NES Professional Exam Practice Questions with
Correct Answers and Explanations
A kindergarten teacher can best apply the concept of developmentally appropriate practice by making
which of the following a priority? - Answer Designing a learning environment that supports the essential
role of play in students' learning
According to Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, the elementary years are a critical
period for individuals to develop a sense of - Answer Competence
An elementary teacher observes that some students tend to talk to themselves softly during individual
problem-solving activities. The teacher should be aware that this type of self-talk - Answer helps guide a
student's thinking about the learning task
A first-grade teacher notices that even though all students in the class know their letters and numbers, a
few students routinely reverse certain letters and numbers when writing them. In this situation, the
teacher's most appropriate initial course of action would be - Answer Recognize this tendency as part of
the normal range of development and continue to observe the students' work for potential learning
problems
This situation is the teacher's strategy most likely to promote students' ability to regulate their own
learning? - Answer A teacher helps each fourth-grade student identify weekly goals that target the
student's specific academic needs
A first-grade teacher gives each student in a small group a ball of clay of approximately the same size.
The teacher observes that after several students split their clay into two pieces, one student is unhappy,
stating that "they have a lot more clay" than he has. The teacher's observation most strongly suggests
that this student - Answer Has not yet developed the concept of conservation of mass
Which of the following describes the greatest strength of this set of activities? - Answer Providing each
student with opportunities for active engagement with the content
According to Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence, students who are most comfortable with
this set of activities and find them most useful in promoting learning are likely to demonstrate particular
strength in which of the following areas of intelligence? - Answer Visual-spatial
, The teacher decides to follow the Feel-It-Box activity by having students describe each of the geometric
shapes and match them to other similar be most effective in promoting students' development of which
of the following cognitive abilities - Answer Classification
This situation best illustrates the use of metacognitive skills to facilitate learning - Answer A student
considers which of several reading strategies is most appropriate to use for each assigned reading task
Scaffolding is likely to be most effective in promoting student learning when - Answer the teacher uses
scaffolding techniques that are tailored to each students' specific needs
An elementary teacher is planning a geography lesson to introduce students to the concept that the
resources available in a region influence the size and distribution of the region's population. The teacher
is likely to be most successful in promoting student understanding of the targeted concept by
implementing a lesson that - Answer relates the concept to familiar situations or to concepts that
students have previously learned
A teacher is planning a long-term project that will require each student to research and report on a topic
related to an upcoming unit of study. The teacher would like to use the project to enhance students'
organizational and time-management skills. Which of the following teacher strategies would best help
promote achievement of this goal? - Answer Having students track their own progress on a teacher-
developed chart that lists the tasks required for the project and indicates when each task should be
complete
An upper elementary teacher regularly incorporates self-directed learning projects into instruction.
Which is likely to be the most important benefit of this approach? - Answer Enhancing students' ability
to construct their own understanding of content
What factor is likely to have the greatest influence on the academic performance of a third-grade
student? - Answer The attitudes and expectations expressed by significant adults in the student's life in
regard to his or her school achievement
An elementary teacher is considering using within-class ability grouping as part of an overall approach to
reading instruction. The teacher can best reduce the potential negative effects of this grouping strategy
by taking particular care to - Answer View groups as flexible and regroup students as appropriate to
address specific learning needs
Correct Answers and Explanations
A kindergarten teacher can best apply the concept of developmentally appropriate practice by making
which of the following a priority? - Answer Designing a learning environment that supports the essential
role of play in students' learning
According to Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, the elementary years are a critical
period for individuals to develop a sense of - Answer Competence
An elementary teacher observes that some students tend to talk to themselves softly during individual
problem-solving activities. The teacher should be aware that this type of self-talk - Answer helps guide a
student's thinking about the learning task
A first-grade teacher notices that even though all students in the class know their letters and numbers, a
few students routinely reverse certain letters and numbers when writing them. In this situation, the
teacher's most appropriate initial course of action would be - Answer Recognize this tendency as part of
the normal range of development and continue to observe the students' work for potential learning
problems
This situation is the teacher's strategy most likely to promote students' ability to regulate their own
learning? - Answer A teacher helps each fourth-grade student identify weekly goals that target the
student's specific academic needs
A first-grade teacher gives each student in a small group a ball of clay of approximately the same size.
The teacher observes that after several students split their clay into two pieces, one student is unhappy,
stating that "they have a lot more clay" than he has. The teacher's observation most strongly suggests
that this student - Answer Has not yet developed the concept of conservation of mass
Which of the following describes the greatest strength of this set of activities? - Answer Providing each
student with opportunities for active engagement with the content
According to Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence, students who are most comfortable with
this set of activities and find them most useful in promoting learning are likely to demonstrate particular
strength in which of the following areas of intelligence? - Answer Visual-spatial
, The teacher decides to follow the Feel-It-Box activity by having students describe each of the geometric
shapes and match them to other similar be most effective in promoting students' development of which
of the following cognitive abilities - Answer Classification
This situation best illustrates the use of metacognitive skills to facilitate learning - Answer A student
considers which of several reading strategies is most appropriate to use for each assigned reading task
Scaffolding is likely to be most effective in promoting student learning when - Answer the teacher uses
scaffolding techniques that are tailored to each students' specific needs
An elementary teacher is planning a geography lesson to introduce students to the concept that the
resources available in a region influence the size and distribution of the region's population. The teacher
is likely to be most successful in promoting student understanding of the targeted concept by
implementing a lesson that - Answer relates the concept to familiar situations or to concepts that
students have previously learned
A teacher is planning a long-term project that will require each student to research and report on a topic
related to an upcoming unit of study. The teacher would like to use the project to enhance students'
organizational and time-management skills. Which of the following teacher strategies would best help
promote achievement of this goal? - Answer Having students track their own progress on a teacher-
developed chart that lists the tasks required for the project and indicates when each task should be
complete
An upper elementary teacher regularly incorporates self-directed learning projects into instruction.
Which is likely to be the most important benefit of this approach? - Answer Enhancing students' ability
to construct their own understanding of content
What factor is likely to have the greatest influence on the academic performance of a third-grade
student? - Answer The attitudes and expectations expressed by significant adults in the student's life in
regard to his or her school achievement
An elementary teacher is considering using within-class ability grouping as part of an overall approach to
reading instruction. The teacher can best reduce the potential negative effects of this grouping strategy
by taking particular care to - Answer View groups as flexible and regroup students as appropriate to
address specific learning needs
