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Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts related to beginning reading development (e.g., the role of phonics and sight words in developing accurate, automatic word recognition; the reciprocity between decoding and encoding) and important terminology used in phonics instruction, including terminology related to consonant and vowel sounds, common letter combinations, and regular word patterns.
- Apply knowledge of the continuum of research-based, systematic, explicit instruction in phonics, from sounding out a word letter by letter to recognizing CVC words as units to more advanced word reading that involves increasingly complex letter combinations and less common phonics elements.
- Apply knowledge of research-based, explicit instruction in regular and irregular sight words and common inflectional morphemes (e.g., -ed, -er, -est, -ing, -s) that are taught as part of phonics instruction.
- Apply knowledge of research-based, systematic, explicit instruction in spelling and orthography (e.g., high-frequency words, spelling patterns, orthographic guidelines) at beginning stages of reading development.
- Apply knowledge of the use of appropriate texts and effective reading and writing activities to reinforce development in phonics, sight words, morphology, and spelling at beginning stages of literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of differentiated instruction (e.g., interventions, modifications, enrichments) in phonics, sight words, morphology, and spelling at beginning stages of reading and writing development to address the needs of all students (i.e., students who are experiencing difficulty in one or more of these areas, students with special needs, students who are English language learners or speakers of nonstandard English, and students who are advanced in one or more of these areas).
Sample Item:
Which of the following words contains a diphthong?
- own
- turn
- loud
- swan
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of key concepts related to beginning
reading development. Diphthongs are vowel phonemes that have two consecutive sounds. One of the principal
diphthongs in English is [ow], which is pronounced "ahū" and usually spelled ow or ou, as in the words owl and
trout. The word loud contains this diphthong.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of research-based, explicit instruction in common regular syllable patterns and orthographic guidelines to promote accurate decoding of multisyllable words and automaticity in word recognition.
- Apply knowledge of research-based, explicit instruction in structural analysis (e.g., identifying word parts, recognizing common prefixes and suffixes and their meanings, recognizing compound words) to promote accurate decoding of multisyllable words and automaticity in word recognition.
- Apply knowledge of research-based, explicit instruction in spelling and orthography (e.g., high-frequency words, spelling patterns, orthographic guidelines, syllable patterns, structural analysis) at more advanced stages of reading and writing development.
- Apply knowledge of the use of appropriate texts and effective reading and writing activities to reinforce development of sight-word recognition, word analysis, and spelling at more advanced stages of literacy development.
- Apply knowledge of differentiated instruction (e.g., interventions, modifications, enrichments) in sight words, word analysis, and spelling at more advanced stages of literacy development to address the needs of all students (i.e., students who are experiencing difficulty in one or more of these areas, students with special needs, students who are English language learners or speakers of nonstandard English, and students who are advanced in one or more of these areas).
Sample Item:
In a research-based, systematic spelling curriculum, which of the following topics would
most likely be introduced at the fifth-grade level?
- the spelling and meaning of words containing basic Greek and Latin prefixes such as bi- and tri-
- spelling patterns that represent the long a sound such as the spelling patterns found in afraid and place
- the spelling and meaning of common English contractions such as doesn't and weren't
- spelling patterns that represent consonant blends such as the spelling patterns in tend and crop
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of research-based, explicit instruction
in spelling and orthography. In a research-based approach to literacy instruction, reading and spelling are taught
as reciprocal skills, and instruction in reading and spelling are coordinated to reinforce one another. Simple Greek
and Latin affixes are introduced as part of vocabulary and reading instruction in the upper elementary grades, and
the spelling of these affixes should also be introduced at this time.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of fluency at all stages of reading development, including knowledge of key indicators of reading fluency (i.e., accuracy, rate, and prosody), factors that can disrupt fluency, and the role of fluency in reading comprehension.
- Apply knowledge of research-based, explicit instruction to promote fluency with respect to accuracy, rate, and prosody.
- Apply knowledge of the use of appropriate materials and activities to reinforce development of fluency at different stages of reading development, including transitioning students to a broader range of appropriate materials as they progress in their word-analysis skills.
- Apply knowledge of differentiated instruction (e.g., interventions, modifications, enrichments) in fluency to address the needs of all students (i.e., students who are experiencing difficulty in this area, students with special needs, students who are English language learners or speakers of nonstandard English, and students who are advanced in this area).
Sample Item:
Which of the following characteristics is a key indicator of reading fluency?
- demonstrated mastery of phonics generalizations
- oral reading with speech-like prosody
- growth in vocabulary and conceptual knowledge
- independent reading without subvocalization
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of key indicators of reading fluency.
Key indicators of reading fluency include reading accuracy (identifying words correctly), reading rate (reading
at a pace appropriate for comprehending a particular text), and prosody (reading with appropriate expression).
Descriptive Statements:
- Analyze the uses of formal and informal assessments in word analysis and fluency.
- Interpret results from formal and informal assessments in word analysis and fluency.
- Demonstrate ability to use the results of formal and informal assessments in word analysis and fluency for screening, diagnostic, instructional, progress-monitoring, and evaluative purposes (i.e., determining students' current knowledge, skills, and abilities with respect to relevant standards; planning appropriate instruction and interventions; monitoring student progress; modifying or adjusting instruction as needed; and determining whether students have achieved relevant standards).
Sample Item:
During a timed oral reading, a second-grade student reads at an appropriate rate but makes errors similar to
the ones indicated below.
Key: A small C inside a circle represents self-correction. One word written above another represents substitution. The sentence reads as follows. They walked quickly through the town because they could feel some raindrops begin to fall. T H R U G with a macron above U followed by a self-correction sign is written above through. B E C A W followed by a self-correction sign is written above because. C U L D with a macron above U followed by a self-correction sign is written above could. S O M with a macron above O followed by a self-correction sign is written above some.
The most appropriate interpretation of the student's performance on this assessment is that the student:
- does not use monitoring as a comprehension strategy.
- has difficulty decoding multisyllable words.
- does not automatically recognize grade-level sight words.
- has difficulty reading function words.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. This question requires the examinee to interpret the results from an informal assessment
in word analysis and fluency. In this passage-reading exercise, all the errors the student makes involve
grade-level irregular sight words (i.e., through, because, could, and some).
The student first tries to sound out these words before recognizing them and pronouncing them correctly.
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