RICA English Language Learners and Diverse Learners 3

Question 1

According to RICA, what is 'culturally responsive literacy instruction'?

Accepted Answer

Instruction that recognizes, values, and draws on students' cultural backgrounds, experiences, and languages as assets in literacy learning

Answer

Culturally responsive instruction leverages students' cultural knowledge and experiences as strengths that support literacy engagement and learning.

Question 2

A teacher selects books that feature characters and stories reflecting the cultural backgrounds of her diverse classroom. What is the PRIMARY literacy benefit of this approach?

Accepted Answer

It increases student engagement, motivation, and identity-affirming reading experiences that support literacy development

Answer

Culturally relevant texts increase student engagement and motivation by affirming students' identities and making reading personally meaningful.

Question 3

A teacher works with a student who speaks African American English (AAE) as their home dialect. The RICA-aligned approach to this student's literacy development is to:

Accepted Answer

Recognize AAE as a rule-governed language system and use contrastive analysis to support code-switching skills

Answer

AAE is a legitimate, rule-governed language variety; effective teachers build on this foundation and explicitly teach code-switching between home and academic language.

Question 4

When designing reading instruction for gifted readers, what does RICA content emphasize?

Accepted Answer

Providing challenging texts, extended critical thinking tasks, and advanced literacy experiences to continue their growth

Answer

Gifted learners need appropriately challenging instruction that extends their thinking; simply accelerating through grade-level content is insufficient.

Question 5

What type of accommodation is MOST appropriate for an ELL student who needs to demonstrate reading comprehension knowledge on a grade-level assessment?

Accepted Answer

Allowing additional time and use of bilingual glossaries or dictionaries to reduce language barriers while maintaining content expectations

Answer

Accommodations like extra time and bilingual supports reduce language-related barriers while still assessing the targeted content knowledge.

RICA - Reading Instruction Competence Assessment Practice Test

RICA - Reading Instruction Competence Assessment Practice Test

RICA English Language Learners and Diverse Learners 3