WorksheetsELAR 4-8 Domain and Competencies
Total questions: 31
Worksheet time: 43mins
Domain 1
Competency 001—(Foundations of Teaching Reading): Understand research-based, evidence-based, and culturally relevant foundational concepts, principles, and best practices related to reading instruction and assessment.
. A teacher notices that while students generally understand what they are reading and are able to retell or summarize texts, many students do not understand the texts at a deeper level. Which of the following techniques would be most appropriate for the teacher to use to promote all students' deeper comprehension?
leading the students in a whole-group reading of the texts followed by a group discussion of the reading
. showing the students how to use an outline to take notes on the texts and then use the notes to write text responses
providing the students with adequate background knowledge to engage in text discussions and respond to higher-level questioning
having the students respond to the texts by creating a related project, such as a series of drawings or a multimedia presentation
Competency 002—(Foundational Reading Skills): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of foundational reading skills, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level foundational reading skills.
A fourth-grade student reads words from a grade-level word list while the teacher records the student's pronunciation of the words on the chart below. Given these results, the teacher plans to promote the student's letter-sound relationship skills by providing opportunities for practice in:
recognizing and accurately reading high-frequency words.
decoding words from left to right using letter-sound analysis.
identifying and taking apart two- and three-syllable words.
recognizing consonants that sometimes but do not always represent a sound.
A fifth-grade student is having difficulty understanding multiple-meaning words in a text. Which of the following techniques would likely be most effective for the student to use to distinguish between the different word meanings?
looking up words in a dictionary
writing examples of their own
discussing the words with a classmate
making use of context clues
Competency 003—(Word Analysis Skills and Reading Fluency): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of word analysis skills and fluency, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level word analysis skills and reading fluency.
During word analysis instruction, a fourth-grade teacher shows students how to recognize and form irregular plurals that are created by changing the final letter or letters of the base word (e.g., fungus/fungi, medium/media). Which of the following strategies best shows a systematic approach to this word analysis concept?
asking students to circle the endings of words with irregular plurals that they find as they are reading texts
asking students to compare words that have regular plural forms to those that have irregular plural forms
having students practice adding endings to other similar words that have irregular plurals after receiving instruction from the teacher
having students practice replacing a final f or fe with v before adding -es to other words that have irregular plural rules, such as leaves and knives
. As an intervention for students with reading challenges, a teacher displays a map of Texas and shows students video clips of Francisco Coronado's search to find gold and other tales of buried treasure in Texas. The teacher leads a discussion about how the tales may have affected settlement of Texas, acknowledging the students' comments as they are made. Then the teacher gives the students a text about Coronado to read. Which of the following evidence-based statements best reflects the primary purpose of providing this type of meaning-based literacy activity in interventions?
Educators should reinforce students' efforts toward improving reading skills through the use of praise.
Students should be provided with high-quality reading materials that integrate a variety of content areas.
Students' reading comprehension skills are enhanced when they have prior knowledge of topics about which they read.
Diagrams are one of the most helpful tools to use to establish contextual knowledge before students read a text.
Competency 004—(Vocabulary Development): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to vocabulary development, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of grade-level vocabulary knowledge and skills.
Which of the following sets of steps would best help students analyze context when they encounter unfamiliar words?
stopping when a word is unfamiliar, rereading the sentence to look for clues about the word's meaning, and then substituting the meaning to see if it makes sense
stopping periodically during reading, asking what the passage means, and then finding and analyzing the unfamiliar words
making a list of common affixes, identifying the meaning of the affixes, and then making a list of words with each affix
making a list of unknown words in the reading, using the dictionary to find the definition, and then determining which definition fits in the sentence
A seventh-grade teacher is preparing a lesson that will promote students' ability to use and understand the meaning of various antonyms and synonyms to develop comprehension of a text. Which of the following activities would be most appropriate for this purpose?
asking students to match words together that are antonym and synonym pairs
having students create books of antonyms along with their synonyms
teaching students to recognize context clues that indicate whether words are antonyms or synonyms
having students identify antonym and synonym pairs within a text
Domain 2: Competency 005—(Reading Comprehension Development): Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of reading comprehension, and demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students' development of gradelevel reading comprehension strategies.
Seventh-grade students read a fiction text in which important social issues are revealed through the book's setting, main character, and plot. The students also read a recent newspaper article that addresses some of the same social issues. The teacher asks the students to write a personal response to one or more of the social issues reflected in the texts. According to best practices, which of the following strategies would be most appropriate and effective for the teacher to use to prepare the students for this task?
displaying writing samples from previous students based on the assignment and critiquing the samples with the class
engaging in a timed writing session in which students write their thoughts about one or more of the social issues
having students organize their thinking for the assignment by talking to a classmate about what they might say in their writing
showing and discussing a graphic organizer that presents the social issues next to the key ideas related to each issue
Which of the following scenarios provides the best example of responsive teaching?
A teacher assesses students' performance as they engage in activities such as reflective journal writing and group discussions to see how their learning progresses.
A teacher regularly assesses students' reading by observing what skills the students have learned in order to identify specific skills to reinforce.
A teacher encourages and guides students to generate comprehension by constructing relationships between concepts of reading materials and their experiences.
A teacher observes and records students' reading behaviors between two different intervals of time to check for reading development growth.
Competency 007—(Reading Informational and Argumentative Texts): Understand the elements and characteristics of informational and argumentative texts, analyze how authors use these elements and characteristics to achieve specific purposes, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to engage in text-based analyses of complex informational and argumentative texts.
Students in a fifth-grade English language arts class discuss an informational article they have read on the topic of plastic pollution. A transcript of the discussion appears below
Teacher: What did the article make you think about? Student 1: The ways plastic can hurt all kinds of animals. Student 2: We should get rid of all plastic! But that would be hard. Teacher: You're right—getting rid of all plastic would be hard. What did you know about plastic pollution before you read the article? 42 Student 3: I knew that some kinds of plastic could be recycled. At home, we reuse plastic food containers, and we put plastic bottles in the recycling bin. Student 2: I saw a video about how some animals accidentally swallow plastic, and that it makes them sick or even kills them. Teacher: What new or surprising information did you learn from the article? Student 4: This was new—and scary: I learned that by 2050, there might be three times as much plastic in the ocean. Whoa! Student 1: I learned some tips for using less plastic, like using cloth bags for my school lunches. Student 2: Yes! I'm going to pay closer attention to how much plastic my family and I use.
The teacher's approach in the class discussion is most clearly intended to promote the students' ability to:
synthesize background knowledge with new information.
infer what the author implies but does not state directly
analyze how the author achieves a specific purpose.
summarize the text's central idea and supporting details.
A sixth-grade teacher plans a series of questions for a class discussion about an informational text the students have read. Which of the following questions would be most appropriate for promoting the students' evaluative thinking about the author's craft?
In what ways is the article similar to or different from other articles you have read on the same topic?
How did the author capture and hold your interest throughout the article?
What clues from the text help you know that the article is nonfiction rather than fiction?
What new information did you learn about the topic from reading the article?
Domain 3: Competency 008—(Composition): Understand the characteristics of various genres of written text; apply knowledge of strategies for developing well-organized, engaging, written texts that achieve specific purposes for specific audiences; and apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to develop wellorganized, engaging, written texts that achieve specific purposes for specific audiences.
Read the excerpt below from the first draft of the introduction of an argumentative essay; then answer the question that follows.
"In education today, a lot of teaching is focused on math, science, and technology. Some schools have stopped teaching music and art in favor of math and science. This is a big mistake. There is room for a wide variety of classes in schools. "
A sixth-grade teacher plans to include the excerpt in a lesson on using evidence to support a claim. Which of the following student activities would be most appropriate for the teacher to facilitate during the lesson?
suggesting reasons for the focus on math, science, and technology
expanding on the benefits of having art and music in the curriculum
paraphrasing the final two sentences of the draft
writing arguments in favor of an alternative curriculum
"All the characters in the book were appealing, although Riley's bumbling cluelessness seemed cartoonish at times. Still, he added an essential dash of humor to the story. Ana reminded me of my older sister, who is also brilliant with a touch of arrogance. Then there was Albert, who was quiet and thoughtful and ended up being the hero who surprised not only the other characters but readers."
A seventh-grade teacher plans to use the excerpt as a model during a lesson on revision strategies. Which of the following revised versions of the underlined sentence would offer the best example of how to revise for coherence and clarity?
Surprising to the characters and readers that quiet and thoughtful Albert became the unexpected hero.
Albert was the hero who surprised everyone, including the readers, because he was so quiet and thoughtful.
Quiet and thoughtful Albert surprises fellow characters and readers alike by becoming the hero.
When quiet, thoughtful Albert turns out to be the hero, he surprises his fellow characters and readers.
Competency 009—(Inquiry and Research): Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for conducting focused inquiry and research and presenting the results in an appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' ability to conduct focused inquiry and research and present the results in an appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner.
A group of sixth-grade students is planning a presentation about the water supply in El Paso, Texas. The students have generated the following research question.
Why are some people concerned about El Paso's water supply?
Which of the following questions would best help the group refine their research question?
What freshwater sources contribute to El Paso's water supply?
How has El Paso's water supply changed over the past 50 years?
What environmental policies affect El Paso's water supply?
How well does El Paso's water supply meet the needs of local residents?
Before seventh-grade students begin a research project, the teacher provides criteria for evaluating online sources. Which of the following approaches would be most effective in further promoting the students' ability to evaluate online sources?
providing guidelines for conducting efficient advanced keyword searches
demonstrating how to locate bibliographies on particular subjects or subject areas
discussing ways to supplement online research with interviews and surveys
introducing basic principles for considering the authority and reputation of a source
Competency 010—(Listening and Speaking): Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for critical listening and collaborative speaking and of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students' skills in critical listening and collaborative speaking, including using differentiation strategies that are culturally and academically appropriate for all students.
. An English language arts teacher is preparing guidelines for public speaking for use by students. To avoid potential cultural insensitivity, the teacher should eliminate which of the following guidelines from the list?
Make eye contact with several individuals in the audience.
Avoid reading your notes word for word during the speech.
Practice delivering your speech until you feel confident.
. If you get nervous, slow down a bit and take a full breath
DOMAIN 5: Competency 011—(Differentiation Strategies in Planning and Practice): Understand how to identify and implement developmentally and culturally appropriate strategies and data-driven practices to effectively teach and engage all learners.
A fourth-grade teacher develops a series of questions as part of a thematic reading unit on the seasons for a class. Which of the following strategies should the teacher use to effectively apply universal design for learning (UDL) guidelines while gathering information from students about their prior knowledge on the topic?
projecting the questions accompanied by symbols and pictures and having the students respond by speaking or writing
distributing a handout with the questions for the students to read independently and answer in writing, using a dictionary if needed
asking the students to use hand gestures to act out their answers to the questions the teacher is asking them
having a representative group of students respond verbally to the questions while the other students use gestures to express approval of the sample group's responses
Competency 012—(Culturally Responsive Practices): Understand how to identify and implement culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate practices to effectively teach and engage all learners.
A sixth-grade English language arts teacher wants to foster a positive relationship between students and the course content where students begin to see their classroom as a writing community. Which of the following approaches would be most appropriate for the teacher to use to promote higher student expectations for themselves in class?
encouraging students to communicate frequently with classmates about their writing outside of class
meeting with students on a regular basis to confer about their writing and to establish their author identity
having students use a secure online platform where they can share their work with classmates
working with students to create a rubric that will be used to evaluate each other's collective achievement
A middle school English language arts teacher wants to motivate students to read independently for pleasure and to build knowledge. Which of the following approaches would be most effective for the teacher to use to achieve this goal?
setting aside 20 minutes a day for the students and teacher to read quietly
providing varied genres of literary and informational texts that represent a range of perspectives in the classroom library
taking students to the school library to select books for independent reading and class assignments on a regular basis
. posting a list of books recommended by the school librarian on the class Web site
In the first weeks of class, a fourth-grade teacher gives students a reading and writing assignment. As the teacher walks around the room monitoring the students, the teacher identifies possible signs of dysgraphia. Which of the following student behaviors is an indicator of dysgraphia?
confusing the order of letters
having difficulty following a series of directions
writing illegibly
struggling with reading tasks
