PRAXIS II Elementary Education Curriculum Instruction and Assessment K-5 Exam

This exam is designed for individuals who would like to teach grades K-5. It consists of 120 multiple-choice questions that you will be given two hours to complete. There are approximately 18 questions regarding curriculum instruction and assessment, 12 regarding art and physical education, 12 regarding social studies, 12 regarding science, 24 regarding mathematics and, 42 regarding reading and language arts.

Reading and Language Arts Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
This section of the exam will assess your knowledge of student formal and informal assessment, adjusting instruction to meet student needs, the development of listening writing and spelling skills, and components of a balanced reading curriculum.

Mathematics Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
This section of the exam will assess your knowledge of probability and statistics, measurements, geometry, calculator and computer usage, problem-solving skills, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, basic numeration, pre numbers skills, and the components of an effective mathematical curriculum.

Science Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
This section of the exam will assess your knowledge of basic components of health education, informal and formal student assessments, forecasting and model building, usage of materials and technology, using scientific inquiry to develop ideas and explanations, and the knowledge of scientific processes.

Social Studies Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
This section of the exam will assess your knowledge of history, geography, map skills, communication, transportation, industrialization, economics, student development of organizational skills, problem-solving skills, classroom management, forecasting skills and decision-making skills.

Arts and Physical Education Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
This section of the exam will assess your knowledge of basic concepts in music, art, basic concepts of physical education, teaching of healthy lifestyles, encouraging creativity in young children, and the ability to utilize age-appropriate curriculum and teaching strategies.

General Information about Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
This section of example assess your knowledge of learning theories, curriculum components, classroom management, the personal social and emotional development of young children, language and communication, student assessment and, professional growth.

PRAXIS II Elementary Education Curriculum Instructions And Assessment K-5 Practice Questions

1. The meaning of background knowledge is:

A. word knowledge
B. information about the world
C. understanding social and cultural influences
D. All of the above

2. Integrated language study does not emphasize:

A. memorizing
B. speaking
C. listening
D. writing

3. Who is not involved in developing assessments of science concepts?

A. Educators
B. Students
C. Curriculum specialists
D. Business community

4. What do students need to know about numbers?

A. What they means
B. How they can be used
C. Relationship to other numbers
D. All of the above

5. Which of the following is not part of the study of cultural geography?

A. Language
B. Politics
C. Biosphere
D. Entertainment

Answer Key For Elementary Education Curriculum Instruction And Assessment K-5

1. Answer: D

While background knowledge includes word recognition, its primary meaning is information about and understanding of the world and its social and cultural influences. This knowledge foundation comes from being read to as a young child and reading for pleasure away from assigned school tasks. Since most struggling readers don't read unless they have to, students should be allowed to select topics and media they find interesting and relevant. If a student feels more comfortable reading magazines and newspapers instead of books, he should be encouraged to do so.

Any reading contributes to basic background knowledge, expands vocabulary, and improves fluency. Participating in group discussions helps students activate their background knowledge, which helps them integrate the new data with previously acquired information, make connections between the two, and make any necessary revisions in understanding. Teachers can help students in this process by conducting "think aloud" sessions, encouraging self-questioning, and explaining the relevance to their world.

2. Answer: A

Students need to understand that the language process is integral to learning and developing skills in all fields of study, not just English. Language is not static or one-dimensional. Students need to know that language varies depending upon the audience (parents, peers, professors); has structural rules, patterns, and conventions; and changes over time with continued use. It entails speaking, listening, and writing. It requires the speaker, the listener, and the writer to respond, interpret, assess, and integrate.

In today's information age, media and technology play important roles. Besides books, newspapers, radio, and television, the Internet, CDs, DVDs, and personal computers provide information. It is critical students be taught methods to dissect and discriminate the digital data received and learn to scrutinize the sources from which it comes. The classroom should be a place where students feel safe to explore, ask questions, take risks, and develop effective listening, speaking, and writing skills.

3. Answer: B

The study of science is divided into three major areas: earth, physical, and life sciences. Each is subdivided into specialized fields of study. The U.S. Department of Education established criteria for testing comprehension of science concepts using recommendations from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Students are required to not only know facts but also to integrate those facts into previously learned information through use of critical thinking skills developed through studying the various sciences. In other words, students need to be able to use the facts in practical applications found in the real world.

The assessments developed by educators, curriculum specialists, and the business community emphasize the importance of assessing students' ability to reason, understand concepts, solve problems, evaluate results, and communicate knowledge of the subject matter. The tests attempt to measure whether students can take cognitive skills learned in science, apply them in other disciplines, and use them outside of school in meaningful ways.

4. Answer: D

Number concepts are the building blocks of all mathematical calculations and representations. Students must understand what a number means, in what ways it can and cannot be used, and its relationship to other numbers. They need to be able to depict numbers concretely, pictorially, and symbolically. Students need to understand the basic definitions of number concepts in order to use numbers properly in any math discipline in which they are working.

These definitions of some common math terms are from The American Heritage College Dictionary:

• INTEGERS are the positive and negative whole numbers plus zero.
• NATURAL NUMBERS or COUNTING NUMBERS are the positive integers.
• FRACTIONS are the result of dividing one quantity by another quantity.
• PRIME NUMBERS are only divisible by one and itself.
• PERCENTAGE is a fraction or ratio expressed as part of one hundred.
• RATIO is the relation between two quantities expressed as the result (quotient) of one divided by the other.
• PLACE VALUE is the position of a figure in a numeral or series.

5. Answer: C

Geography is the study of earth and its human, animal, and plant populations and how they interact. It is considered the "mother of all sciences." Human beings have always been curious about "over there." Satisfying that curiosity by discovering and exploring new places, cultures, and ideas became the building blocks of geography. Studying this science led to the search for answers in other areas such as biology, anthropology, geology, mathematics, astronomy, and chemistry to name a few. Studying geography helps us learn how to be better stewards of our earth and its resources.

Cultural geography is the study of how human culture interacts with the land. It is a broad field that includes language, religion, medicine, politics, population, and demographics, urban and rural areas, transportation systems, economics, entertainment, and food choices.

Physical geography is the study of the surface of the earth. The earth sciences are concerned with the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere. These three working together create the conditions needed to sustain the biosphere, which is composed of all living organisms, i.e., life science or biology.