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Section 4: Sample Selected-Response Questions
Core Subjects 4–8 Subject Exam I—English Language Arts and Reading Subtest (806)

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This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the Subject Exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual Subject Exam.

For each sample exam question, there is a correct answer and a rationale for each answer option. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the Subject Exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam.

Subject Exam I Sample Questions

Competency 001—(Oral Language): The teacher understands the importance of oral language, knows the developmental processes of oral language and provides a variety of instructional opportunities for students to develop listening and speaking skills.

1. Which of the following activities best helps develop oral language proficiency for English-language learners speaking at an intermediate level of English-language proficiency?

  1. Having conversations with the teacher
  2. Answering comprehension questions in class
  3. Writing narrative stories in English
  4. Viewing dramatic television shows
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because social interactions in standard English are critical to oral language development in English-language learners (ELLs). Option B is incorrect because answering simple comprehension questions does not give the ELL the opportunity to practice conversational proficiency. Option C is incorrect because writing skills do not necessarily translate to oral proficiency, nor does writing allow the student to practice oral language in a meaningful way. Option D is incorrect because watching television gives the student an opportunity to listen to English but not to practice speaking it.

2. Middle school students are using a speech-recognition tool to record notes on a tablet computer while conducting research. To best ensure that the tool is effective, the teacher should emphasize the importance of which of the following?

  1. Using clear articulation
  2. Giving sequential instructions
  3. Maintaining a consistent speaking rate
  4. Connecting ideas effectively
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because students must clearly articulate, or enunciate, words for the speech-recognition application to accurately recognize and record students’ notes. Option B is incorrect because although students are speaking to the application, they are recording notes instead of providing a set of sequential instructions. Option C is incorrect because maintaining a constant speaking rate is not as important for the speech-recognition application as clear articulation. Option D is incorrect because the speech-recognition application directly records what students say, regardless of the content. It will not recognize whether the ideas are connected effectively.

Competency 002—(Early Literacy Development): The teacher understands the foundations of early literacy development.

3. Which of the following words should be paired with the word “enough” to model the strategy of using analogy-based phonics to decode unfamiliar words?

  1. Off
  2. Rough
  3. Plenty
  4. Cough
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because analogy-based phonics allows students to decode unfamiliar words, like “enough,” using the sound of known words with similar spellings, like “rough.” Option A is incorrect because although “off” has the same ending sound as “enough,” its spelling is different and therefore not useful for decoding by analogy. Option C is incorrect because although “plenty” has a similar meaning to “enough,” the words are not phonetically similar. Option D is incorrect because although “cough” has a similar spelling to “enough,” it has a different vowel digraph sound.

Competency 003—(Word Identification Skills and Reading Fluency): The teacher understands the importance of word identification skills (including decoding, blending, structural analysis and sight word vocabulary) and reading fluency and provides many opportunities for students to practice and improve word identification skills and reading fluency.

4. A teacher has students take turns pulling pieces of paper with affixes and roots written on them out of a container. Students must create a word with the root or affix and construct a sentence using that word correctly. The activity will best help students develop an understanding of word meanings based on which of the following?

  1. Structure
  2. Context clues
  3. Syntax
  4. Pragmatics
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because in the activity, students demonstrate understanding of the meaning of words by using their knowledge of familiar roots and affixes that form words. Option B is incorrect because students must create the word and sentence; therefore, context clues are not available. Option C is incorrect because students are not presented with a sentence that uses the word, which would be needed to infer meaning through evaluating the sentence syntax. Option D is incorrect because the students are provided with only a root or an affix. There are no clues provided to students about the how the context contributes to meaning in a particular situation.

Competency 004—(Reading Comprehension and Assessment): The teacher understands the importance of reading for understanding, knows components and processes of reading comprehension and teaches students strategies for improving their comprehension.

5. A student demonstrates success with fluency during oral reading circles but has difficulty relating to the text. Because of this difficulty, the student will most likely struggle with which of the following?

  1. Writing about the text
  2. Reading the text out loud
  3. Listening to the text read aloud
  4. Decoding words within the text
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because students must be able to relate to the meaning of the text to write about it in any context. Option B is incorrect because the student’s success with fluency means that the student will not have difficulty reading the text aloud. Option C is incorrect because the student’s success in oral reading circles demonstrates success at listening. Option D is incorrect because decoding skills are necessary for the student to achieve the stated success in fluency.

6. Which of the following is an appropriate guideline to give students for analyzing a poem?

  1. A poem’s figurative meaning is usually understood before its literal meaning.
  2. There is usually one correct way to interpret the meaning of a poem.
  3. A strong interpretation of a poem usually includes evidence from the text.
  4. A poem’s rhyme scheme usually guides the literal understanding of a poem.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct because the use of textual evidence from the poem is a vital part of any explication or interpretation of the meaning of the poem. Option A is incorrect because although understanding the figurative meaning is important, most readers first achieve a literal understanding of poetry before progressing to understanding the figurative meaning, as figurative meaning requires a higher level of thinking and comprehension. Option B is incorrect because poetry lends itself to multiple interpretations rather than just a single, correct interpretation. Option D is incorrect because while understanding rhyme scheme may help a student appreciate the craft of poetry, an understanding of the rhyme scheme alone does not support comprehension and analysis of the poem’s meaning.

7. Which of the following is a research-based best practice for teaching vocabulary?

  1. Asking students to explain vocabulary words in their own words to promote meaningful use of the new terms
  2. Exposing students to vocabulary words once before moving on to new words to ensure that students remain motivated to learn a variety of new terms
  3. Explaining the definitions of vocabulary words using formal language to promote higher-level understanding
  4. Focusing on written vocabulary words rather than representative images to ensure that students focus on language rather than on pictures
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because research shows that encouraging the meaningful use of vocabulary through student-developed definitions promotes deeper understanding of vocabulary words. Option B is incorrect because research supports repeated engagement with the same words to improve vocabulary development. Option C is incorrect because research shows that students retain new vocabulary best when it is introduced using student-friendly language. Option D is incorrect because research supports the use of pictures to help students construct meaning for new vocabulary.

Competency 005—(Reading Applications): The teacher understands reading skills and strategies appropriate for various types of texts and contexts and teaches students to apply these skills and strategies to enhance their reading proficiency.

8. Using a KWL chart when reading an expository text best helps students with which of the following skills?

  1. Setting a purpose for reading by eliciting prior knowledge
  2. Comparing and contrasting elements of the text by sorting information
  3. Incorporating evidence to support claims by returning to the text
  4. Distinguishing factual claims from opinions by evaluating language in the text
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because a KWL chart incorporates prior knowledge of a topic by requiring students to list what they already know about the topic. It also helps students set a purpose for reading by requiring them to list what they want to know about the topic. Options B, C and D are incorrect because a KWL chart has students activate prior knowledge in the “What I know” column, set a purpose for learning in the “What I want to know” column, and make meta-cognitive reflections in the “What I learned” column. It does not require students to sort or compare information, incorporate evidence to support claims or distinguish between fact and opinion. Those tasks would be better completed using different types of graphic organizers.

9. A teacher points out the following sentence from a text the class is reading.

After getting stuck behind a school bus, it took an eternity for us to get to school.

The sentence provides an effective model for using which of the following types of figurative language?

  1. Extended metaphor
  2. Dramatic irony
  3. Onomatopoeia
  4. Hyperbole
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option D is correct because “it took an eternity” is an example of exaggeration, or hyperbole, about the amount of time it took the speaker to get to school. Option A is incorrect because “it took an eternity” does not make the direct comparison required for creating a metaphor. Option B is incorrect because the sentence contains no words or phrases that convey dramatic irony, which occurs when the readers or audience know something that the characters in a text do not know. Option C is incorrect because the sentence contains no words that mimic natural sounds, or onomatopoeia.

Questions 10–11 refer to the following information.

An English teacher has students read and analyze the following stanza from William Blake’s poem “A Poison Tree.”

I was angry with a friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with a foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

10. To best help students understand the underlying meaning of the stanza, on which of the following should teacher focus first?

  1. Opposing elements
  2. Shifts in point of view
  3. Descriptive imagery
  4. Line length
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because the stanza presents two opposing ideas: how the speaker treats anger toward a friend and how he addresses anger he feels for a foe. Option B is incorrect because although the first-person perspective is important, there is no shift to a different point of view. Option C is incorrect because the stanza lacks vivid images and does not rely on visual imagery to convey the primary message about the impact of anger. Option D is incorrect because the line length, which similar in all four lines, does little, if anything, to communicate meaning in the poem.

11. Which of the following is the most accurate paraphrase of the stanza?

  1. I was upset with my pal, but he apologized, so my anger went away. I was upset with my enemy, and he also apologized, but I was still mad.
  2. I was upset with my pal, and I let him know, and my anger went away. I was upset with my enemy, but I did not tell him, so my anger became worse.
  3. I was upset with my pal, and I let him know, but my anger remained. I was upset with my enemy, and I did not let him know, so my anger became worse.
  4. I was upset with my pal, but I kept it from him, and my anger remained. I was upset with my enemy, and I did not tell him, so I was still mad.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because the paraphrase accurately states that the speaker tells his friend of his anger, thereby releasing it, and that because he does not tell his enemy of his anger, the speaker holds on to that anger. Options A, C and D are incorrect because they present misreadings of the poem.

12. After reading a short story, a teacher asks students to answer the following question.

What is the author trying to communicate when he says, “The finish line was visible but seemed farther than ever”?

The question primarily requires students to use which of the following skills?

  1. Making a prediction
  2. Inferring meaning
  3. Making a connection
  4. Critiquing writing
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because determining the author’s purpose in figurative language requires the student to make an inference from the information provided in the story. Option A is incorrect because predicting requires the student to identify what the story is most likely about, which occurs before reading. Option C is incorrect because connecting requires the student to draw parallels between the story and other stories or themselves. Option D is incorrect because critiquing an author’s writing requires the student to critically evaluate the subject and craftsmanship of the entire story rather than examining a single sentence.

Competency 006—(Written Language — Writing Conventions): The teacher understands the conventions of writing in English and provides instruction that helps students develop proficiency in applying writing conventions.

13. A teacher reads the following two sentences from a book report written by an eighth-grade student.

The Outsiders describes teenage boys growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, and having to compete with rich kids. They encounter lots of trouble along the way, but learn in the end that everyone sees the same sunset.

The teacher should first help the student correct the errors in

  1. comma usage.
  2. run-on sentences.
  3. subject-verb agreement.
  4. verb tense.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because the student uses unnecessary commas to separate compound predicates in the sentences. Commas should be used with coordinating conjunctions to join independent clauses; therefore, the student would benefit from direct instruction in comma usage. Option B is incorrect because each sentence contains conjunctions between the independent clauses, so there is no run-on. Option C is incorrect because the verbs in each sentence agree with the subjects. Option D is incorrect because the student uses the literary present tense consistently in both sentences.

14. A student writes the following two sentences.

The campground was now a lonely ghost town. I left the place without a fish in my cooler.

The student then revises the two sentences into the sentence that follows.

I left the campground, a lonely ghost town, without a fish in my cooler.

In the revision, the student has combined the two sentences using which of the following?

  1. A compound sentence
  2. A participial phrase
  3. An appositive phrase
  4. A complex sentence
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct because the student combined the sentences by correctly inserting an appositive phrase describing the campground into the first sentence. Option A is incorrect because the new sentence does not contain two separate, independent clauses. Option B is incorrect because although the revision includes a phrase used to modify a noun, that phrase does not contain a present or past participle. Option D is incorrect because the revision does not contain the independent and dependent clause necessary for a complex sentence.

15. Which of the following is the most effective way for a teacher to help students understand the decision-making process involved in writing with grammatical correctness?

  1. Providing daily opportunities for students to write for authentic purposes
  2. Pointing out students’ grammatical errors during individual writing conferences
  3. Highlighting incorrect grammar usage on students’ writing assignments
  4. Modeling the appropriate use of writing conventions using think-alouds
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option D is correct because watching a teacher model the thought processes involved in the application of writing conventions will show students how to make those decisions and encourage them to practice such decision making in their own writing. Option A is incorrect because even though providing students authentic purposes for writing is a good practice, the practice does not necessarily direct them to the decision making involved in grammatical correctness. Options B and C are incorrect because while pointing out errors in student writing, either verbally or on paper, may be a catalyst for a student to focus on particular conventions, these strategies do not highlight the decision making involved in using grammatical correctness.

Competency 007—(Written Language — Composition): The teacher understands that writing to communicate is a developmental process and provides instruction that promotes students’ competence in written communication.

16. A teacher wants students to conduct a self-assessment of their writing over an extended period of time. Which of the following activities best meets the objective?

  1. Applying color-coding strategies to rough drafts of essays as a typical revision activity during the year
  2. Scoring sample essays written by other students using appropriate research-based rubrics as a weekly activity
  3. Using a variety of writing topics as journal starters over the course of the year
  4. Selecting several examples of their writing that demonstrate their ability to meet objectives they studied throughout a semester
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option D is correct because compiling examples of their writing over an extended period, commonly known as a writing portfolio, will facilitate students’ ability to see their progress in writing over time. Option A is incorrect because although having students apply color coding as a revision strategy will require them to practice revision skills, such strategies are not directly related to self-assessment. Option B is incorrect because scoring sample essays with a specific rubric does not help students focus on their own writing. Option C is incorrect because while journal starters are an excellent tool for informal writing, they do not demonstrate students’ progress in meeting objectives throughout the year, as the writing portfolio will.

17. Which of the following activities is most appropriate to have students complete during the prewriting phase of the writing process?

  1. Using a thesaurus to replace repeated words
  2. Listening to peers read their introductory paragraphs out loud
  3. Creating clusters of ideas related to the topic in a graphic organizer
  4. Determining a variety of ways to begin sentences
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct because making graphic organizers, such as mind maps, is a strategy that is most effective for the planning or prewriting stage. Option A is incorrect because using a thesaurus is more appropriate for the revising and editing stage. Option B is incorrect because analyzing other students’ writing is more appropriate during the revising and editing stage. Option D is incorrect because varying sentences is more appropriate for either the drafting or the revising stage.

18. Which of the following practices best develops sentence fluency in writing?

  1. Expanding each idea with a variety of supporting examples and explanations
  2. Beginning sentences in a variety of ways
  3. Creating simple sentences to replace fragments and run-on sentences
  4. Ending each paragraph with a sentence that restates the main idea
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because beginning sentences in different ways helps to create rhythm and fluency within a composition. Option A is incorrect because expanding each idea with a variety of examples and explanations primarily develops the traits of ideas and organization in writing. Option C is incorrect because even though simple sentences are grammatically correct, overusing them is likely to create writing that is choppy, not fluent. Option D is incorrect because while ending each paragraph with a restatement of the main idea may help develop organization and ideas, it will not promote sentence fluency.

Competency 008—(Viewing and Representing): The teacher understands skills for interpreting, analyzing, evaluating and producing visual images and messages in various media and provides students with opportunities to develop skills in this area.

19. Which of the following is an example of a cinematographer influencing the audience’s perception of a subject by controlling the light in the shot?

  1. Using a close-up shot of an actor’s face to highlight the character’s happy expression
  2. Using a set that includes many horizontal lines behind the main action
  3. Showing an actor in the shadows to suggest the character’s evil intentions
  4. Showing two people walking toward the camera using a long shot
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct because shadows suggest literal and figurative darkness, and by purposely using shadows in the film, the cinematographer suggests figurative darkness and evil intentions. Option A is incorrect because a close-up shot may or may not incorporate light as a tool. Although such shots allow the viewer to focus on a single object, they do not necessarily influence the audience’s perception of that object. Option B is incorrect because the use of lines is not directly related to manipulation of the intensity of light. Option D is incorrect because a long shot of people walking toward a camera does not necessarily incorporate light as a strategic influence.

20. A reading teacher is teaching students how to view television commercials critically. When leading them to analyze how the target audience affects the choices made by the producers of the commercial, which of the following questions should the teacher guide students to ask first?

  1. What propaganda strategies were used in the commercial?
  2. How much did it cost to broadcast the commercial?
  3. During what program did the commercial air?
  4. What artistic techniques were used to create the commercial?
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct because understanding the programming of the television show during which the commercial aired will help students understand the target audience. Option A is incorrect because even though propaganda strategies are important for understanding commercials on a critical level, knowing the target audience first will better lead students to focus on how those strategies will influence the target audience. Option B is incorrect because the cost of the commercial has nothing to do with its target audience. Option D is incorrect because while analyzing the artistic techniques will help students understand the message, such techniques are not the element to target first when analyzing the audience.

Competency 009—(Study and Inquiry Skills): The teacher understands the importance of study and inquiry skills as tools for learning in the content areas and promotes students’ development in applying study and inquiry skills.

21. A student has created note cards containing facts and information to answer specific research questions about a self-selected topic. Which of the following steps should the student take next to complete the research paper?

  1. Discussing the research with a small group of peers for feedback and guidance
  2. Completing a summary of the ideas, incorporating one note card per paragraph
  3. Sorting the cards by the questions that are answered to identify any gaps in the research
  4. Writing a rough draft of the research paper that incorporates the facts from the note cards
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct because sorting the cards by the research questions will allow the student to evaluate and organize the research before moving on to the drafting stage of writing the research paper. Option A is incorrect because peers may be unfamiliar with the topic and research, as it was self-selected by the student, making their feedback somewhat unreliable. Option B is incorrect because the note cards may not be organized by topic, and writing a summary with one note card per paragraph will likely result in a lengthy summary that does not help the student organize the main ideas. Option D is incorrect because the student is not prepared to draft the paper without first organizing or sorting the research gathered.

22. Which of the following can best be achieved by using multiple sources when completing a research project?

  1. Streamlining the steps of the research process
  2. Accessing a range of information on the topic
  3. Eliminating plagiarism within the research paper
  4. Ensuring unity of ideas about the topic
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because accessing multiple sources will likely provide a range of information about the topic. Option A is incorrect because using multiple sources does not usually streamline research; rather, it often complicates the process. Option C is incorrect because students must provide documentation for all sources, and using multiple sources does not necessarily prevent students from plagiarizing material from those sources. Option D is incorrect because consulting multiple sources often results in finding conflicting opinions rather than agreement.
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