Elementary Education K–6
For Testing until 12/31/2023

Subtest 1 – Language Arts and Reading

Test Format and Sample Questions

The Language Arts and Reading subtest contains approximately 50 multiple-choice items. You will have 65 minutes to complete the subtest.

Each of the questions will contain four response options. You will choose the best response out of the available options, and indicate A, B, C, or D.

The table below presents types of questions on the exam and directs you to examples of these formats among the sample items that follow.

Table of Question Formats

Type of Question	Sample Question
Sentence Completion Select the response option that best completes the sentence.	Question 1
Direct Question Choose the response option that best answers the question.	Question 2
Scenario Examine a classroom situation or a student composition. Then select the response option that best answers a question, recommends a course of action, or gives the appropriate evaluation or teacher comment.	Question 36

Sample Questions

The following questions represent both the form and content of questions on the examination. These questions will acquaint you with the general format of the examination; however, these sample questions do not cover all of the competencies and skills that are tested and will only approximate the degree of examination difficulty.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

The most effective way to develop students’ reading fluency is through

Choose an answer

1. repeated reading.
2. choral reading.
3. round-robin reading.
4. readers theatre.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following instructional strategies would be a good way to introduce a variety of genres to a class in order to compare and contrast information about a subject?

Choose an answer

1. sign systems
2. read alouds
3. book clubs
4. text sets

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

What is the most effective method for teaching beginning 1^stfirst -grade students, who have had very little experience with print, to read?

Choose an answer

1. instruction in language experience
2. instruction in context clues
3. instruction in linguistics
4. instruction in phonics

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following is the best definition of oral reading fluency?

Choose an answer

1. accurate reading of grade-level text at a high rate with appropriate prosody
2. accurate reading of connected text at a high rate with deep comprehension
3. accurate reading of connected text at a conversational rate with appropriate prosody
4. accurate reading of grade-level text with appropriate prosody and deep comprehension

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A classroom teacher working with low-ability students uses the repeated reading strategy for the purpose of

Choose an answer

1. improving reading fluency.
2. determining students' reading level.
3. determining word recognition deficits.
4. improving students' interest in reading.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Repeated reading is most effective when accompanied by a(an)

Choose an answer

1. peer providing complimentary feedback.
2. adult providing corrective feedback.
3. adult who listens to reading.
4. peer who monitors reading.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

The following exercise provides practice of which vocabulary skill?

"The knight will bow before the king."

What does bow mean?

• using a weapon with arrows
• awarding a ribbon
• bending at the waist to show homage
• feasting to celebrate victory

Choose an answer

1. homophones
2. homographs
3. antonyms
4. synonyms

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A teacher is having his students rewrite their favorite fairy tale. As part of the assignment, the students must use a thesaurus. What processing skill is the teacher requiring his students to use?

Choose an answer

1. graphonemic
2. morphemic
3. semantic
4. syntactic

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Identify the word recognition method that could most effectively aid the pronunciation of the following words.

present, content, record, read

Choose an answer

1. sight word
2. phonic analysis
3. structural analysis
4. contextual analysis

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which instructional method would help students categorize the following words?

shred, flake, crumble, bake, broil, fry, stir, toss, fold, broiler, mixer, blender

Choose an answer

1. paraphrasing
2. thesaurus usage
3. semantic mapping
4. feature analysis

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

For 1^stfirst -grade students, the best strategy to encourage vocabulary development through writing is to have students

Choose an answer

1. incorporate words from a list into their writing.
2. use a thesaurus while writing.
3. look up new words in a dictionary.
4. check their spelling frequently.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Before students learn about reading a time zone map, the teacher presents slides of her trip to Greenwich, England, where the meridian time line was established by the British. The teacher then encourages discussion of the reasons for time zones and how they affect us. Which set of reading comprehension factors is demonstrated by this lesson?

Choose an answer

1. purpose and oral language
2. vocabulary meaning and automaticity
3. content skill development and prosody
4. background information and building concepts

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Jeff is having difficulty remembering details from the story he has just read. What strategy would help him focus on details?

Choose an answer

1. summarizing
2. recognizing text structure
3. visualizing
4. questioning

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

After students read a detective story in their basal reader, a teacher asks them to make a judgment about the guilt or innocence of the main character. What type of thinking is the teacher encouraging?

Choose an answer

1. divergent
2. evaluative
3. literal
4. convergent

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following tasks is the best for representing a sequence of events in a 2^ndsecond -grade language arts lesson?

Choose an answer

1. picture
2. diorama
3. podcast
4. timeline

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A teacher is having his students locate who, where, when, why, and how in a newspaper story. This activity will help the students develop which of the following reading skills?

Choose an answer

1. creative reading skills
2. literal reading skills
3. critical reading skills
4. word recognition skills

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 1—Knowledge of the reading process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Willa is a potentially at-risk emergent learner who lacks exposure to literature. The most effective activity for her to engage in is

Choose an answer

1. teacher read alouds.
2. reading from grade-level basals.
3. selecting books from the classroom library.
4. watching educational television.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 2—Knowledge of literary analysis and genres

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which literary device is being used when inanimate objects or abstract concepts are seemingly endowed with human characteristics?

Choose an answer

1. imagery
2. paradox
3. personification
4. metonymy

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 2—Knowledge of literary analysis and genres

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Directions for characters is an example of an element frequently found in

Choose an answer

1. drama.
2. poetry.
3. realistic fiction.
4. science fiction.

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 2—Knowledge of literary analysis and genres

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Last summer, a student read a fact-based book about the life of Rosa Parks. The literary genre of this book is

Choose an answer

1. historical fiction.
2. tall tale.
3. short story.
4. biography.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 2—Knowledge of literary analysis and genres

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

By definition, poetry should contain

Choose an answer

1. rhyming words.
2. short lines.
3. soothing rhythms.
4. vivid images.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 2—Knowledge of literary analysis and genres

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A 3^rdthird -grade teacher reads an informational, nonfictional text about frogs, and a fictional narrative text about frogs. He wants his students to write an expository piece using facts and details to compare and contrast the two texts. Which of the following graphic organizers would be best to compare and contrast the two texts?

Choose an answer

1. story structure chart
2. sequence of events
3. Venn diagram
4. semantic map

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 2—Knowledge of literary analysis and genres

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

One of the best methods for improving a reader's attitude toward reading is to

Choose an answer

1. place all of the students in the same book.
2. place students in books at the appropriate reading level.
3. provide peer tutors for pair reading.
4. provide opportunities for oral reading.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following describes what happens in the graphophonic component of writing?

Choose an answer

1. Students learn how to form letters correctly and legibly.
2. Students learn how to organize ideas into various text structures.
3. Students learn that one sound may be formed a number of different ways.
4. Students learn that words are made up of letters that represent objects and ideas.

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following modes of writing is intended to provide information and includes facts and data?

Choose an answer

1. descriptive
2. narrative
3. expository
4. persuasive

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which developmental stage of writing does Amy exhibit when she writes a string of standard letters from left to right on her paper?

Choose an answer

1. early
2. beginning
3. developing
4. emergent

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A student writes about a dog.

Which of the following skills should be the teacher's primary focus when conferencing with the student about the writing?

Choose an answer

1. capitalization
2. punctuation
3. spelling
4. spacing

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following best represents a student's writing sample in the emergent writing stage?

Choose an answer

1. use of scribbles with left-to-right orientation
2. use of invented spelling to represent words
3. use of capital letters or punctuation marks
4. use of one-letter labels accompanying pictures

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A kindergarten teacher is reviewing students' journals. She notices one student's writing is not legible and the marks do not correspond to letters of the alphabet. Which stage of emergent writing is the student demonstrating?

Choose an answer

1. conventional writing
2. scribbling
3. labeling
4. invented spelling

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

To be most productive during the revising process, students should

Choose an answer

1. interact freely.
2. work in small peer groups.
3. set their own pace.
4. finish within a class period.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Recent studies of the stages of the writing process indicate that drafting is

Choose an answer

1. a silent and solitary activity.
2. predominantly dependent on inspiration.
3. best accomplished by imitating others.
4. an exploratory and tentative activity.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Beginning in the 4^thfourth grade, students must draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support which of the following?

Choose an answer

1. task, relevance, and research
2. description, purpose, and task
3. reflection, research, and analysis
4. purpose, description, and reflection

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A 6^thsixth -grade teacher has asked students to write a selection of prose in which they analyze the positive and negative aspects of a recent field trip. The best mode of writing for students to use for this assignment would be

Choose an answer

1. narrative.
2. reflective.
3. persuasive.
4. creative.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

What organizational pattern does the author of the following passage use to present the information?

A drought has a number of consequences for ranchers. Grass ceases to grow and, in some cases, dies. Cattle become lean, and thus bring less cash at market. Calves born in a drought have a higher mortality rate.

Choose an answer

1. cause and effect
2. sequence
3. contrast and compare
4. problem and solution

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 3—Knowledge of language and the writing process

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Many members of a 2^ndsecond -grade class have difficulty remembering which words are spelled with the letters i-e and which are spelled with e-i. Which of the following instructional methods would best help them overcome this problem?

Choose an answer

1. having students identify words containing i-e and e-i patterns in stories
2. using word walls with i-e and e-i patterns
3. assigning i-e and e-i dictionary activities
4. making flash cards of words containing i-e and e-i patterns

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 4—Knowledge of literacy instruction and assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A 3^rdthird-grade teacher asks the students to partner-read a literary selection. The teacher walks around the room and stops to question each pair of students about the story. Which type of assessment is the teacher using?

Choose an answer

1. informal
2. formal
3. diagnostic
4. standardized

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 4—Knowledge of literacy instruction and assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A kindergarten teacher prefaces reading to the class by pointing out the title, author, illustrator, and title page. Which skill is this teacher most likely developing with his students?

Choose an answer

1. generating questions
2. expanding vocabulary
3. concepts about books
4. comprehension of text

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 4—Knowledge of literacy instruction and assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A 6^thsixth -grade language arts teacher is looking for an assessment tool to use with his students' performance products this year. He would like a tool that has scoring standards composed of model answers to score the tasks. The best tool for this purpose would be a

Choose an answer

1. criterion-referenced test.
2. norm-referenced test.
3. portfolio.
4. rubric.

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 4—Knowledge of literacy instruction and assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A 5^thfifth -grade teacher is preparing to teach map skills to her social studies class. She should

Choose an answer

1. set up a center with maps for children to look at and explore on their own.
2. give a pretest on map skills to determine what students know about maps.
3. have a discussion about what maps are, their purposes, and key vocabulary words.
4. give a map of the classroom to the children and have them locate familiar areas.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 4—Knowledge of literacy instruction and assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

An assessment device in which a student reads a series of selections gradually increasing in difficulty and showing the level of materials a student can read independently is a(an)

Choose an answer

1. holistic reading inventory.
2. informal reading inventory.
3. criterion-referenced test.
4. running record test.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 4—Knowledge of literacy instruction and assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following information about student assessment data can be shared with the public?

Choose an answer

1. individual spelling scores organized by weekly student progress
2. class reading levels combined in an overall point system
3. class data walls depicting discipline data
4. instructional reading levels by student

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 4—Knowledge of literacy instruction and assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A 3^rdthird -grade student is working at a 2.5 instructional reading level. The student enjoys reading but has difficulty with comprehension when unable to pronounce many of the words within a passage. What would be the first type of assessment for a teacher to administer?

Choose an answer

1. phonics test
2. concept about print test
3. cloze word test
4. spelling test

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 4—Knowledge of literacy instruction and assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Students are assigned a complex project to include research, a visual aid, and a presentation. To provide the criteria for the assignment, the teacher should use a(an)

Choose an answer

1. informal reading inventory.
2. student interest survey.
3. portfolio.
4. rubric.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 4—Knowledge of literacy instruction and assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Teachers must make informed decisions about the appropriateness of modifications needed when using assessment instruments with special populations. In deciding how to address this issue in a class that includes several ELLs ee ell ells , which would be the best choice?

Choose an answer

1. preparing an alternate assessment form, based on ELLs ee ell ells ' ability levels
2. developing an alternate assignment for ELLs ee ell ells to complete in the library
3. excusing the ELLs ee ell ells from assessment
4. having the ELLs ee ell ells take the same test as non-ELLs ee ell ells ee ell ells

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 4—Knowledge of literacy instruction and assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

While conducting a guided reading lesson, a 1^stfirst -grade teacher notices students in a small group were having difficulty with one-to-one correspondence. Which of the following instructional strategies would help develop this skill?

Choose an answer

1. memory games
2. counting sounds
3. sight word cards
4. Elkonin boxes

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 5—Knowledge of communication and media literacy

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Students need a collection of maps to complete an assignment. The best resource for students to use would be a(an)

Choose an answer

1. dictionary.
2. periodical.
3. atlas.
4. encyclopedia.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Subtest 1 - Language Arts and Reading

Competency 5—Knowledge of communication and media literacy

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Handwriting is a skill best described as

Choose an answer

1. trisensory.
2. fine motor.
3. gross motor.
4. manipulative.

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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