RICA RICA Reading Comprehension 2

Question 1

What does 'metacognition' mean in the context of reading comprehension, and why is it important?

Accepted Answer

Thinking about one's own thinking — readers monitor their understanding and apply fix-up strategies when comprehension breaks down

Answer

Metacognitive readers notice when they have lost comprehension and strategically apply fix-up strategies such as re-reading, asking questions, or seeking context clues.

Question 2

How does building background knowledge before reading improve reading comprehension?

Accepted Answer

Prior knowledge provides a schema — a mental framework — that helps readers make inferences, connect ideas, and construct meaning from the text

Answer

Schema theory explains that background knowledge provides an organizational structure into which new text information is integrated, dramatically improving comprehension and retention.

Question 3

A teacher uses a KWL chart before, during, and after a nonfiction reading unit. What does each letter stand for, and what is the instructional purpose?

Accepted Answer

Know, Want to Know, Learned — it activates prior knowledge, sets a purpose for reading, and promotes reflection on new learning

Answer

KWL activates background knowledge (K), establishes reading purpose through questions (W), and supports post-reading synthesis and reflection (L).

Question 4

Which of the following best describes 'close reading' as an instructional strategy for improving comprehension?

Accepted Answer

Reading a short, complex text multiple times with a different focus each time — first for gist, then for craft, then for deeper meaning — guided by text-dependent questions

Answer

Close reading involves repeated readings of a complex text with specific analytical lenses and text-dependent questions that require students to ground their answers in textual evidence.

Question 5

What is 'text-dependent questioning,' and how does it differ from questions that invite personal connections?

Accepted Answer

Text-dependent questions require students to use evidence from the text to answer, while personal connection questions draw on students' experiences outside the text

Answer

Text-dependent questions push students to return to the text to locate, interpret, and synthesize evidence rather than relying solely on personal experience or prior knowledge.

RICA - Reading Instruction Competence Assessment Practice Test

RICA - Reading Instruction Competence Assessment Practice Test

RICA RICA Reading Comprehension 2