Science of Reading Pretest

Learning to read is critical for ALL students.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Not only is reading the foundation of all content areas in school, there are many societal implications, too! Students that can't read by the end of 3rd grade are 4 times more likely to drop out of school, leading to low employment skills. A staggering 70% of inmates across the country can not read above a 4th grade level.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), what percentage of 4th graders are reading at or above a proficient reading level? 

• 65%

• 32%

• 50%

• 25%

Answer explanation

Only about 32% of the nation's 4th graders read at or above a proficient reading level. This number has been largely unchanged for years starting long before COVID, putting the nation in a literacy crisis.

According to the NAEP, what percentage of students with disabilities in grade 4 are performing in the  below basic category in reading?  

• 50%

• 32%

• 73%

• 25%

Answer explanation

Almost three quarters of 4th graders with disabilities are performing below basic in reading!
It is important to note that reading disorders are not a type of intellectual or developmental disorder, and they are not a sign of lower intelligence.
The most common reading disorders include dyslexia, dysgraphia, and specific reading comprehension deficits. There’s no cure for reading disorders, but by recognizing them early in their education, students can be taught ways to be effective readers.
It is important to look at the breakdown of disability categories within the district and growth data to know if student needs are being met.

Organize these options into the right categories

Groups:

(a) Reading Brain

,

(b) Other Parts of the Brain

• Angular Gyrus

• Orthographic Processor

• Hippocampus

• Phonological Processor

Answer explanation

The hippocampus is not directly part of the reading brain. It is involved with memory, emotions, and executive functioning.

Word Recognition X​ (a)   = Reading Comprehension

• Language Comprehension
• Memorization
• Vocabulary
• Phonemic Awareness

Answer explanation

Ability groupings widen reading achievements gaps in the long run.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The National Institute of Health has tracked student progress from kindergarten through 8th grade and found that students assigned to leveled ability groups had lower reading scores than ungrouped students or those that were grouped according to flexible skill groupings.

Which is the best strategy for teaching students a new high-frequency word?

• Memorization

• Flashcards

• Rainbow Writing

• Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping

Answer explanation

Words should always be taught through phoneme-grapheme mapping with an emphasis on a tricky part if students do not yet know the spelling for a sound in the word. Other methods have been proven ineffective for long-term retrieval and cause many confusions with visually similar words.

(a)   are the two factors that have the largest impact on listening comprehension.

• Vocabulary and background knowledge
• Vocabulary and decoding
• Background Knowledge and Decoding
• Decoding and Fluency

Answer explanation

Students do not have to decode or read fluently to engage in listening comprehension. Vocabulary and background knowledge are both critical for listening comprehension and pack a huge punch.

Which of these strategies helps students when they do not know a word?  

• Look at the picture and use picture clues

• Skip the word and come back to it

• Look at the first letter and think of a word that makes sense based on context

• All of the above

• None of the above

Answer explanation

According to Science of Reading research, these strategies don’t help students become more skilled readers. Instead, readers should use strategies to decode the word.

Explicit Instruction (teacher modeling, lots of guided practice with immediate feedback, independent practice when ready) is only effective for phonics instruction during the ELA block.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Explicit instruction is engaging and facilitates successful learning experiences for all students across all areas of literacy development. In fact, students who receive explicit instruction in vocabulary, comprehension, verbal reasoning, etc, are able to tackle tasks requiring higher order thinking because explicit instruction requires teachers to consider the chunks of a learning task and to break them into manageable units with modeling and corrective feedback during the process.