GACE – Elementary Education Study Guide with Key Concepts
and Practice Questions
1. In a first-grade class, the teacher reads a story aloud while the students echo the words the
teacher has read. Which of the following approaches to reading is the teacher using?
A. Reader's workshop
B. Shared reading
C. Round robin
D. Guided reading - correct answer ✔✔ Option B is correct. In shared reading, an interactive
reading experience, children join in the reading of a big book or other enlarged text as guided
by a teacher or other adult.
2. Which of the following statements best demonstrates an example of an allusion?
A. "Samantha eats chocolates every day. Chocolates are her Achilles' heel."
B. "Juanita and Marco disagreed about where they should take what they had found."
C. "In the high winds, the crew was barely able to keep the sails from dipping sideways."
D. "Celine struggled to walk through the cold, blowing wind." - correct answer ✔✔ Option A is
correct. An allusion is a figure of speech that makes references to a person, an event, or a place.
Achilles is a character in Greek mythology, and "Achilles' heel" defines an area of vulnerability.
The statement implies that Samantha has a weakness for chocolates.
3. Which of the following strategies is most beneficial for students during the revising stage of
the writing process?
A. Using a graphic organizer
B. Brainstorming ideas as a class
C. Holding peer conferences
D. Typing their work on a computer - correct answer ✔✔ Option C is correct. During the revising
stage, the writer consults with peers or the teacher to improve the writing piece.
,4. Which of the following is the primary purpose of having a student retell a story?
A. To assess the student's level of comprehension
B. To measure the student's vocabulary development
C. To determine the student's fluency rate
D. To evaluate the student's oral reading progress - correct answer ✔✔ Option A is correct.
Asking a student to retell a story is an informal way to assess reading comprehension.
5. Which of the following concepts involves understanding that spoken words consist of a
sequence of individual sounds?
A. Morphology
B. Phonemic awareness
C. Alphabetic principle
D. Syntax - correct answer ✔✔ Option B is correct. Phonemic awareness is the understanding
that spoken words consist of a sequence of individual sounds.
6. A student is actively engaged in reading a book and is making judgments and decisions
beyond what is stated in the text. Which of the following methods of comprehension is the
student using?
A. Inferential
B. Literal
C. Vocabulary
D. Internal - correct answer ✔✔ Option A is correct. Inferential questions require students to
use their background knowledge and the clues within the story to answer questions beyond
what is explicitly stated in the text.
7. After a class reading of an informational text about endangered animals, a teacher instructs
students to prepare an oral presentation on an animal of their choice. Which of the following
guidelines will best help students produce an engaging presentation?
, A. Including words and phrases that will make the speech entertaining
B. Writing detailed notes to read from during the presentation
C. Maintaining eye contact with the audience while presenting
D. Using a loud voice to make sure everyone can understand the presentation - correct answer
✔✔ Option C is correct. Making eye contact with the audience makes them feel connected with
the presenter and engaged with the presentation.
8. A teacher reads the following section of text aloud to the class.
The people elected a new president. Everyone thought he was the best ruler for the country.
After reading, the teacher asks students, "What does the word 'ruler' mean as used by the
author?" The teacher asks this question most likely to help students learn to
A. identify sight words.
B. decode unknown words.
C. develop vocabulary.
D. use context clues. - correct answer ✔✔ Option D is correct. Context clues include information
from pictures or words surrounding an unknown word that helps readers figure out the
meaning of an unknown word.
9. Each day during calendar time, Ms. Nelson sings songs with her kindergarten students. Using
a chart containing the words to the songs, Ms. Nelson taps a pointer on each word as the
students sing. Ms. Nelson is demonstrating which of the following?
A. Concepts of print
B. Decoding
C. Thinkingaloud
D. The alphabetic principle - correct answer ✔✔ Option A is correct. Concepts of print is defined
as an awareness of print in the everyday environment with an emerging understanding of how
printed language works. In the scenario, the teacher points at the written words that match
each word she sings.
and Practice Questions
1. In a first-grade class, the teacher reads a story aloud while the students echo the words the
teacher has read. Which of the following approaches to reading is the teacher using?
A. Reader's workshop
B. Shared reading
C. Round robin
D. Guided reading - correct answer ✔✔ Option B is correct. In shared reading, an interactive
reading experience, children join in the reading of a big book or other enlarged text as guided
by a teacher or other adult.
2. Which of the following statements best demonstrates an example of an allusion?
A. "Samantha eats chocolates every day. Chocolates are her Achilles' heel."
B. "Juanita and Marco disagreed about where they should take what they had found."
C. "In the high winds, the crew was barely able to keep the sails from dipping sideways."
D. "Celine struggled to walk through the cold, blowing wind." - correct answer ✔✔ Option A is
correct. An allusion is a figure of speech that makes references to a person, an event, or a place.
Achilles is a character in Greek mythology, and "Achilles' heel" defines an area of vulnerability.
The statement implies that Samantha has a weakness for chocolates.
3. Which of the following strategies is most beneficial for students during the revising stage of
the writing process?
A. Using a graphic organizer
B. Brainstorming ideas as a class
C. Holding peer conferences
D. Typing their work on a computer - correct answer ✔✔ Option C is correct. During the revising
stage, the writer consults with peers or the teacher to improve the writing piece.
,4. Which of the following is the primary purpose of having a student retell a story?
A. To assess the student's level of comprehension
B. To measure the student's vocabulary development
C. To determine the student's fluency rate
D. To evaluate the student's oral reading progress - correct answer ✔✔ Option A is correct.
Asking a student to retell a story is an informal way to assess reading comprehension.
5. Which of the following concepts involves understanding that spoken words consist of a
sequence of individual sounds?
A. Morphology
B. Phonemic awareness
C. Alphabetic principle
D. Syntax - correct answer ✔✔ Option B is correct. Phonemic awareness is the understanding
that spoken words consist of a sequence of individual sounds.
6. A student is actively engaged in reading a book and is making judgments and decisions
beyond what is stated in the text. Which of the following methods of comprehension is the
student using?
A. Inferential
B. Literal
C. Vocabulary
D. Internal - correct answer ✔✔ Option A is correct. Inferential questions require students to
use their background knowledge and the clues within the story to answer questions beyond
what is explicitly stated in the text.
7. After a class reading of an informational text about endangered animals, a teacher instructs
students to prepare an oral presentation on an animal of their choice. Which of the following
guidelines will best help students produce an engaging presentation?
, A. Including words and phrases that will make the speech entertaining
B. Writing detailed notes to read from during the presentation
C. Maintaining eye contact with the audience while presenting
D. Using a loud voice to make sure everyone can understand the presentation - correct answer
✔✔ Option C is correct. Making eye contact with the audience makes them feel connected with
the presenter and engaged with the presentation.
8. A teacher reads the following section of text aloud to the class.
The people elected a new president. Everyone thought he was the best ruler for the country.
After reading, the teacher asks students, "What does the word 'ruler' mean as used by the
author?" The teacher asks this question most likely to help students learn to
A. identify sight words.
B. decode unknown words.
C. develop vocabulary.
D. use context clues. - correct answer ✔✔ Option D is correct. Context clues include information
from pictures or words surrounding an unknown word that helps readers figure out the
meaning of an unknown word.
9. Each day during calendar time, Ms. Nelson sings songs with her kindergarten students. Using
a chart containing the words to the songs, Ms. Nelson taps a pointer on each word as the
students sing. Ms. Nelson is demonstrating which of the following?
A. Concepts of print
B. Decoding
C. Thinkingaloud
D. The alphabetic principle - correct answer ✔✔ Option A is correct. Concepts of print is defined
as an awareness of print in the everyday environment with an emerging understanding of how
printed language works. In the scenario, the teacher points at the written words that match
each word she sings.
