DESE Reading & Literacy Instruction

Question 1

Which of the following best describes phonemic awareness in early literacy instruction?

Accepted Answer

The ability to recognize and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words

Answer

The ability to decode written text using letter-sound relationships

Answer

The ability to understand the meaning of words in context

Answer

The ability to read fluently at an appropriate pace

Question 2

According to the science of reading, which instructional approach is most effective for teaching beginning readers to decode words?

Accepted Answer

Systematic and explicit phonics instruction

Answer

Whole language instruction emphasizing meaning-making

Answer

Balanced literacy with leveled readers

Answer

Language experience approach using student-generated text

Question 3

A teacher notices a student can read words accurately but reads very slowly and in a choppy manner. Which reading component should the teacher target for intervention?

Accepted Answer

Reading fluency

Answer

Phonemic awareness

Answer

Vocabulary development

Answer

Reading comprehension

Question 4

Which strategy is most effective for building academic vocabulary in content-area reading?

Accepted Answer

Pre-teaching key vocabulary words before reading a text

Answer

Having students look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary independently

Answer

Encouraging students to skip unknown words and use context only

Answer

Assigning weekly spelling lists of content-area terms

Question 5

What does the Simple View of Reading propose about reading comprehension?

Accepted Answer

Reading comprehension equals decoding plus listening comprehension

Answer

Reading comprehension is primarily dependent on background knowledge

Answer

Reading comprehension develops naturally through extensive reading practice

Answer

Reading comprehension equals fluency plus vocabulary knowledge

Question 6

When a DESE-licensed teacher uses a 'think-aloud' strategy during reading instruction, what is the primary purpose?

Accepted Answer

To model metacognitive reading strategies so students can internalize them

Answer

To assess student comprehension through oral questioning

Answer

To build oral language skills through teacher modeling

Answer

To differentiate instruction for English Language Learners

Question 7

Which assessment tool is most appropriate for monitoring a student's oral reading fluency progress over time?

Accepted Answer

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) oral reading fluency probes

Answer

Running record with miscue analysis

Answer

Informal reading inventory with graded passages

Answer

Standardized achievement test in reading