Mixed Deck — All PARAPRO Topics Flashcards

Which of the following is equivalent to 2/5?

Answer: 6/15

Multiplying both numerator and denominator of 2/5 by 3 gives 6/15, which is an equivalent fraction.

Which of the following passages best demonstrates an author's purpose to entertain?

Answer: A short story about a clumsy wizard who accidentally turns himself into a sandwich

A fictional, humorous story about a clumsy wizard is designed to amuse and engage readers, which is the hallmark of writing meant to entertain rather than inform or persuade.

A paraprofessional wants to help a student identify the author's purpose in a persuasive letter. Which question is MOST useful?

Answer: 'What is the author trying to convince the reader to believe or do?'

Asking what the author is trying to convince the reader of directly targets the definition of persuasive purpose — influencing beliefs or actions.

A store sells apples at $1.20 per pound. If a customer buys 3.5 pounds, how much does she pay?

Answer: $4.20

$1.20 × 3.5 = $4.20.

A student says that 0.5 is greater than 0.50. Is the student correct?

Answer: No, 0.5 and 0.50 are equal in value

Trailing zeros after a decimal point do not change the value, so 0.5 = 0.50.

A paraprofessional's PRIMARY professional responsibility in the classroom is to:

Answer: Support the teacher's instructional goals by assisting students under the teacher's direction

Paraprofessionals work under the direction of a licensed teacher to support instruction and student learning. They are not independent instructors or decision-makers for special education placements.

"My uncle, Mr. Harrisson Ford, has been with us for the past three years (as you may know, my mother was a Miss Pace of New York). He never got along with my father or older brother, and I believe that his fondness for me was heightened rather than decreased by the fact that I was a prodigal son myself. Of course, my uncle was wealthy while I am a poor man; in other words, he paid the piper! Although he was demanding in many ways, he wasn't all that difficult to get along with, and the three of us got along great. After seeing some of our recent gayeties around town, my uncle recommended two days ago that we travel to Derbyshire for a few days. The housekeeper, Mrs. McBride, received a wire from my wife, and we left that afternoon. I had to leave last evening and go back to town, but my wife and my uncle stayed behind. He handed it to me, and I read it: "This morning I received this telegraph. Last night, Uncle Harrington was killed. If you can, bring a competent detective, but please do come. The question is based on the following passage. Which is likely the meaning of the word ''gayeties'' in the passage?

Answer: tiring festivities

The word 'gayeties' refers to activities that are lively, cheerful, or festive. In the context of the passage, the uncle recommends a trip after 'seeing some of our recent gayeties around town,' implying these were social events or celebrations. While 'gayeties' generally means cheerful activities, the correct option 'tiring festivities' suggests that these activities, though festive, might have been numerous or energetic enough to warrant a recommendation for a change of scenery or a break, making them potentially tiring.

A student reads a passage about dolphins and identifies three specific behaviors they exhibit. These behaviors are best described as:

Answer: Supporting details

Supporting details are specific facts, examples, or descriptions that support and expand upon the main idea.

A student needs to find 3/4 of 24. What is the correct answer?

Answer: 18

To find 3/4 of 24, multiply 24 by 3 and divide by 4: (24 × 3) ÷ 4 = 72 ÷ 4 = 18.

A student writes a paragraph with five supporting details but no topic sentence. What revision should the paraprofessional suggest?

Answer: Add a topic sentence at the beginning that states the main idea the details support

A paragraph without a topic sentence lacks a controlling idea. Adding a topic sentence at the beginning tells readers what the paragraph is about and unifies the supporting details.

Which of the following best describes the author's purpose in a persuasive essay?

Answer: To convince the reader to agree with a point of view

A persuasive essay is written with the intent to influence the reader's opinion or motivate a specific action.

Which action demonstrates a paraprofessional building a positive, trusting relationship with a student?

Answer: Greeting the student by name each day and showing genuine interest in his progress

Consistent, warm, personalized greetings and genuine interest in a student's progress are foundational trust-building behaviors that support academic and social-emotional development.

A student reads a story where the main character stops eating lunch with his friends and starts sitting alone. The author never states how the character feels. What can a reader most reasonably infer?

Answer: The character is experiencing a conflict or emotional difficulty with friends.

A sudden change in social behavior — avoiding former friends — is a classic implied signal of interpersonal conflict or emotional distress. The text provides no evidence for hunger, location preference, or rules.

What is the area of a circle with a radius of 7 cm? (Use π ≈ 3.14)

Answer: 153.86 cm²

Area = πr² = 3.14 × 7² = 3.14 × 49 ≈ 153.86 cm².

A paraprofessional is helping a student revise their paragraph. What is the primary focus during the revision stage?

Answer: Improving the clarity, organization, and descriptive details.

The revision stage focuses on improving the content and structure of the writing. This includes clarifying ideas, adding or deleting details, improving sentence structure, and ensuring the writing is well-organized and flows logically. Correcting surface-level errors like spelling and punctuation occurs during the editing stage.

If a shirt originally costs $45 and is on sale for 20% off, what is the sale price?

Answer: $36.00

20% of $45 = $9 (the discount). Sale price = $45 - $9 = $36.00.

A pie chart shows how a school spends its budget: 40% salaries, 25% supplies, 20% maintenance, 15% technology. Which two categories together account for more than half the budget?

Answer: Salaries and supplies

Salaries (40%) plus supplies (25%) equals 65%, which is more than half the budget.

Which of the following text's underlined passages is false? What the monkey don't realize, though, was that the banana was just bait to lure him to the back of his cage.

Answer: don’t realize

Explanation: The verb form of ""do not"" that would be used with a plural noun is ""don't"". Given that there is only one monkey, the proper word to use is "doesn't."

A paraprofessional is helping a student understand place value. In the number 4,637, what is the value of the digit 6?

Answer: 600

In 4,637, the digit 6 is in the hundreds place, so its value is 6 × 100 = 600.

A clock shows 3:45. How many degrees has the minute hand rotated from the 12 o'clock position?

Answer: 270°

At 3:45 the minute hand is on the 9, which is 3/4 of the way around: 3/4 × 360° = 270°.