Reading K–12

Test Format and Sample Questions

The Reading K–12 K to 12  subject area test consists of approximately 80 multiple-choice items. You will have two and one-half hours to complete the test.

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
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 1
Text Analysis Study a text and identify a literary feature, such as a figure of speech, style, form, or function, by choosing the best response option.	Question 4
Direct question Choose the response option that best answers the question.	Question 5
Sentence Completion Select the response option that best completes the sentence.	Question 9

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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Competency 1—Knowledge of research and theories of reading processes

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A reading teacher is reviewing a recently published book about a new approach to improving reading comprehension. Which of the following features should the teacher look for when evaluating the reported success of this approach?

Choose an answer

1. whether the author has published other research studies on the same topic
2. whether the new approach has been successfully adopted for use by other states
3. whether the results of the research the author conducted on the approach are reliable and valid
4. whether the materials used in the approach reflect the diversity of the local student population

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 1—Knowledge of research and theories of reading processes

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

In a classroom, the teacher has an area for small-group instruction and another area for whole-group instruction. The learning environment is information intensive with students collaborating on a variety of assignments and projects with the teacher roaming the room and helping individuals and groups of students. Which theorist best describes the teacher's disposition for instruction?

Choose an answer

1. Louise Rosenblatt
2. Noam Chomsky
3. Lev Vygotsky
4. Paulo Freire

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 1—Knowledge of research and theories of reading processes

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A teacher firmly believes that collaboration among students is essential for learning. Which of the following theories is closely aligned with this philosophy?

Choose an answer

1. cognitive development
2. social constructivist
3. discovery learning
4. reader response

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 2—Knowledge of text types and structures

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Use the following excerpt to answer the question.

The high price of oil in the 1970s resulted in a serious problem for many Americans. Long lines to purchase gasoline for cars were unavoidable. People were subjected to higher prices for oil to heat their homes. Oil companies looked to other nations for new oil supplies. They also began drilling for oil on the ocean floor.

Which of the following is the excerpt an example of?

Choose an answer

1. chronological or sequence
2. comparison and contrast
3. main idea and details
4. problem and solution

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 2—Knowledge of text types and structures

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A biography is an example of which of the following?

Choose an answer

1. realistic fiction
2. historical fiction
3. narrative nonfiction
4. expository nonfiction

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of reading assessment and evaluation

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A teacher collects reading records and rubric-scored writing samples over time on select students to document change over time. Which term best describes the teacher's purpose for collecting this type of assessment?

Choose an answer

1. screening
2. diagnosis
3. monitoring
4. outcomes

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of reading assessment and evaluation

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following is the best way to determine reading instructional groups in a classroom with students who have a wide range of skills and abilities?

Choose an answer

1. administer an IRI I R I , then conduct two miscue analyses
2. review state reading test scores, then a reading record
3. review state reading test scores, then administer an IRI I R I 
4. administer a reading checklist, then conduct read alouds

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of learning environments and procedures that support reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Teachers at a middle school made a commitment to use observational notes to monitor students' strengths and needs and to use that information for providing differentiated instruction and flexible grouping. What type of grouping is this an example of?

Choose an answer

1. data-based grouping
2. peer-tutoring grouping
3. interest-based grouping
4. heterogeneous-ability grouping

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of learning environments and procedures that support reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

An effective way for a teacher of English language learners to integrate speaking and listening into the classroom would be to use

Choose an answer

1. role play.
2. submersion.
3. silent reading.
4. video watching.

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of learning environments and procedures that support reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which adaptation of the basal reading program is the most efficient for struggling readers?

Choose an answer

1. repeated readings
2. workbook exercises
3. preintroduce vocabulary
4. silent independent reading

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of learning environments and procedures that support reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A teacher has surveyed their middle school Earth Science class and has concluded that most of the students have little knowledge about regional weather patterns. Which of the following sources would provide the students with the most up-to-date and comprehensive information?

Choose an answer

1. online weather report site
2. textbook chapter on meteorology
3. almanac to track past weather patterns
4. newspaper articles about weather phenomena

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of oral and written language acquisition and reading and writing development

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

During a shared reading of an enlarged text in a primary learning environment, the teacher focuses instruction on the structure of the language by engaging students periodically in conversation. Which cognitive working system is the teacher scaffolding during the lesson?

Choose an answer

1. graphophonic working system
2. semantic working system
3. syntactic working system
4. lexical working system

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of oral and written language acquisition and reading and writing development

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Students who cannot decode and rely on context and initial letters to figure out unknown words demonstrate characteristics of which phase of word recognition?

Choose an answer

1. consolidated-alphabetic
2. full-alphabetic
3. partial-alphabetic
4. pre-alphabetic

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of oral and written language acquisition and reading and writing development

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following is most appropriate for developing the concept that print is "speech written down"?

Choose an answer

1. phonics approach
2. language experience approach
3. linguistic approach
4. literature-based approach

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 6—Knowledge of phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following statements is true in relation to early literacy skill acquisition?

Choose an answer

1. Achievement in print knowledge does not help with acquisition of early literacy skills.
2. Identifying letter names as an isolated skill is a strong predictor of learning to read.
3. Teaching skills with a causal relationship to later reading acquisition is a bad idea.
4. Naming letters with phonological awareness and sounds is an effective method.

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 6—Knowledge of phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A teacher uses the following instructional procedures.

1. Teach the students to recognize aurally the individual sounds in words.
2. Teach the students to blend the sounds in words.

What is the focus of this instruction?

Choose an answer

1. initial consonant plus phonogram
2. phonemic awareness
3. single letter phonics method
4. analytical phonic method

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 6—Knowledge of phonological awareness, phonics, and word recognition based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following is the most effective strategy to assist a middle-schooler struggling with 3^rd-grade third grade  high-frequency words?

Choose an answer

1. give explicit instruction in word recognition
2. create an individual word bank for the student
3. provide corrective feedback on word misspellings
4. post grade-level sight words on a classroom word wall

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 7—Knowledge of vocabulary acquisition and use based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following descriptions best matches Tier 1 vocabulary words?

Choose an answer

1. prevalent in everyday language
2. prevalent in written language
3. prevalent in content areas
4. prevalent in oral language

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 7—Knowledge of vocabulary acquisition and use based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which procedure is most appropriate for teaching multiple-meaning words?

Choose an answer

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

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 7—Knowledge of vocabulary acquisition and use based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following student activities would be most appropriate for helping English language learners understand the meanings of Tier 1 words used as Tier 2 words in a mathematics classroom?

Choose an answer

1. matching words with both common and applied definitions
2. bringing pictures that show one particular meaning of the word
3. working with one word from instruction that has multiple meanings
4. clustering information learned, including meanings for all new words

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 7—Knowledge of vocabulary acquisition and use based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A teacher working with diverse learners in the emergent stage of literacy development should

Choose an answer

1. prioritize conducting read alouds and literature circle activities.
2. first teach sight word recognition and CVC word decoding skills.
3. first develop students' oral and academic vocabulary knowledge.
4. include assignments that involve working with stories and writing.

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 8—Knowledge of reading fluency and reading comprehension based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

An oral reading fluency measure indicates that a student reads in two- and three-word phrases causing the reading to sound choppy. Additionally, the measure reveals that the student made improper stresses and intonations which failed to indicate the end of sentences or clauses. From this measure, the teacher should work in which of the following areas of fluency?

Choose an answer

1. rate
2. phrasing
3. accuracy
4. expression

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 8—Knowledge of reading fluency and reading comprehension based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A teacher encourages his 1^st-grade first grade  English language learners to read selected narrative decodable texts to their parent or guardian five times over the course of a week. The primary purpose of this oral reading activity is to increase

Choose an answer

1. comprehension.
2. enjoyment.
3. reading interest.
4. automaticity.

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 8—Knowledge of reading fluency and reading comprehension based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

In preparing 3^rd-grade third grade  students to read informational text on the importance of recycling, the teacher is primarily concerned with activating students' prior knowledge. Which of the following would be most effective?

Choose an answer

1. SQ3R S Q 3 R 
2. QAR Q A R 
3. IRI I R I 
4. KWL K W L 

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 8—Knowledge of reading fluency and reading comprehension based on the science of reading

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which strategy would best help students develop the ability to synthesize reading material?

Choose an answer

1. reading an informational passage and working in small groups to create semantic maps of the organizational patterns presented in the text
2. highlighting predetermined information (criteria) such as main idea, thesis statement, supporting details, and specialized vocabulary in a reading passage
3. rewriting a passage from a classic play, such as Shakespeare's Othello or Romeo and Juliet, in standard English and one other vernacular speech pattern
4. reading two passages and brainstorming in small groups to create Venn diagrams that compare and contrast theme, content, characters, and details of the texts

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 9—Knowledge of reading program development, implementation, and coordination

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

The district reading leadership team has determined based on data that additional informal progress monitoring opportunities in reading must be included in instruction for all the schools in the district. Which of the following progress monitoring resources will support this district effort?

Choose an answer

1. schedule additional team meetings with academic coaches
2. purchase a formal assessment program for the district with training
3. hire additional academic coaches to track the students' reading growth
4. provide professional development on formative assessments for all teachers

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 9—Knowledge of reading program development, implementation, and coordination

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

In October, a teacher meets with a paraprofessional of an 11^th-grade eleventh grade  student to discuss ways to increase teacher and peer interactions, decrease an over reliance on the paraprofessional, and build independence. Which of the following is this an example of?

Choose an answer

1. interim educational meeting
2. specially designed instruction
3. prereferral intervention strategies
4. clarifying roles and responsibilities

Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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