STR Practice Exam 1 question & answer
2023
An important building block of literacy skills involves awareness of the sounds of human
language. To build this awareness, prekindergarten teachers will sing songs, play word
games, and read books that contain rhymes and alliteration. Which of the following
terms is used to describe the sounds of human speech?
syntax
phonetics
morphology
pragmatics - correct answer phonetics
describes the sounds of human speech
A third-grade teacher plans a lesson that begins with each student independently
reading the same text, followed by a writing activity completed in partner sets, and ends
with a class discussion about the text and their writing. The teacher checks in with
students throughout all parts of the lesson then collects their writing to score with a
rubric. This lesson would be best described as an example of:
integration of language skills
small group instruction
differentiation
an informal assessment - correct answer integration of language skills
this lesson requires students to read, listen, speak, and write, making it an example of
the integration of language skills
A prekindergarten teacher reads a big book aloud to her class. The book emphasizes
alliteration, with many words starting with the letter B. As she reads, she uses a pointer
to follow along in the text. Read the following excerpt from the book:
The big brown bear began each day with a big, hearty breakfast.
After reading the book, the teacher points to the better "b" and asks her class what letter
it is. Next, she asks her class what sound the letter makes. Which of the following skills
is this teacher assessing in this activity?
word awareness and tracking
,directionality and tracking
alphabetic principle and word awareness
letter recognition and alphabetic principle - correct answer letter recognition and
alphabetic principle
When the teacher points to the letter "b" and asks the name, she is assessing letter
recognition, and when the teacher asks what sound that letter makes, she is assessing
alphabetic principle.
A prekindergarten teacher gives each student a tray of sand and asks them to trace the
letter "s" into the sand while making the /s/ sound out loud. This lesson is best designed
to support the development of what concept?
alphabetic principle
print concepts
oral language
alphabetic knowledge - correct answer alphabetic principle
Since they are repeating the letter's sound, they are reinforcing the connection between
the letter and the sound it makes.
A teacher arranges a parent meeting to discuss some observed vocabulary challenges.
The teacher tells the parents that the student does not recognize common instructional
language used by the teacher in the classroom. Based on the teacher's observations,
the student is significantly below the 3,000 to 4,000 words that children her age are
generally expected to understand by the end of the school year. The teacher feels
strongly that they should make a deliberate effort to improve the students' vocabulary to
prevent the Matthew Effect and to support reading development.
The teacher then describes her plans to support the student's vocabulary development
within the classroom and the process to determine whether further intervention is
necessary. Finally, the group discusses ways for the parents to support their child from
home.
The teacher notes that the student is likely to understand 3,000 to 4,000 words by the
end of the school year. Based on the guidelines for the state of Texas, what grade level
is this student currently in?
prekindergarten
kindergarten
,first grade
second grade - correct answer prekindergarten
Prekindergarten students are likely to understand 3,000 - 4,000 words by the end of the
year. Prekindergarten children should be able to use a wide variety of words to label
and describe people, places, things, and actions. They should also understand the
terms used in the instructional language of the classroom.
A teacher arranges a parent meeting to discuss some observed vocabulary challenges.
The teacher tells the parents that the student does not recognize common instructional
language used by the teacher in the classroom. Based on the teacher's observations,
the student is significantly below the 3,000 to 4,000 words that children her age are
generally expected to understand by the end of the school year. The teacher feels
strongly that they should make a deliberate effort to improve the students' vocabulary to
prevent the Matthew Effect and to support reading development.
The teacher then describes her plans to support the student's vocabulary development
within the classroom and the process to determine whether further intervention is
necessary. Finally, the group discusses ways for the parents to support their child from
home.
The teacher expresses concerns about how the student's limited vocabulary will impact
reading development. Which of the following two reading skills is the teacher likely
concerned about in relation to the student's vocabulary?
Select all answers that apply.
ability to comprehend texts
ability to read fluently
ability to learn sound and letter relationships
ability to use metacognition while reading - correct answer ability to comprehend texts
Vocabulary skills impact reading comprehension because frequently encountering
words that you do not know the meaning of can impact your understanding overall.
ability to read fluently
Vocabulary skills impact reading fluency because it is more difficult to decode a word
when it is not a word that is in your vocabulary.
A teacher arranges a parent meeting to discuss some observed vocabulary challenges.
The teacher tells the parents that the student does not recognize common instructional
language used by the teacher in the classroom. Based on the teacher's observations,
the student is significantly below the 3,000 to 4,000 words that children her age are
generally expected to understand by the end of the school year. The teacher feels
, strongly that they should make a deliberate effort to improve the students' vocabulary to
prevent the Matthew Effect and to support reading development.
The teacher then describes her plans to support the student's vocabulary development
within the classroom and the process to determine whether further intervention is
necessary. Finally, the group discusses ways for the parents to support their child from
home.
The teacher explains to the parents that part of the motivation to intervene early on is
related to the Matthew Effect. Which of the following best describes the Matthew Effect?
vocabulary challenges can only be addressed if intervention begins early on in the
child's reading development
initial reading success tends to make later success more likely, while initial deficit may
make continued progress increasingly more difficult
vocabulary challenges can impact student growth in all academic areas, not only
language arts skills
vocabulary detriments negatively impact how well students can comprehend and
analyze texts over time - correct answer initial reading success tends to make later
success more likely, while initial deficit may make continued progress increasingly more
difficult
This is the correct explanation for the Matthew Effect and its role in reading
development.
A second-grade teacher has planned a reading comprehension assessment over a text
about the 4th of July. However, the teacher is concerned with the accessibility of this
topic for the English language learners in her class. How should the teacher differentiate
this activity to make it a more reliable assessment of her ELL students' skills?
read the text aloud to all students
provide ELL students with an alternative text on the same reading level for the
assessment
encourage active reading by requiring ELL students to annotate while they read
provide ELL students with a graphic organizer of a plot pyramid to complete as they
read - correct answer provide ELL students with an alternative text on the same reading
level for the assessment
Providing ELL students with an alternative text would be the best option in this case.
There is a reasonable chance that some ELL students will not have much background
knowledge related to the 4th of July, making this an unreliable assessment of their
comprehension.
2023
An important building block of literacy skills involves awareness of the sounds of human
language. To build this awareness, prekindergarten teachers will sing songs, play word
games, and read books that contain rhymes and alliteration. Which of the following
terms is used to describe the sounds of human speech?
syntax
phonetics
morphology
pragmatics - correct answer phonetics
describes the sounds of human speech
A third-grade teacher plans a lesson that begins with each student independently
reading the same text, followed by a writing activity completed in partner sets, and ends
with a class discussion about the text and their writing. The teacher checks in with
students throughout all parts of the lesson then collects their writing to score with a
rubric. This lesson would be best described as an example of:
integration of language skills
small group instruction
differentiation
an informal assessment - correct answer integration of language skills
this lesson requires students to read, listen, speak, and write, making it an example of
the integration of language skills
A prekindergarten teacher reads a big book aloud to her class. The book emphasizes
alliteration, with many words starting with the letter B. As she reads, she uses a pointer
to follow along in the text. Read the following excerpt from the book:
The big brown bear began each day with a big, hearty breakfast.
After reading the book, the teacher points to the better "b" and asks her class what letter
it is. Next, she asks her class what sound the letter makes. Which of the following skills
is this teacher assessing in this activity?
word awareness and tracking
,directionality and tracking
alphabetic principle and word awareness
letter recognition and alphabetic principle - correct answer letter recognition and
alphabetic principle
When the teacher points to the letter "b" and asks the name, she is assessing letter
recognition, and when the teacher asks what sound that letter makes, she is assessing
alphabetic principle.
A prekindergarten teacher gives each student a tray of sand and asks them to trace the
letter "s" into the sand while making the /s/ sound out loud. This lesson is best designed
to support the development of what concept?
alphabetic principle
print concepts
oral language
alphabetic knowledge - correct answer alphabetic principle
Since they are repeating the letter's sound, they are reinforcing the connection between
the letter and the sound it makes.
A teacher arranges a parent meeting to discuss some observed vocabulary challenges.
The teacher tells the parents that the student does not recognize common instructional
language used by the teacher in the classroom. Based on the teacher's observations,
the student is significantly below the 3,000 to 4,000 words that children her age are
generally expected to understand by the end of the school year. The teacher feels
strongly that they should make a deliberate effort to improve the students' vocabulary to
prevent the Matthew Effect and to support reading development.
The teacher then describes her plans to support the student's vocabulary development
within the classroom and the process to determine whether further intervention is
necessary. Finally, the group discusses ways for the parents to support their child from
home.
The teacher notes that the student is likely to understand 3,000 to 4,000 words by the
end of the school year. Based on the guidelines for the state of Texas, what grade level
is this student currently in?
prekindergarten
kindergarten
,first grade
second grade - correct answer prekindergarten
Prekindergarten students are likely to understand 3,000 - 4,000 words by the end of the
year. Prekindergarten children should be able to use a wide variety of words to label
and describe people, places, things, and actions. They should also understand the
terms used in the instructional language of the classroom.
A teacher arranges a parent meeting to discuss some observed vocabulary challenges.
The teacher tells the parents that the student does not recognize common instructional
language used by the teacher in the classroom. Based on the teacher's observations,
the student is significantly below the 3,000 to 4,000 words that children her age are
generally expected to understand by the end of the school year. The teacher feels
strongly that they should make a deliberate effort to improve the students' vocabulary to
prevent the Matthew Effect and to support reading development.
The teacher then describes her plans to support the student's vocabulary development
within the classroom and the process to determine whether further intervention is
necessary. Finally, the group discusses ways for the parents to support their child from
home.
The teacher expresses concerns about how the student's limited vocabulary will impact
reading development. Which of the following two reading skills is the teacher likely
concerned about in relation to the student's vocabulary?
Select all answers that apply.
ability to comprehend texts
ability to read fluently
ability to learn sound and letter relationships
ability to use metacognition while reading - correct answer ability to comprehend texts
Vocabulary skills impact reading comprehension because frequently encountering
words that you do not know the meaning of can impact your understanding overall.
ability to read fluently
Vocabulary skills impact reading fluency because it is more difficult to decode a word
when it is not a word that is in your vocabulary.
A teacher arranges a parent meeting to discuss some observed vocabulary challenges.
The teacher tells the parents that the student does not recognize common instructional
language used by the teacher in the classroom. Based on the teacher's observations,
the student is significantly below the 3,000 to 4,000 words that children her age are
generally expected to understand by the end of the school year. The teacher feels
, strongly that they should make a deliberate effort to improve the students' vocabulary to
prevent the Matthew Effect and to support reading development.
The teacher then describes her plans to support the student's vocabulary development
within the classroom and the process to determine whether further intervention is
necessary. Finally, the group discusses ways for the parents to support their child from
home.
The teacher explains to the parents that part of the motivation to intervene early on is
related to the Matthew Effect. Which of the following best describes the Matthew Effect?
vocabulary challenges can only be addressed if intervention begins early on in the
child's reading development
initial reading success tends to make later success more likely, while initial deficit may
make continued progress increasingly more difficult
vocabulary challenges can impact student growth in all academic areas, not only
language arts skills
vocabulary detriments negatively impact how well students can comprehend and
analyze texts over time - correct answer initial reading success tends to make later
success more likely, while initial deficit may make continued progress increasingly more
difficult
This is the correct explanation for the Matthew Effect and its role in reading
development.
A second-grade teacher has planned a reading comprehension assessment over a text
about the 4th of July. However, the teacher is concerned with the accessibility of this
topic for the English language learners in her class. How should the teacher differentiate
this activity to make it a more reliable assessment of her ELL students' skills?
read the text aloud to all students
provide ELL students with an alternative text on the same reading level for the
assessment
encourage active reading by requiring ELL students to annotate while they read
provide ELL students with a graphic organizer of a plot pyramid to complete as they
read - correct answer provide ELL students with an alternative text on the same reading
level for the assessment
Providing ELL students with an alternative text would be the best option in this case.
There is a reasonable chance that some ELL students will not have much background
knowledge related to the 4th of July, making this an unreliable assessment of their
comprehension.
