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PRAXIS II Introduction to the Teaching of Reading Exam

This exam is designed for individuals with a bachelor's degree who would like to teach beginning reading at a variety of grade levels. You will be given 2 hours to complete this 120 multiple choice question exam. There will be 15 questions regarding sociocultural and environmental factors, 10 questions covering affective aspects, 40 questions regarding the instructional process for the teaching of reading, 20 questions regarding the structure of text and, 15 questions regarding language, thought processes and text structure.

Environmental and Sociocultural Factors
This section of the exam will assess your knowledge of family, peer, ethnic, environmental and cultural differences. The impact that literacy, biliteracy, parental support and expectations of the instructor have on learning to read will also be covered.

Affective Aspects
This section of the exam will assess your ability to utilize drama, the media, and expressive art to motivate students interest in reading and writing.

Instructional Process in the Teaching of Reading
This section of the exam will assess your knowledge of individual and group student assessment methodologies, the utilization of computers, cooperative grouping and peer learning/teaching, writing centers, learning centers, and the utilization of paraprofessionals in classroom management. Your ability to instruct students regarding study skills such as note taking, outlining, planning, and test taking will be assessed. Your knowledge of the following instructional strategies will be assessed: silent and oral reading, story grammar, language expansion, organizational patterns, activating schema, scaffolding, monitoring, critical questioning, and reciprocal teaching.

Text Structure
This section of the exam will assess your knowledge of graph phonic and experiential cues, narrative and expository texts, vocabulary and concept load, organization, syntactic complexity story grammar, and, semantic and syntactic cues.

Reading as a Language Thought Process
This section of the exam will assess your knowledge of the language process of reading. The section of the exam will cover the relationship between speaking, reading, and writing. The construction of meaning from a printed text, understanding and acquisition of language, and metacognition will also be covered in this section of the exam.

PRAXIS II Introduction To The Teaching Of Reading Practice Questions

1. The guided oral reading strategy includes:

A. reading passages to the student
B. student reading text silently
C. student reading text out loud
D. constructive feedback
E. All of the above

2. Which of the following is not part of a clarifying table?

A. Core concept identified
B. Introductory paragraph
C. Supporting ideas
D. Clarifying details
E. Connections to known information

3. A clarifying table can be used for:

A. developing reading skills
B. taking notes during lectures
C. preparing for tests
D. organizing ideas
E. All of the above

4. In the study of linguistics, which of the following is not part of semantics?

A. Pronunciation
B. Inflections
C. Derivation
D. Compound words
E. Meaning of the word

5. Which of the following is not part of the whole language approach in reading instruction?

A. Active learning
B. Working in groups
C. Passive listening
D. Quality literature
E. Cultural diversity

Answer Key For Introduction To The Teaching Of Reading

1. Answer: E

Guided oral reading is an instructional strategy used to improve verbal reading skills. Its main function is to improve fluency (the ability to comprehend the written word accurately and quickly). This approach can be used with any age and grade level student and will help native English speakers, as well as English language learners. This exercise can be used at home, in the classroom with the whole group, or students can be paired (a fluent reader with a struggling student); the process is the same:

A parent, teacher, or peer reads a passage out loud at about eighty to one hundred words per minute. The material needs to be at the student's level of comprehension.
The student reads the text silently several times.
The student reads the passage out loud.
The parent, teacher, or peer offers encouragement and constructive feedback. It usually takes four times before the student is able to read the text without errors.

2. Answer: B

A clarifying table is a tool to help students separate a topic into smaller, more manageable parts. The purpose is retention and comprehension by taking notes in a systematic way. The core concept is captured, supporting ideas are recognized, clarifying details are reported, and connections to previous learned material are made. The steps to teach the clarifying table are as follows:

I DO IT: The teacher prepares a completed example and explains the components. It is usually necessary to do this step at least twice.
WE DO IT: The teacher, acting as a guide, and the class construct a table together. This step is repeated until the students grasp the concept.
YOU ALL DO IT: Students are divided into pairs or small groups to create their own tables. Support comes from each other rather than the teacher.
YOU DO IT: Each student creates a table by himself for his particular topic.

3. Answer: E

Because it is a powerful elaboration tool, a clarifying table can be used to identify core concepts in any subject, develop reading skills, and improve note-taking ability during lectures, while researching topics, and in preparation for potential pop quizzes, unit tests, and final exams. The device can be used in many ways in most classrooms. Some ideas include:

PARAPHRASING TOOL: Students read assigned passages on a particular subject and use the table to take notes for later class discussions and to review when preparing for tests.
NOTE-TAKING TOOL: Students write down key ideas and interesting details during a lecture, which can be reviewed in preparation for pop quizzes, unit tests, and final exams
OUTLINE TOOL: The table is used to gather information, organize ideas, and plan the structure of any written assignment, including one-page essays, book reports, and research papers.

4. Answer: A

Linguistic knowledge is defined as understanding the system: how the language works, what the words mean, and how to use the words properly. The system is composed of several parts. The definitions cited here are from The American Heritage College Dictionary:

PHONOLOGY: the sounds of the words and their proper pronunciation
SEMANTICS: the meaning of the signs and symbols used to form the words
MORPHOLOGY: the structure and form of the words, including inflection (changing pitch or tone of voice), derivation (adding prefixes and suffixes to change the meaning), and compounds (combining two or more words to form a different word)
WORD MEANING: the idea or thought conveyed
SYNTAX (grammatical structure): the rules governing the formation of sentences

In order for students to learn, integrate, and use the language system correctly, they must be given opportunities to read in many genres and from a variety of source material.

5. Answer: C

The whole language approach to reading is based on the constructivist learning theory which believes the teacher is a facilitator who instructs by building on knowledge previously acquired, encourages active learning, and emphasizes working in groups to develop social and communication skills. Constructivists believe students learn better and retain information longer if they are actively involved, rather than passively listening. This approach encourages students to reflect on information presented based on personal experiences. Students learn by taking the initiative for their own learning.

Teachers using the whole language, constructivist approach to reading develop lesson plans that bring together speaking, listening, reading, and writing experiences and create a rich literary environment that emphasizes quality literature and cultural diversity. The meaning and context of the word is more important than its sound. When students connect new data with information they already know in a meaningful manner, they will better understand the new material and be able to use it more effectively. They integrate the old and new information quicker, retain it longer, and are able to retrieve it easier.