WGU D668 Elementary Literacy Curriculum | Western Governors
University | Academic Year 2026/2027 | Objective Assessment
Comprehensive Examination Verified Questions and Correct Answer
Rationales
1. How do the five pillars work together to support development of good readers and
writers? - ANSWERS-The five pillars of literacy are essential building blocks for
becoming a good reader and writer. They include understanding how sounds work in
words (phonemic awareness), knowing the connection between letters and sounds
(phonics), reading smoothly and with expression (fluency), learning the meaning of
words (vocabulary), and understanding what you read (comprehension). By focusing
on these areas, students can become strong readers and writers.
2. Phonemic awareness - ANSWERS-Students practice identifying and manipulating
individual sounds in words by playing a game where they segment and blend
phonemes to form new words.
3. Phonics - ANSWERS-Students participate in a hands-on activity where they use letter
tiles to build words that match given sounds and patterns.
4. Fluency - ANSWERS-Students engage in repeated reading of a short passage,
focusing on reading it smoothly and with appropriate expression.
5. Vocabulary - ANSWERS-Students use a vocabulary journal to write down new words
they encounter in their reading, along with definitions and example sentences.
6. Students read a story and then use a graphic organizer to map out the main idea and
supporting details. - ANSWERS-Comprehension
7. Prosody - ANSWERS-reading with appropriate expression, intonation, and phrasing
8. How does Scarborough's reading rope model contribute to the development of skilled
reading? - ANSWERS-By illustrating how various components of language and
cognition work together to create fluent, skilled reading.
9. Orthography - ANSWERS-the conventional system of spelling and writing in a
language
10. Morphology - ANSWERS-the study of how words are put together with smaller parts
called morphemes, which can be prefixes, suffixes, root words, or other word parts
11. Semantics - ANSWERS-the meaning of words/phrases and how they relate to each
other; it helps us understand the meanings of sentences and how words/phrases
connect to form clear and meaningful communication
, 12. Semantics: What is the definition of 'stop' when it it used as a noun? - ANSWERS-
Something that impedes or obstructs
13. Which factor is crucial for language acquisition and proficiency across different
linguistic contexts as assessed through POSSUM? - ANSWERS-Lexical quality of
words - Lexical quality of words, as assessed through POSSUM, is crucial for language
acquisition and proficiency, encompassing factors like word frequency, age of
acquisition, and imageability.
14. What is the first pillar of literacy according to the lesson? - ANSWERS-Phonemic
awareness
15. A big picture of how reading works - ANSWERS-What does Scarborough's Reading
Rope represent?
16. Structured literacy - ANSWERS-Which literacy approach emphasizes explicit
instruction in the relationships between sounds and letters?
17. What does phonemic awareness primarily focus on? - ANSWERS-Manipulating
individual sounds in words
18. Decoding skills are essential for the development of reading fluency to support
reading comprehension. - ANSWERS-Which of the following is a key element of
literacy acquisition?
19. Comprehension Strategies - ANSWERS-Which of the following is an essential aspect
of literacy acquisition?
20. Onset-rime - ANSWERS-Onset-rime activities are foundational and help young
learners recognize and manipulate the initial and ending sounds of words. - early
element
21. Alliteration - ANSWERS-Alliteration involves the repetition of initial sounds and is a
basic phonological awareness skill. Early element
22. Phoneme segmentation - ANSWERS-Phoneme segmentation requires breaking
words into individual phonemes, which is a more advanced skill than early
phonological awareness activities. - basic element
23. Phoneme blending - ANSWERS-Phoneme blending involves combining individual
phonemes to form words and is a fundamental phonological skill. Basic element
24. Phoneme deletion - ANSWERS-Phoneme deletion is a more complex skill that
involves removing phonemes from words to create new words. - advanced element
University | Academic Year 2026/2027 | Objective Assessment
Comprehensive Examination Verified Questions and Correct Answer
Rationales
1. How do the five pillars work together to support development of good readers and
writers? - ANSWERS-The five pillars of literacy are essential building blocks for
becoming a good reader and writer. They include understanding how sounds work in
words (phonemic awareness), knowing the connection between letters and sounds
(phonics), reading smoothly and with expression (fluency), learning the meaning of
words (vocabulary), and understanding what you read (comprehension). By focusing
on these areas, students can become strong readers and writers.
2. Phonemic awareness - ANSWERS-Students practice identifying and manipulating
individual sounds in words by playing a game where they segment and blend
phonemes to form new words.
3. Phonics - ANSWERS-Students participate in a hands-on activity where they use letter
tiles to build words that match given sounds and patterns.
4. Fluency - ANSWERS-Students engage in repeated reading of a short passage,
focusing on reading it smoothly and with appropriate expression.
5. Vocabulary - ANSWERS-Students use a vocabulary journal to write down new words
they encounter in their reading, along with definitions and example sentences.
6. Students read a story and then use a graphic organizer to map out the main idea and
supporting details. - ANSWERS-Comprehension
7. Prosody - ANSWERS-reading with appropriate expression, intonation, and phrasing
8. How does Scarborough's reading rope model contribute to the development of skilled
reading? - ANSWERS-By illustrating how various components of language and
cognition work together to create fluent, skilled reading.
9. Orthography - ANSWERS-the conventional system of spelling and writing in a
language
10. Morphology - ANSWERS-the study of how words are put together with smaller parts
called morphemes, which can be prefixes, suffixes, root words, or other word parts
11. Semantics - ANSWERS-the meaning of words/phrases and how they relate to each
other; it helps us understand the meanings of sentences and how words/phrases
connect to form clear and meaningful communication
, 12. Semantics: What is the definition of 'stop' when it it used as a noun? - ANSWERS-
Something that impedes or obstructs
13. Which factor is crucial for language acquisition and proficiency across different
linguistic contexts as assessed through POSSUM? - ANSWERS-Lexical quality of
words - Lexical quality of words, as assessed through POSSUM, is crucial for language
acquisition and proficiency, encompassing factors like word frequency, age of
acquisition, and imageability.
14. What is the first pillar of literacy according to the lesson? - ANSWERS-Phonemic
awareness
15. A big picture of how reading works - ANSWERS-What does Scarborough's Reading
Rope represent?
16. Structured literacy - ANSWERS-Which literacy approach emphasizes explicit
instruction in the relationships between sounds and letters?
17. What does phonemic awareness primarily focus on? - ANSWERS-Manipulating
individual sounds in words
18. Decoding skills are essential for the development of reading fluency to support
reading comprehension. - ANSWERS-Which of the following is a key element of
literacy acquisition?
19. Comprehension Strategies - ANSWERS-Which of the following is an essential aspect
of literacy acquisition?
20. Onset-rime - ANSWERS-Onset-rime activities are foundational and help young
learners recognize and manipulate the initial and ending sounds of words. - early
element
21. Alliteration - ANSWERS-Alliteration involves the repetition of initial sounds and is a
basic phonological awareness skill. Early element
22. Phoneme segmentation - ANSWERS-Phoneme segmentation requires breaking
words into individual phonemes, which is a more advanced skill than early
phonological awareness activities. - basic element
23. Phoneme blending - ANSWERS-Phoneme blending involves combining individual
phonemes to form words and is a fundamental phonological skill. Basic element
24. Phoneme deletion - ANSWERS-Phoneme deletion is a more complex skill that
involves removing phonemes from words to create new words. - advanced element
