Special Education Core Skills (Birth to Age 21)
Subtest 1 Sample Items
Recommendation for individuals using a screenreader: please set your punctuation settings to "most."
Expand All | Collapse All
Question 1
1. Which of the following steps best describes the primary task of a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team during a manifestation determination meeting?
- investigating whether the student's misconduct in school is a result of the student's disability
- increasing the level of services the student receives throughout the school day
- recommending a more appropriate special education placement for the student
- deciding with a physician whether the student should take medication to regulate behavior in school
Answer to question 1
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0001) A manifestation determination is a process required by the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) which is conducted when considering the exclusion of a student with a disability that constitutes a change of placement. During a manifestation determination meeting, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team must determine whether the behavior exhibited by the student was a result of the disability.
Question 2
2. A special education teacher co-teaches a seventh-grade science class with a general education teacher. The class recently took a test, and a student with a disability who typically struggles with tests received a grade of 95%. Which of the following actions would be most appropriate for the special education teacher to acknowledge this accomplishment?
- writing an e-mail to the student's parents informing them of their child's success
- displaying the student's test on a hallway bulletin board
- announcing the student's grade to the entire class
- passing the student's test around to teachers of other science classes as a model of good work
Answer to question 2
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0001) According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a teacher can only speak to the student and the student's parent/guardian about individual grades or behavior. Thus, in this situation, it would be appropriate for the teacher to send the student's parents an e-mail regarding the student's accomplishment.
Question 3
3. Before federal law mandate, very few students with disabilities were educated in public schools. Which of the following groups of individuals was primarily responsible for bringing the educational needs of students with disabilities to the public eye?
- teachers' unions
- parent/guardian advocacy groups
- school administrators
- community service organizations
Answer to question 3
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: B. (Objective 0001) Before the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) (now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act [IDEIA]), students with disabilities were primarily educated at home or at expensive private schools funded by parents/guardians. Advocacy groups of concerned parents/guardians formed and gained attention to eventually ensure that students with disabilities are provided with a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
Question 4
4. A new special education teacher works with 12 students in a substantially separate classroom. Most of the students are severely multiply impaired (SMI). The teacher would like to use reflective teaching to improve instruction and learn from mistakes. Which of the following strategies would be most effective for this purpose?
- providing the students with time during the day to give the teacher feedback about the classroom
- using student portfolios to evaluate teaching effectiveness in the classroom
- asking students' parents/guardians to fill out a questionnaire about their children's experiences in the classroom
- keeping a teaching journal to document and evaluate classroom experiences
Answer to question 4
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: D. (Objective 0001) Keeping a journal of teaching experiences or events allows a teacher to think deeply about which strategies work and which strategies do not work. By reflecting in this manner, the teacher can decide which strategies to continue using in various situations and continuously improve her teaching practice.
Question 5
5. A new special education teacher would like to remain current regarding research-based teaching methods in the field of special education. Which of the following actions would be most effective for the teacher to use in accessing this information?
- asking the principal for a professional development day to attend a workshop
- observing a colleague teaching a class
- joining an online professional organization
- starting a support group for teachers to share ideas after school
Answer to question 5
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0001) Online teacher organizations such as the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) provide educators with up-to-date research on current trends in education. Most have journals and other publications that can be read online as well as interactive areas where teachers can ask questions and answer questions for their peers.
Question 6
6. A tenth grader with an emotional or behavioral disorder (EBD) was recently involved in a verbal altercation and threatened to injure another student. The school district has a zero-tolerance discipline policy that specifies an immediate suspension of 14 days for any infraction involving threats of bodily harm. The student has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and attends most classes in a resource room with a special education teacher. Which of the following scenarios best describes what should happen to the student in this situation?
- The student should be suspended for 10 days, and upon returning, the IEP team should meet to change the student's placement to a more restrictive setting.
- The student should serve the mandated 14-day suspension and receive counseling services upon returning to school.
- The student should serve an in-house suspension for 14 days under the supervision of the special education teacher.
- The student should be suspended until the IEP team has met to determine the cause of the behavior, not longer than 14 days.
Answer to question 6
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: D. (Objective 0001) The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004 states that if a student is suspended for more than 10 days, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team must determine if the behavior was caused by, or had a direct and substantial relationship to, the child's disability; or was the direct result of the school's failure to implement the IEP. If the student's behavior is determined to be a manifestation of the disability, the IEP team must perform a functional behavior assessment (FBA) and implement a behavior intervention plan (BIP) if it has not yet been done, or review and modify an existing BIP to address the behavior. In this situation, the student would be suspended only until the IEP team could meet to determine the cause of the behavior.
Question 7
7. Which of the following rights is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
- protecting personal information and educational records of students with disabilities from public disclosure without the permission of the student or the student's parent/guardian
- providing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to students with disabilities
- requiring students with disabilities to be educated with students without disabilities to the greatest extent possible
- prohibiting discrimination against students with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public
Answer to question 7
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: D. (Objective 0001) The purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is to ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as individuals without disabilities. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, gender, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.
Question 8
8. In which of the following ways does the Child Find mandate support parents/guardians of children with suspected delays or disabilities?
- providing all parents/guardians with the opportunity for an annual comprehensive special education evaluation for their child from birth to age five
- offering parents/guardians the ability to select special education teachers and support staff for their child based on the child's needs
- allowing parents/guardians to seek a due process hearing and if their child has been denied a special education evaluation
- establishing guidelines with parents/guardians for determining the most effective educational setting for their child with delays or disabilities
Answer to question 8
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0001) Child Find is a federal mandate included in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA). Child Find requires all school districts to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. All children who may need special education services are obligated to be identified even if the school is not providing special education services to the child. If the child's school turns down a request for an evaluation, parents/guardians can seek a due process hearing. This hearing gives parents/guardians and the child's school an opportunity to describe to a trained, independent hearing officer why they do or do not believe an evaluation is necessary. Parents/guardians may present evidence such as evaluation results and samples of their child's work.
Question 9
9. In typical human development, which of the following receptive language skills is usually developed last?
- understanding the meaning of common adjectives
- responding to directions to bring a familiar object to a caregiver
- identifying immediate family members by looking at them when asked
- shaking one's head to respond to yes/no questions
Answer to question 9
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0002) Receptive language is the ability to understand words and language and is important in order to communicate successfully. Developmental experts say most children understand the meaning of common adjectives after they have learned basic receptive language skills such as recognizing their name, responding to simple requests, and following directions.
Question 10
10. Which of the following criteria must be met for a student to be identified with an emotional or behavioral disorder (EBD)?
- demonstrating age-inappropriate social behavior in all environments due to deficits in cognitive functioning
- exhibiting below-average adaptive behavior consistently in all educational settings
- presenting a repetitive pattern of behavior that primarily affects social interactions in all environments
- demonstrating a pattern of behavior that severely interferes with academic progress in at least two educational settings
Answer to question 10
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: D. (Objective 0002) Emotional or behavioral disorders (EBDs) are indicated by an established pattern of one or more of the following emotional or behavioral responses: withdrawal or anxiety, depression, problems with mood or feelings of self-worth; disordered thought processes with unusual behavior patterns and atypical communication styles; or aggression, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. These responses must adversely affect educational or developmental performance and be more than temporary, expected responses to stressful events in the environment. For a student to be identified with an emotional or behavioral disorder (EBD), the student's emotional or behavioral responses must be consistently exhibited in at least three different settings, two of which must be educational settings and one other setting in either the home, child care, or the community. The responses must not be primarily the result of intellectual, sensory, or acute or chronic physical health conditions.
Question 11
11. Which of the following descriptions of a three-year-old preschooler depicts a child who is exhibiting signs of a developmental delay?
- repeating words but not responding when spoken to directly
- preferring to move around instead of staying seated during group story time
- speaking in a manner that is understood approximately half the time by adults
- refusing to share toys with other children during free play
Answer to question 11
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0002) What is considered "typical development" for children is described rather broadly because children do not learn skills at the same pace. Children who are the same age may learn the same skill months apart, and both can be considered on schedule. When skills don't emerge as expected in that broad range, children should be assessed to determine if there is a reason for the delay. Based on milestones in typical and atypical human growth and development in various domains, a three-year-old child who repeats words and does not respond to questions or in conversation could be exhibiting signs of a developmental delay or other disability.
Question 12
12. A third grader uses a wheelchair for mobility and a speech output device to support communication. The student has fine-motor delays and requires assistance when eating as well as training on the use of a special tool to support access to a computer keyboard. The student receives physical therapy three times a week in the classroom to help strengthen and stretch his muscles, which typically remain tight. The student's characteristics are most similar to students with which of the following disabilities?
- fragile X syndrome
- cerebral palsy
- spina bifida
- Down syndrome
Answer to question 12
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: B. (Objective 0002) Cerebral palsy is considered a neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury or malformation that occurs while the child's brain is under development. Cerebral palsy primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination, including muscle tone, movement, and motor skills. Students with cerebral palsy often have tightness of muscles that make certain movements, including speech, challenging. Certain types of assistive technology, such as mobility aids and speech output devices, can support learning for a student with cerebral palsy.
Question 13
13. A nine-year-old student was recently identified as having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disabilities (SLDs) in both reading and mathematics. The student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team held a meeting to discuss the results of testing and possible goals for the student. At the meeting, the student's parents suggested that their child is just not trying hard enough in school. They were unreceptive to the IEP team's concerns and did not want their child to receive extra support. Which of the following steps should the special education teacher take next to advocate for the student and the family?
- suggesting the student and parents join a family support group for students with ADHD and SLDs
- assisting the student's parents in understanding their child's needs while still being aware of their opinions
- suggesting the IEP team reconvene in a year, giving the parents a chance to see how the student performs in school with current instruction
- assisting the student in school with accommodations and modifications without having them written into the student's IEP
Answer to question 13
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: B. (Objective 0002) At times, parents/guardians can have difficulty accepting and understanding their child's disability. Parents/guardians with a limited understanding of a diagnosis often have difficulty developing realistic expectations for their child. Providing parents/guardians with information on the nature of their child's disability and the educational impact it has on their child's learning can be helpful in gaining their support. At the same time, the special educator must be respectful of the opinions of parents/guardians.
Question 14
14. A fourth grader has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Tourette syndrome. The student attends a general education class and receives support from a special education teacher. The student would likely exhibit which of the following behaviors that are common to the identified needs?
- impulsivity and facial tics
- lethargy and lack of motivation
- physical aggression and defiance
- crying and frequent tantrums
Answer to question 14
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0002) Children with one disorder that affects the brain and nervous system often have another disorder simultaneously. Impulsivity is often found in students who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and uncontrollable body tics are noted in connection with Tourette syndrome.
Question 15
15. A special education teacher works with a seventh-grade student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The student excels in math calculation and reading decoding skills and needs support in reading comprehension and fluency skills. The student enjoys a limited range of interests and activities. The teacher finds that the student would benefit from developing intrinsic motivation to complete assignments. Based on the information about the student, which of the following actions would be most effective in working toward this goal?
- arranging for the student to attend field trips and performances outside of the areas of interest and assigning reading work in these areas
- informing the student of the importance of having a wide range of interests and providing the student reading material in many different areas
- allowing the student to work on math calculation and reading decoding activities after completion of a certain number of reading assignments
- maintaining a current list of the student's strengths and interests and building from these to expand the student's repertoire of reading assignments in these and other areas
Answer to question 15
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0002) An example of intrinsic motivation is a student participating in an action or behavior because it provides meaning or enjoyment to the student. Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have a limited repertoire of interests or activities, in which case there are a limited number of motivators for the student. By keeping in mind the student's current interests, the teacher can offer assignments based on these interests and then support the student in broadening the student's areas of interest into similar but slightly different areas. By supporting the student in broadening his areas of interest, the student will eventually be intrinsically motivated by a greater number of stimuli and activities.
Question 16
16. Which of the following teacher actions would most effectively foster the development of preschoolers' abstract thinking abilities?
- supporting children's abilities to make connections between the known and unknown by comparing new situations to more familiar experiences
- providing children with small blocks of various colors and asking them to sort the blocks by color and size
- teaching children how to perform jobs within the classroom such as line leader, door holder, and calendar helper
- reinforcing children's independence in hanging up their jackets and backpacks by posting a chart of steps involved in arriving at school for them to follow
Answer to question 16
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0002) Abstract thinking is the ability to think about objects and ideas that are not physically present. Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget claimed that children develop abstract reasoning skills as part of their last stage of development, known as the formal operational stage. This stage occurs between the ages of 11 and 16. However, the beginnings of abstract reasoning may be present earlier. Some psychologists have argued that the development of abstract reasoning is not a natural developmental stage. Rather, it is the product of culture, experience, and teaching. By modeling abstract thinking for children, they can begin to understand it and participate in it on their own.
Question 17
17. A special education teacher teaches in a second-grade inclusive classroom. Two paraprofessionals will be working in the classroom during small-group activities on a weekly basis. The teacher wants to increase the paraprofessionals' success in working with students on various activities. Which of the following actions is necessary for this purpose?
- developing a written method for assessing the paraprofessionals' performance each time they lead an activity with students
- providing the paraprofessionals with copies of students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to read so they can understand the needs of individual students during activities
- meeting with the paraprofessionals before they work with students to define the goals of the activities and discuss ways in which the paraprofessionals can facilitate students' participation
- requesting input from the paraprofessionals about the development of new activities they could conduct with students
Answer to question 17
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0003) Prior to assigning paraprofessionals to work with students, it is necessary for special education teachers to meet with them and review what is expected from them and from lessons they work on with students. This planning time gives the teacher an opportunity to clarify the goals of the activity, discuss the goals with the paraprofessionals, and answer paraprofessionals' questions. Meeting and planning supports communication between the teacher and paraprofessionals to foster quality instruction for all students.
Question 18
18. A special education teacher is preparing for a fourth-grade student's annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting. English is not the family's home language. The family has an elementary proficiency level in English and are in the process of becoming more fluent. Which of the following steps must the IEP team take to ensure that the student's parents are able to understand what is said during the meeting?
- arranging for a translator to be present to interpret for the parents
- creating an initial draft of the IEP in the family's home language
- asking the student to attend the meeting to interpret for the parents
- providing the parents with a bilingual glossary of terms commonly used in IEPs
Answer to question 18
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0003) The school district must take necessary actions to ensure that a student's parents/guardians understand what is communicated at the IEP meeting. This responsibility includes providing an interpreter or translator if English is not the family's home language.
Question 19
19. A special education teacher at an inclusive preschool works with a child with a severe-profound developmental cognitive disability (DCD). The child needs assistance with all areas of personal self-care and lives with a parent/guardian and three siblings. During a parent-teacher conference, the child's parent/guardian confides to the special education teacher that some days she feels overwhelmed with the care of the children and her other responsibilities. Which of the following responses would be most appropriate for the special education teacher to make to the child's parent/guardian?
- offering to provide care for the child on the weekends so that his mother can have a break
- providing the child's mother with contact information for a local disabilities association that can provide respite care
- giving the child's mother the names and telephone numbers of other families whose children have disabilities in the class
- suggesting that the child's mother speak to a school counselor to relieve some of her stress
Answer to question 19
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: B. (Objective 0003) A special education teacher should become familiar with local agencies that provide services to families of children with disabilities. By doing so, the teacher will be able to give parents/guardians referrals to needed resources so that they can access assistance such as respite care, support groups, and informational classes. In this scenario, the child's mother would likely benefit from respite care and support groups provided by a local disabilities association.
Question 20
20. A new special education teacher is preparing for the upcoming school year. One of the second-grade general education classes will include five students who have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The special education teacher would like to consult with the second-grade teacher about the students' accommodations and modifications. Which of the following steps would be most effective for the special education teacher to take in establishing a collaborative relationship with the second-grade teacher?
- suggesting that the second-grade teacher read through the students' IEPs
- providing the second-grade teacher with a list of Web sites relevant to teaching students with disabilities
- scheduling a weekly meeting with the second-grade teacher to discuss students' needs, progress, and any issues that arise
- placing a copy of each student's accommodations in the second-grade teacher's mailbox
Answer to question 20
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0003) A weekly meeting between a general education teacher and special education teacher provides each the opportunity to discuss students' accommodations for upcoming lessons. It also gives special education teachers the opportunity to hear any news or concerns that the general education teacher may have about students.
Question 21
21. A new special education teacher works in a substantially separate classroom at a high school. The students participate in an adapted physical education class and they attend music and art classes. The special education teacher would like to form relationships with other special education teachers and learn what techniques they are using. Which of the following strategies would be most effective for this purpose?
- posting questions and comments on an online special education forum
- arranging to eat lunch together with a colleague once a week to discuss their classes
- asking another special education teacher for permission to observe regularly in their classes and then discuss observations
- creating curriculum units with other special education teachers during which each teacher contributes a lesson
Answer to question 21
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0003) Peer observations are beneficial to strengthening relationships between teachers. Spending time in one another's classrooms allows teachers to observe and learn new teaching strategies and behavior management techniques in practice with students.
Question 22
22. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates an effective collaborative relationship between a special education teacher and a paraprofessional?
- A special education teacher gives a paraprofessional a daily checklist to complete with students. The teacher observes the paraprofessional working with students and reviews the checklist at the end of each day.
- A special education teacher and a paraprofessional meet weekly to talk about lesson plans and activities. They discuss which students will need the most support from the paraprofessional during each lesson, and how the paraprofessional should support students.
- A preschool teacher assigns a paraprofessional the following jobs: leading circle time on the rug, monitoring outside play, supervising student lunch time, and ensuring toileting/hand washing guidelines are being met.
- A paraprofessional works with one student all day in a general education classroom. The paraprofessional checks in occasionally with the special education teacher or general education teacher for suggestions on what to teach next.
Answer to question 22
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: B. (Objective 0003) According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004, paraprofessionals must be appropriately trained and supervised in accordance with state law to assist in the provision of special education and related services to students with disabilities. Each paraprofessional must work under the ongoing direction of a licensed teacher. Frequent meetings between paraprofessionals and the special education teacher are essential for open communication and collaboration to ensure that students' needs are being met.
Question 23
23. A special education teacher will be facilitating a transition planning meeting for a fourteen-year-old student. Which of the following actions should the teacher take to prepare for this meeting?
- deciding on a long-term goal for the student to begin working toward and outlining the steps to achieve this goal
- setting up a meeting between the student and a vocational counselor to create post-graduate plans
- asking the student's parents/guardians to suggest goals for their child after high school
- evaluating the student's strengths and needs and then determining what the student wants and needs after high school
Answer to question 23
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: D. (Objective 0003) Federal law requires that for students, beginning no later than age 14, one of the purposes of the annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting will be a discussion of transition service needs. An evaluation is completed first to determine the student's needs in the following areas: work, recreation and leisure, home living, community participation, and opportunities to learn new skills after high school. The results of the evaluation are written in a report, and the IEP team uses the report to determine what the student needs presently and what the student will need in the future.
Question 24
24. A special education teacher is working with the parents of a three-year-old child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The teacher is training the parents to use a joint attention intervention in the home setting, which includes strategies to promote the child's engagement in responding to invitations for social interactions, following another's eye gaze, and pointing to objects. The primary rationale for this work is:
- fostering the child's development of alternative modes of communication.
- facilitating the child's access to fluent models of spoken language.
- supporting the child's ability for later communication learning.
- assisting the child's attainment of typical neurodevelopment achievement.
Answer to question 24
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0003) Joint attention is an early-developing social-communication skill in which a young child and an adult use gestures and gaze to share attention on an object or event. This skill plays a critical role in social and language development for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using joint attention interventions builds the foundation for communication skills and important social skills.
Question 25
25. A four-year-old child with a developmental delay in the area of communication attends an integrated preschool program. The child's parent/guardian has reported to the special education teacher that the child often has tantrums at home, which causes significant stress for the family. The teacher would like to support the child's parent/guardian in learning and implementing positive behavior interventions at home. The most important step for the teacher to take is:
- assuring the parent/guardian that the child's behavior skills will eventually generalize from school to home.
- interviewing the parent/guardian to determine the family's specific needs.
- outlining behavioral goals to the parent/guardian in family-friendly terms.
- providing the parent/guardian with a description of adaptive behaviors generally expected for children of this age.
Answer to question 25
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: B. (Objective 0003) To support a parent/guardian in implementing a positive behavior intervention at home, it is most important to first determine specific components of the child's behavior. Interviewing a parent/guardian provides the teacher with better understanding of what the child and family are experiencing and how to address the issues in a systematic way across settings.
Question 26
26. A special education teacher is working with the parents of an 18-month-old child with developmental delays to develop the child's Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). The teacher uses a routines-based interview that includes gathering information about common activities and routines in the family and what the parents and the child both enjoy and do not enjoy about these activities and routines. Information from this interview primarily is used to:
- develop goals that promote the child's learning and engagement in natural contexts.
- evaluate the extent to which the child's educational needs can be met in the home setting.
- understand etiological and environmental factors that contribute to the child's disability profile.
- ensure the child is learning pre-academic skills that can transfer to educational settings.
Answer to question 26
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0003) A routines-based interview is designed to help families decide on outcomes/goals for their individualized plans. A special education teacher collects information from the parent about their child's routines, engagement, independence, and social relationships. This method of gathering information on the everyday activities and events of children and families supports the development of individualized and meaningful interventions that are effective for each child's learning and development goals.
Question 27
27. A child's awareness of the sound structure of spoken words is most closely related to which of the following aspects of language acquisition?
- knowledge of discourse processes
- syntactic development
- knowledge of morphological processes
- phonological development
Answer to question 27
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: D. (Objective 0004) Phonological development is the process of learning a language by acquiring the sound patterns and the ability to produce the sounds. Phonological development starts in infants with babbling syllables and continues through to school-aged children learning all consonant sounds.
Question 28
28. A special education teacher working with students who are emergent readers includes rhyming and other oral wordplay activities based on sound patterns as a regular feature of literacy lessons as well as in daily classroom routines. This practice benefits students primarily in which of the following ways?
- promoting phoneme segmentation skills
- developing phonological awareness
- introducing common spelling patterns
- supporting knowledge of the alphabetic principle
Answer to question 28
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: B. (Objective 0004) Phonological awareness, the knowledge that spoken language is composed of smaller linguistic units (e.g., words, syllables, phonemes), is foundational to learning to read a writing system in which symbols represent the sounds in spoken words, such as in written English. Literacy activities that draw attention to sound patterns and the phonological structure of language are effective in supporting children's early development of phonological awareness.
Question 29
29. A fifth-grade student typically reads aloud grade-level passages with appropriate expression and at a rate that supports listening comprehension. In addition to these performance indicators, which of the following dimensions would be most important for a teacher to consider when evaluating the fluency development of this student?
- the student's relative skill in reading different types of text
- the student's ability to maintain focus while reading a text
- the student's accuracy in reading words in continuous text
- the student's demonstrated interest in the content of a text
Answer to question 29
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0004) Accuracy in decoding words is fundamental to text comprehension and to the development of fluent reading skills: the ability to read a text accurately, expressively, and with speech-like phrasing that reflects the ongoing process of building comprehension during reading. As both a prerequisite and integral skill, accuracy is regarded as one of the key indicators of fluent reading.
Question 30
30. A special education teacher uses a word game in one of several informal literacy assessments of a first-grade student. In the game, the teacher slowly and continuously pronounces the sequence of individual sounds found in a familiar word (e.g., pronouncing the word sit as sssiiit) and then asks the student to identify the word the sounds make. This assessment procedure would most effectively provide a measure of the student's development in which of the following areas of emergent literacy?
- phonemic awareness
- oral vocabulary knowledge
- letter-sound correspondence
- word awareness
Answer to question 30
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0004) Phonemic awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate individual speech sounds, or phonemes, in spoken language. In the activity described, a student hears a sequence of phonemes and must be able to blend the individual phonemes into a word. This type of procedure is often used for promoting the development of phonemic blending skills as well as for assessing a student's skill development in phonemic blending.
Question 31
31. A sixth-grade student with a learning disability in reading has difficulty decoding multisyllabic words in content-area and other informational texts. Given this evidence, which of the following activities would be most effective to include in the student's literacy instruction to address this need?
- word lists of difficult-to-decode words to refer to as needed
- word games to increase appreciation of vocabulary
- word sorts to categorize words morphologically
- word logs in which to record and define vocabulary
Answer to question 31
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0004) Word sorts require students to analyze words in order to categorize them. They help students to focus their attention on words; in the case of multisyllabic words, they ma focus on morphological elements (i.e., affixes, base words and roots). In a closed sort, the teacher provides the criterion for sorting (e.g., "Sort these words by the prefixes they have"). In an open sort, students determine the criterion they will use. Through sorting, students form generalizations about words and can apply these generalizations when they come across similar words in their reading.
Question 32
32. A special education teacher is working with a first-grade student to support her progress in reading. The teacher writes the word net on the board and says the word net aloud. The teacher then pronounces the letter sounds slowly and continuously (i.e., nnneeettt) and selects a separate color block to represent each sound in the word. This activity would be most effective for promoting the student's literacy skills in which of the following areas?
- oral reading fluency
- phonemic segmentation
- regular word decoding
- word articulation
Answer to question 32
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: B. (Objective 0004) Phonemic segmentation is an example of a phonological awareness skill that supports the acquisition of literacy skills. It is the ability to break words down into individual sounds and is essential in developing writing skills. Students who have strong phonological awareness skills demonstrate better literacy skills.
Question 33
33. While reading a short story for an English language arts assignment, a tenth-grade student asks the special education teacher for help in understanding the word position in the sentence shown below.
Sammy was able to obtain a position at the ranger station, work that would allow him to spend most of his days outdoors—and get paid for it, too!
Which of the following independent word-learning strategies would support the student's understanding of this word?
- rewriting the original, syntactically complex sentence as three simple sentences
- studying the meanings of the component morphemes in the word
- analyzing the syntactic and semantic clues in the sentence
- looking up the word in a print or electronic dictionary
Answer to question 33
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0005) Syntactic and semantic clues help a reader to identify an unknown or difficult word. They are "hints" about the meaning or pronunciation of an unknown word based on the words, phrases, or sentences that surround it and the context in which the word is used in a sentence or paragraph.
Question 34
34. A wide body of research indicates that which of the following aspects of literacy plays an essential role in early reading development and ongoing reading achievement?
- broad familiarity with children's literature
- book-handling skills
- vocabulary knowledge
- metacognitive awareness of reading processes
Answer to question 34
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0005) Vocabulary knowledge has been shown to be a critical factor affecting text comprehension for readers of all skill levels. During the earliest stages of reading development, vocabulary size affects the development of phonological awareness and decoding skills, and depth of word knowledge affects both word identification skill and reading comprehension. Furthermore, vocabulary knowledge measured at the beginning of reading development is a strong predictor of vocabulary growth, ongoing reading development, and overall academic achievement in secondary grades.
Question 35
35. A special education teacher provides middle school students with explicit instruction in common organizational structures (e.g., cause/effect, problem/solution) used in informational/expository texts. Instruction of this sort is most likely to develop students' skill in comprehending these text types in which of the following ways?
- encouraging them to make text-to-self connections as they read
- deepening their understanding of key words and terminology in these texts
- enhancing their ability to recognize relationships between ideas in these texts
- supporting them in retaining facts or key details from a text in memory
Answer to question 35
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0005) Organizational structures are conventional sets of features or patterns for ordering ideas in a text that serve to clarify an author's purpose (e.g., to explain a phenomenon, to propose a solution to a problem) and to signal the nature of relationships between ideas in a text.
Question 36
36. A special education teacher who is working with a small group of middle school students writes the words supplement, escalate, and diminish on the board and then orally explains the basic meaning of each of the words. Which of the following steps would be most effective for the teacher to take next in order to deepen students' knowledge of the words?
- presenting examples to students that illustrate appropriate and inappropriate uses of each word
- asking individual students to find and share dictionary entries for each word
- guiding the students in a morphological analysis of each word
- outlining for students the etymological origin and historical development of each word
Answer to question 36
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0005) In the lesson described, the teacher provides students with an initial working definition of target words, supporting a very basic understanding of word meanings but not an understanding sufficient to prepare students to use the words appropriately in meaningful contexts. By offering students familiar examples that illustrate meaning and appropriate and inappropriate contexts in which the words are used, the teacher deepens their understanding of word meanings and usage.
Question 37
37. A special education teacher works in a resource room class for second-grade students needing extra support in reading comprehension. The teacher begins to read aloud a story to the group. The teacher starts by saying, "The title of this book is Martha's Day Out. I think this book will be about someone named Martha going somewhere. When I look at the cover, it has a picture of a hippopotamus with a coat and purse, so I think maybe that's Martha and she looks like she's about to leave her house." Which of the following rationales describes why this strategy is effective for fostering students' comprehension of the book?
- Modeling strategies for reading such as making inferences and connections builds students' approaches to understanding books.
- Examining details of the cover increases students' motivation for reading the contents of the book.
- Discussing the cover of the book supports emerging readers' understanding of the contents of the book.
- Discussing personal opinions about the story holds students' attention when listening to a book being read aloud.
Answer to question 37
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: A. (Objective 0005) In this scenario, the teacher is using a think-aloud method. A think-aloud involves the teacher reading a text to the class and modeling his or her own comprehension strategies such as asking questions, making inferences, determining importance, and making connections to personal background knowledge. This strategy is proven to be helpful for students struggling with comprehension because it shows how someone can read and, at the same time, attempt to understand what is being read.
Question 38
38. A middle school special education teacher is reading an informational science text about how tornados are formed with an eighth-grade student who has a mild developmental cognitive disability (DCD). Before reading, the teacher draws a graphic organizer depicting four boxes that are numbered one through four. The teacher then scans the article with the student and highlights the words first, following that, now, and finally. As they read the article, they fill in the graphic organizer describing the sequence of how a tornado forms referring to the highlighted words from the text. This work primarily supports the student in:
- evaluating the author's purpose for writing.
- identifying key vocabulary using text context.
- paraphrasing important details about the topic.
- using text structure to enhance comprehension.
Answer to question 38
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: D. (Objective 0005) A graphic organizer is a visual thinking tool that helps to display the relationships between facts and ideas within a learning task. In the above scenario a teacher uses a graphic organizer to sequence events in the text, which will enhance comprehension by encouraging the student to look for important topics in a specific order. Using text structure can enhance comprehension by looking at the way in which an author organizes the information in a text. Understanding the overall text structure of a story enhances comprehension and makes summarizing the text easier for students.
Question 39
39. A special education teacher has conducted a running record of a text at the instructional reading level of a fifth-grade student with a language-based specific learning disability (SLD). Results from a miscue analysis would be most useful to the teacher in:
- understanding the student's range of receptive vocabulary.
- determining the student's sight word automaticity.
- gaining insight into the student's reading strategies.
- gauging the student's stage of inferential comprehension.
Answer to question 39
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: C. (Objective 0005) A miscue analysis is an assessment used in reading that helps identify the strategies a student uses to make sense of a text. During a miscue analysis, a teacher takes notes on a copy of the text the student is reading aloud. The teacher notes errors, pauses, self-corrections, and substitutions that the student makes while reading. Noting these patterns of error allows the teacher to see where a student has specific areas of need in reading and where the teacher can build on existing areas of strength.
Question 40
40. A special education teacher is planning to read aloud a short, complex informational text to a ninth-grade social studies class. A student in the class has a specific learning disability (SLD) and demonstrates difficulty processing and retaining information. Which of the following class instructional accommodations would best promote the student's reading comprehension of the text?
- presenting the text to students in a consistent and slow-paced speed of voice
- previewing important vocabulary with students and developing visuals for key text content
- having the students co-create a class summary of the text in their own words
- providing students written notes about the text to refer to before, during, and after reading
Answer to question 40
- Answer Enter to expand or collapse answer. Answer expanded
- Correct Response: B. (Objective 0005) Understanding the meanings of words directly affects comprehension. Previewing important vocabulary prior to listening to a text read aloud is an accommodation that builds prior knowledge and better comprehension skills of the words' meanings. Using visuals for key text content helps a student connect the meaning of text with a personal picture, which can improve comprehension.