of letter and number cards for students to sort. Which of the following visual supports would best enhance students' ability to distinguish letter cards from number cards? a) Using only the capital-letter symbols on each letter card b) Including an equal number of letter cards and number cards c) Limiting the number cards to single digits between one and nine d) Making the number symbols a different color than the letter symbols
D
A primary commonality between a norm-referenced assessment and a criterion-referenced assessment is that they a) compare the test taker with a preset standard of achievement when reporting results b) rank the performance of the test taker in comparison with a large group of test takers c) report the test taker's performance on the assessment using percentages d) can formally assess a test taker's knowledge of content or targeted skills
B\
A second grade teacher notices that several students are experiencing difficulty decoding words like "fleet", "mean", and "coat". In which of the following areas should the teacher plan further instruction for the students? a) Open syllables b) Vowel digraphs c) Consonant blends d) Inflectional endings
D
A second-grade teacher informally assesses the oral language skills of all students, including native English speakers and English-language learners (ELLs). Which of the following observations warrants a further in-depth evaluation? a) A recently immigrated ELL struggles to have informal conversations with peers b) An ELL needs multiple exposures to academic vocabulary to achieve mastery c) A native English-speaking student inconsistently uses the correct tense of irregular verbs d) A native English-speaking student cannot verbalize ideas clearly during conversations
B
A second-grade teacher plans a literature circle in which students independently read picture books and then meet in small groups to participate in oral discussions. Which of the following assignments would ensure all key components of a balanced approach to literacy development are addressed? a) Rereading self-selected sections of the book with a partner b) Reflecting on text-to-self connections in a writing journal c) Retelling the story orally using picture sequence cards for support d) Dramatizing the story using a teacher-created readers' theater script
D
A student asks the teacher for assistance reading a multisyllabic word. Which of the following strategies will best support the student in learning to decode complex words independently? a) Using a dictionary to find the meaning and pronunciation of the word b) Listening as the teacher demonstrate how to pronounce the word correctly c) Pronouncing each individual letter sound, then blending the sounds together d) Identifying syllables or chunks and highlighting each differently
B
A student whose oral reading is labored and choppy struggles to comprehend grade-level texts independently. To improve the student's reading comprehension, the teacher should provide additional instruction primarily focused on a) Phonological and phonemic awareness b) Sight-word automaticity and fluency c) Vocabulary development and oral language d) Alphabetic awareness and phonics
B
A teacher models use of the five-finger rule for selecting independent reading materials. The teacher is primarily demonstrating the selection of reading materials based on a) reading fluency b) readability level c) student interest d) story structure
B
A teacher uses this graphic organizer: Word Picture _________ Synonym: _________________________ Antonym:__________________________ In my own words: ______________ A sentence: _____________________________________________ Which of the following concepts best describes the skill being addressed? a) Sentence structure b) Vocabulary c) Contextual analysis d) Intolerance
A
As part of their daily morning work, fourth-grade students dissect a given word into smaller chunks by coding prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Then the students analyze the chunks to hypothesize the meaning of the word. The activity best develops the skill of a) decoding b) blending c) phonemic awareness d) syllable awareness
A
Based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for kindergarten, additional intervention is most appropriate for students who have difficulty a) distinguishing between letters and words b) arranging all letters of the alphabet in order c) tracking words in a book from left to right as they read d) reading at least 100 high-frequency words correctly
B
During an activity a first-grade teacher notices that several students cannot decode new words when an onset is added to a rime such as -at. The students would most benefit from further instruction in which of the following literacy skills? a) Counting syllables b) Blending phonemes c) Isolating initial sounds d) Recognizing vowel digraphs
D
Ms. Ruiz incorporates a weekly guest reader program in her first-grade classroom by inviting school leaders, community members, and parents to read a story to the class. Following the story, the guest reader and Ms. Ruiz lead a discussion about the story and have students draw a picture and write about the story. Which of the following is the primary goal of the activity? a) Enabling students to meet adults from the community b) Modeling for the guest reader how to lead a story discussion c) Introducing students to a variety of literature and genres d) Collaborating with others to improve students' comprehension skills
B
Students in a fourth-grade class are reading a challenging magazine article about natural and synthetic resources. Which of the following will best help students to follow the author's presentation of ideas in the article and understand the relationship among them? a) Allowing students the choice of reading silently or with a partner b) Providing a graphic organizer for students to complete while reading c) Encouraging students to make a list of questions they have about the text d) Modeling several strategies for decoding unfamiliar words found in the text
A
The last skill a teacher should expect students to master during a unit on phonemic awareness is a) phoneme deletion b) syllable deletion c) blending phonemes d) blending onsets and rimes
C
Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A first-grade teacher is planning a reading lesson consisting of the following steps. 1- Read aloud a predictable big book containing a repetitive pattern and several words unfamiliar to the class. 2- Reread the book, encouraging students to chime in on predictable words and phrases 3- Have students echo read sentences from the book written on a flip chart as students take turns pointing to the words. 4- Have students take turns reading aloud and matching word strips and then sentence strips to the sentences on the flip chart Steps three and four of the lesson focus specifically on which of the following components of reading comprehension? a) Phonological awareness b) Fluency c) Word recognition skills d) Understanding text structure
B
Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A first-grade teacher is planning a reading lesson consisting of the following steps. 1- Read aloud a predictable big book containing a repetitive pattern and several words unfamiliar to the class. 2- Reread the book, encouraging students to chime in on predictable words and phrases 3- Have students echo read sentences from the book written on a flip chart as students take turns pointing to the words. 4- Have students take turns reading aloud and matching word strips and then sentence strips to the sentences on the flip chart The primary purpose of the lesson is to help the first graders learn which of the following? a) Sound blending b) Sight vocabulary c) Structural analysis d) Letter-sound correspondence
B
Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A sixth- grade teacher plans to assign a research project about Africa. Each student will be using various print resources as well as the Internet to research aspects of culture, society, and government in different parts of Africa. Students will create artistic projects as well as written products, and each student will present his or her findings to the class. The teacher sketches out her goals for the project. Goals: 1) Students will identify characteristics of reliable Websites 2)Students will compare and contrast electronic and print media 3)Parents will be aware of project goals and expectations Which of the following best achieves goal 1? a) Reviewing with students the concepts of purpose, accountability, and reliability, on the internet b) Leading students through using a checklist to evaluate whether a website will make a good source c) Guiding students through using online library catalogs and databases to understand bibliographic entries d) Providing students with a list of approved websites containing information about Africa
A
Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A sixth- grade teacher plans to assign a research project about Africa. Each student will be using various print resources as well as the Internet to research aspects of culture, society, and government in different parts of Africa. Students will create artistic projects as well as written products, and each student will present his or her findings to the class. The teacher sketches out her goals for the project. Goals: 1) Students will identify characteristics of reliable Websites 2)Students will compare and contrast electronic and print media 3)Parents will be aware of project goals and expectations Which of the following best achieves goal 2? a) Examining features of a textbook, such as bold print and graphics that aid in comprehending online texts b) Reading a magazine article on a computer and tablet to determine which version is easier to read c) Reviewing a research article in comparison to a newspaper editorial to identify levels of formality d) Seeing a documentary film and reading online reviewer comments to gauge viewer understanding
C
Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A sixth- grade teacher plans to assign a research project about Africa. Each student will be using various print resources as well as the Internet to research aspects of culture, society, and government in different parts of Africa. Students will create artistic projects as well as written products, and each student will present his or her findings to the class. The teacher sketches out her goals for the project. Goals: 1) Students will identify characteristics of reliable Websites 2)Students will compare and contrast electronic and print media 3)Parents will be aware of project goals and expectations Which of the following best achieves goal 3? a) Asking parents to proofread the written product and sign off on it before the due date b) Creating a list of possible goals and having parents and students agree to five goals c) Inviting students and parents to a project orientation night to view samples from previous students d) Encouraging older students with prior project experience to come in and help current students
D
Use the information below to answer the questions that follow. A sixth- grade teacher plans to assign a research project about Africa. Each student will be using various print resources as well as the Internet to research aspects of culture, society, and government in different parts of Africa. Students will create artistic projects as well as written products, and each student will present his or her findings to the class. The teacher sketches out her goals for the project. Goals: 1) Students will identify characteristics of reliable Websites 2)Students will compare and contrast electronic and print media 3)Parents will be aware of project goals and expectations Which of the following methods best communicates student expectations and assessment policies to parents during the project? a) Setting up phone conferences with each parent to discuss progress and answer questions b) Making appointments for parents to come in with their students to show each stage of work c) Providing incentives to students whose parents sign off on various aspects of the project d) Giving students a detailed checklist for each phase of the project to share with parents
A
When a teacher is selecting reading materials to read aloud to students, which of the following approaches provides the best opportunity for vocabulary development? a) Exposing students to a wide variety of genres b) Reading multiple books written by the same author c) Choosing to read only from expository texts d) Working through a series of connected novels
B
When teaching from simple to complex, which of the following decoding skills should be taught first? a) Multisyllabic word strategies b) Single, closed-syllable words c) Consonant digraphs and blends d) Vowel digraphs and diphthongs
A, C, D
Which THREE of the following best represent a benefit of using student self-assessments and peer-assessments in writing? a) The students use higher-order thinking skills to analyze and evaluate their own and others' writing b) The work will result in less-inflated and more-reliable final grades for the project c) The teacher and students can identify individual strengths and weaknesses which can drive further instruction d) The students can improve their writing skills by setting attainable goals and monitoring progress
C, D, E
Which THREE of the following characteristics of oral reading best indicate a student's level of reading fluency? a) Volume of reading voice b) Clarity of word enunciation c) Consistency of reading rate d) Variation of voice intonation e) Accuracy of word identification
A, B, D
Which THREE of the following statements most accurately describes the impact that learning conventional spelling has on writing development? a) It encourages students to expand their writing vocabulary b) It supports students' ability to communicate ideas effectively c) It precedes students' understanding of the rules of grammar and punctuation d) It allows students to focus on more complex aspects of writing, such as organization and audience
C, D
Which TWO of the following multisensory activities most directly support kindergarten students' understanding of the relationship between sounds and letters? a) Drawing letters in the air while singing the alphabet song b) Acting like an animal whose name starts with a given sound c) Shaping their bodies into the letter that matches a given sound d) Making a letter's sound while using their finger to trace the letter in sand
A
Which of the following activities best promotes student vocabulary development after a read-aloud? a) creating pictures to illustrate the meaning of the words b) using a dictionary to write the definitions of the words c) earning individual rewards for using the words in class d) writing the words during daily guided writing instruction
D
Which of the following activities best supports third-grade students in becoming self-directed critical readers? a) Producing rhyming words b) Decoding new words c) Identifying common punctuation d) Using graphic organizers
D
Which of the following activities is the best way for elementary students to learn the techniques of pragmatic language usage? a) Listening to famous literary monologues b) Taking notes while watching a documentary c) Observing local politicians delivering speeches d) Role-playing a range of sample conversations
B
Which of the following activities will best promote reading comprehension? a) Having students read short passages aloud b) Using a Venn diagram to compare two books c) Engaging students in an echo reading activity d) Adding learned vocabulary to a classroom word wall
A
Which of the following instructional activities will best help students to identify the text features in expository texts? a) Participating in a scavenger hunt to locate the elements of text b) Reading and discussing a nonfiction text with a partner c) Discussing the text and writing a short summary d) Analyzing the main body of the text
D
Which of the following is the most appropriate way for a teacher to help students develop oral language skills? a) Decreasing wait times during verbal conversations b) Limiting environmental print in the classroom c) Posting pictures illustrating concepts on a word wall d) Providing opportunities for interactions between peers
B
Which of the following phonemic-awareness skills will most students master first? a) Deleting the initial phoneme in "cat" to form "at" b) Recognizing that the word "man" sounds like "can" and "ran" c) Substituting the phoneme /n/ for the /t/ in the word "cat" to make "can" d) Segmenting the word "sat" into three individual phonemes.
A
Which of the following practices best supports younger students in the prewriting stage of the writing process? a) Providing opportunities for students to use oral conversation to organize their thoughts b) Reviewing prompts and outlines for students to use as they begin their rough drafts c) Having advanced peers model and explain cognitive processes for brainstorming d) Planning whole-class instruction on grammar and word usage based on content
B
Which of the following represents an expectation for a kindergartener for visual and electronic media as described in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (teks)? a) Categorizing visual information based upon point of view b) Distinguishing between visual and auditory media sources c) Discussing how strategies used in media influence the message being presented d) Comparing and contrasting language usage in e-mails and in a news presentation
B
Which of the following statements about media literacy of elementary students is most accurate? a) Students have an intuitive understanding of media and need minimal instruction in how to develop media-related skills b) Students need instruction in using critical-thinking skills to evaluate the function and validity of media c) Students quickly realize that most modern media content is created to convey a neutral viewpoint d) Students are more proficient at mastering complex content knowledge in a media-rich environment
A
Which of the following statements about reading instruction is most accurate? a) Students who are more fluent in reading have stronger comprehension abilities. b) Reading should be taught to students holistically, and word-attack strategies should be avoided. c) Whole-group reading instruction adequately addresses the needs of most student learners. d) Reading comprehension is best assessed by asking students questions at the end of each reading selection.
D
Which of the following statements about the development of phonemic awareness is supported by research? a) The terms "phonics" and "phonemic awareness" are synonymous b) There is a rigid sequence for mastery of phonemic-awareness skills c) Students generally master phonemic-awareness skills around age 12 d) Phonemic awareness is an early predictor of future reading success
B
Which of the following statements about the stages of writing development is best supported by research? a) Students taught writing conventions in isolation show greater mastery than those taught writing skills in conjunction with reading skills b) Although most students progress through predictable stages of writing development, the rate of skill development can vary. c) In general, students acquire handwriting skills through literacy exposure and do not need explicit instruction in letter formation d) Most students learn to form letter symbols before comprehending that written symbols are used to convey meaning
C
Which of the following statements about vocabulary instruction is most closely aligned with research-based best practice? a) Students should be exposed every day to the greatest possible number of new words b) Students should annotate official dictionary definitions of words in personal journals. c) Students should be exposed to carefully selected words used in multiple contexts. d) Students should learn words first in isolation before encountering them in authentic contexts
B
Which of the following statements best aligns with current research on increasing student vocabulary development? a) Word lists should be composed of terms predetermined by the textbook or generated by the teacher b) Vocabulary is best learned through multiple exposures across many texts and opportunities for usage c) It is best to explicitly teach students vocabulary words in isolation before the students encounter the words in a single context d) Focusing on ten or more weekly words will have the greatest impact on student vocabulary growth
B
Which of the following statements best aligns with current research on teaching decoding- and word-analysis skills to students? a) Guessing at unfamiliar words should be modeled as a successful decoding strategy b) Decoding should be taught in relation to a student's stage of reading development c) Students should be taught to decode print before they attempt to write words d) Phonics instruction should precede phonological-awareness instruction.
C
Which of the following strategies best helps students understand inferential comprehension? a) Identifying stated main idea b) Explaining point of view c) Analyzing cause and effect d) Detecting faulty reasoning
B
Which of the following strategies best provides scaffolding to students who are struggling with phonemic awareness skills? a) Having students practice phonemic skills only in isolation and under direct supervision b) Providing targeted phonemic instruction for small groups of students c) Allowing students to work through focused phonemic activities independently d) Using a checklist of phonemic skills to drive instruction for all students
D
Which of the following strategies will best support a teacher who is instructing students on how to answer literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension questions? a) Having students read silently and then answer text-based comprehension questions b) Asking students to paraphrase the main idea and important details of text c) Increasing the amount of discussion focused on text-dependent questions d) Using question starters based on varying levels of Bloom's taxonomy
B
Which of the following student activities will allow a teacher to best assess mastery of the alphabetic principle? a) Demonstrating fluency through readers theater b) Composing regular words using letter tiles c) Clapping to count the syllables in words d) Decoding unknown words using context clues
A
Which of the following teacher actions best supports the development of students' reading vocabulary? a) Providing students with opportunities to read independently b) Engaging students in writing about what they read in a journal c) Having students do multiple readings of the same passage or text d) Guiding students to select books slightly below their frustration reading level
A
Which of the following writing activities will best help students develop an understanding of writing for various audiences? a) students write instructions for a friend about how to play a new game they have created. Students then rewrite the instructions for their school principal b) Students write letters to their teacher asking to assign less homework. Students then write a letter on the same topic to another teacher in their grade c) Students write thank you letters to one of their former teachers. Students then turn the letters into acrostic poems d) Students write instructions for babysitting a younger sibling. Students then make a list of the important phone numbers needed in case of an emergency
C
Which of the following writing assignments best allows students to write for a meaningful, authentic purpose? a) Write a story from the point of view of a puppy meeting its new owner for the first time b) Write a journal entry about what you did during the recent winter holiday vacation c) Write a letter asking civic leaders to address concerns in your neighborhood d) Write a story about living in a certain place that includes a beginning, middle, and end
B, C
Which two of the following statements best reflect the relationship between oral-language development and reading comprehension? a) Development of reading comprehension typically precedes development of listening comprehension. b) Having multiple, varied opportunities to interact with oral language will positively affect reading comprehension. c) Weakness in phonological awareness is generally a predictor of future weakness in reading comprehension d) Early emphasis on the development of oral-spelling skills has a positive impact on the development of reading-comprehension skills
C
While previewing a text, fifth-grade students identify the signal words "because" and "if... then" in the section's text. Which of the following comprehension skills are the students primarily utilizing? a) Examining text features b) Recognizing genres of texts c) Determining text structures d) Identifying purposes for reading
D
While reading a text with a class, the teacher stops frequently to ask the students questions, identify the main ideas, and clarify important details. Which of the following goals is the teacher most likely trying to achieve? a) Activating students' background knowledge b) Establishing a purpose for reading c) Encouraging students to make text-to-self connections d) Monitoring students' comprehension of the text
A
While reading aloud from a nonfiction text, a teacher pauses and says, "I'm not familiar with the word 'phenomenon'. I'm not sure what it means, so I'm going to look for some clues in the surrounding sentences to help me figure it out." Which of the following vocabulary-development strategies is the teacher modeling? a) Contextual analysis b) Semantic feature analysis c) Morphemic analysis d) Word hunt for patterns
A
While reading realistic fiction, a teacher helps students make text-to-self connections to the protagonist and antagonist. Which of the following best represents the targeted literary feature? a) Characterization elements b) Plot development c) Story structure d) Author's purpose
