RICA Word Analysis 3

Question 1

Which assessment would most directly measure a student's ability to apply the alphabetic principle?

Accepted Answer

Having the student decode a list of pseudowords (nonsense words)

Answer

Pseudoword decoding isolates the application of letter-sound knowledge without relying on sight word memory or context.

Question 2

The word 'signal' contains which type of syllable as its second syllable?

Accepted Answer

Closed syllable

Answer

The second syllable '-nal' ends in a consonant, making it a closed syllable with a short vowel sound.

Question 3

A teacher uses Elkonin (sound) boxes to help students segment the word 'ship.' How many boxes should be drawn?

Accepted Answer

3

Answer

'Ship' has three phonemes: /ʃ/, /ɪ/, /p/, so three boxes are needed.

Question 4

Which term describes the process by which frequent words become stored as whole units in memory, allowing instant recognition without decoding?

Accepted Answer

Orthographic mapping

Answer

Orthographic mapping is the process by which readers permanently bond a word's pronunciation, spelling, and meaning into memory.

Question 5

A student reads 'circus' and 'city' correctly but misreads 'cat' as /sæt/. This error pattern suggests the student over-applied which phonics rule?

Accepted Answer

The soft-c rule (c before e, i, y says /s/)

Answer

The soft-c rule applies when 'c' is followed by e, i, or y; the student incorrectly applied it to 'ca-' where 'c' should make the /k/ sound.

RICA - Reading Instruction Competence Assessment Practice Test