TExES Science of Teaching Reading (STR) (293) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Which instructional strategy explicitly develops students' syntactic awareness?

Reading high-frequency word flashcards daily
Sentence combining exercises that teach students to join simple sentences into complex ones (Correct answer)
Vocabulary sorting activities using semantic categories
Asking students to clap syllables in words

Correct answer: Sentence combining exercises that teach students to join simple sentences into complex ones

Sentence combining directly develops syntactic awareness by requiring students to understand and manipulate grammatical structures to create more complex sentences.

Question 2: A student is in Tier 2 intervention. Progress monitoring shows no growth after 8 weeks. The BEST next step is to:

Continue the same intervention for 8 more weeks
Refer immediately for special education evaluation without changes
Move student back to Tier 1 only
Intensify intervention and consider diagnostic evaluation (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Intensify intervention and consider diagnostic evaluation

Lack of response after 8 weeks indicates a need to intensify or change the intervention and potentially pursue diagnostic evaluation.

Question 3: Word consciousness refers to:

Memorizing definitions of Tier 3 academic words
Awareness of a word's phonological properties only
The ability to decode multisyllabic words quickly and accurately
An interest in and awareness of words, their meanings, and their uses (Correct answer)

Correct answer: An interest in and awareness of words, their meanings, and their uses

Word consciousness is a disposition toward noticing, appreciating, and being curious about words, including their origins, nuances, and power, which motivates vocabulary growth.

Question 4: A student reads: 'The scientist's hypothesis was corroborated by three independent experiments.' The student is unfamiliar with 'corroborated.' Which context clue type is most helpful here?

Inference clue (Correct answer)
Appositive or definition clue
Example clue
Contrast clue

Correct answer: Inference clue

No explicit definition or example is given; the student must use the logic of the sentence, that experiments would confirm or support a hypothesis, to infer that 'corroborated' means confirmed or supported.

Question 5: How does phonemic awareness differ from phonics?

Phonics precedes phonemic awareness in literacy development
Phonemic awareness involves spoken sounds only; phonics connects sounds to written letters (Correct answer)
Phonemic awareness uses written letters; phonics is purely auditory
They are interchangeable terms for the same skill

Correct answer: Phonemic awareness involves spoken sounds only; phonics connects sounds to written letters

Phonemic awareness is an oral and auditory skill involving spoken phonemes; phonics instruction maps those phonemes to graphemes (written letters).

Question 6: A student who reads 'house' as 'horse' is making a:

Substitution error (Correct answer)
Omission error
Repetition error
Insertion error

Correct answer: Substitution error

A substitution error occurs when the student reads a different word than what is printed, substituting one word for another.

Question 7: Academic vocabulary (Tier 2 words) differs from Tier 3 words in that Tier 2 words:

Are high-frequency basic sight words
Are technical terms specific to one subject area
Appear across multiple subject areas and academic contexts (Correct answer)
Are only found in fiction texts

Correct answer: Appear across multiple subject areas and academic contexts

Tier 2 words (e.g., analyze, significant, compare) appear across academic disciplines and are central to academic language proficiency.

Question 8: When a student reads the word 'chip' as 'chap,' which type of decoding error is most likely occurring?

A consonant substitution error involving the initial sound
A syllable omission error dropping part of the word
A vowel substitution error involving the medial vowel sound (Correct answer)
A sight word confusion error from a memorized word

Correct answer: A vowel substitution error involving the medial vowel sound

Substituting 'a' for 'i' is a vowel substitution error, signaling the student needs more practice distinguishing and accurately applying short vowel sounds.

Question 9: Which instructional approach explicitly teaches students to monitor their understanding while reading?

Phonics instruction
Vocabulary mapping
Metacognitive comprehension strategies (Correct answer)
Repeated reading

Correct answer: Metacognitive comprehension strategies

Metacognitive strategy instruction teaches students to notice when comprehension breaks down and apply fix-up strategies.

Question 10: Which characteristic differentiates dyslexia from a general reading difficulty caused by inadequate instruction?

Dyslexia is always identified before kindergarten; instructional gaps appear later
Dyslexia persists with appropriate instruction; instructionally caused difficulty resolves with quality teaching (Correct answer)
Dyslexia students refuse to read; instructionally caused difficulties involve effort
Dyslexia only affects males; instructional gaps affect students of all genders

Correct answer: Dyslexia persists with appropriate instruction; instructionally caused difficulty resolves with quality teaching

A key diagnostic feature of dyslexia is that it persists despite adequate, high-quality instruction, whereas a student whose reading difficulty stemmed from poor instruction typically responds to quality teaching.

Question 11: A teacher listens to a student read and marks mispronunciations, substitutions, and omissions. This is part of:

A running record (Correct answer)
A fluency probe
A phonemic awareness assessment
A vocabulary screen

Correct answer: A running record

A running record documents error types (substitutions, omissions, mispronunciations) during oral reading to inform instruction.

Question 12: In the word 'unhappiness,' which analysis correctly identifies all morphemes?

un plus happy plus ness equals 2 morphemes
un plus happy plus i plus ness equals 4 morphemes
un plus happy plus ness equals 3 morphemes (Correct answer)
un plus happ plus y plus ness equals 4 morphemes

Correct answer: un plus happy plus ness equals 3 morphemes

Unhappiness equals un- (prefix) plus happy (base) plus -ness (suffix), which is 3 morphemes. The 'i' in 'happiness' is a spelling change, not a separate morpheme.

Question 13: A student reads accurately but very slowly, which reduces comprehension. The BEST intervention targets:

Reading rate and automaticity (Correct answer)
Morphological awareness
Vocabulary breadth
Phonemic awareness

Correct answer: Reading rate and automaticity

When accuracy is strong but rate is slow, targeting automaticity through repeated reading builds the speed needed to support comprehension.

Question 14: Which instructional approach builds morphological awareness to support vocabulary development?

Teaching common prefixes, suffixes, and roots so students can analyze unfamiliar words (Correct answer)
Having students memorize 20 vocabulary words per week using flashcards
Providing a class glossary of technical terms at the start of each unit
Using pictures and gestures to teach all new vocabulary words

Correct answer: Teaching common prefixes, suffixes, and roots so students can analyze unfamiliar words

Morphological awareness instruction teaches students the building blocks of words, empowering them to analyze and infer the meaning of tens of thousands of derived words.

Question 15: Which of the following best describes academic language?

Any language spoken by teachers in the classroom
The informal conversational language students use with peers
The specialized vocabulary and complex syntax used in school tasks, texts, and formal communication (Correct answer)
Language that avoids all slang and contractions

Correct answer: The specialized vocabulary and complex syntax used in school tasks, texts, and formal communication

Academic language encompasses domain-specific vocabulary, abstract concepts, complex grammatical structures, and the discourse patterns valued in educational settings and formal texts.

Question 16: What does 'explicit' phonics instruction mean?

Teachers directly state, model, and provide practice for the phonics concept being taught (Correct answer)
Students discover phonics patterns independently through wide reading
Phonics is only addressed when students raise spontaneous questions about words
Phonics concepts are integrated naturally into writing assignments without direct teaching

Correct answer: Teachers directly state, model, and provide practice for the phonics concept being taught

Explicit instruction means teachers directly state the phonics concept, demonstrate its application, and provide guided practice with corrective feedback rather than expecting student discovery.

Question 17: A student in third grade has age-appropriate phonemic awareness and phonics skills but reads very slowly and laboriously. This profile MOST suggests a deficit in:

Language comprehension
Reading fluency and automaticity (Correct answer)
Print concepts
Phonological awareness

Correct answer: Reading fluency and automaticity

When decoding accuracy is adequate but reading is slow and laborious, the deficit is in reading fluency, specifically the automaticity and rate of word recognition.

Question 18: Inferencing in reading comprehension requires students to:

Recall details stated explicitly in the text
Identify the main idea only
Use text clues and prior knowledge to draw conclusions (Correct answer)
Define unfamiliar vocabulary

Correct answer: Use text clues and prior knowledge to draw conclusions

Inferencing involves using implicit text evidence combined with background knowledge to derive meaning not directly stated.

Question 19: What is a consonant blend (consonant cluster)?

Two or more adjacent consonants where each individual sound can still be heard (Correct answer)
Two letters that make one unified, new sound together
A vowel and consonant combination that creates a modified sound
A silent letter combination found at the end of words

Correct answer: Two or more adjacent consonants where each individual sound can still be heard

A consonant blend is a group of two or more consonants in which each consonant sound is heard, such as 'bl' in 'black' or 'str' in 'string.'

Question 20: What is the purpose of a KWL chart in comprehension instruction?

Assess phonics skills
Build spelling patterns
Practice fluency with repeated reading
Activate prior knowledge before reading and track learning (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Activate prior knowledge before reading and track learning

A KWL chart activates background knowledge (K), sets purposes for reading (W), and documents new learning (L).

Question 21: What is phonological awareness?

The ability to understand and use spoken language
The ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds of spoken language (Correct answer)
The ability to write accurately
The ability to read and comprehend written text

Correct answer: The ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds of spoken language

Phonological awareness is a broad umbrella term referring to an individual's awareness of the sound structure of spoken words. It encompasses the ability to recognize and manipulate various units of sound, such as words, syllables, onsets and rimes, and individual phonemes. This auditory skill is foundational for learning to read, as it helps children understand that spoken words are made up of smaller sound parts.

Question 22: Which of the following interventions is MOST aligned with Structured Literacy principles for a student with dyslexia?

Whole Language immersion with environmental print and shared reading
Guided reading with leveled texts emphasizing context clues and picture cues
Repeated reading of high-frequency words in isolation using flashcards only
An Orton-Gillingham based program with explicit phoneme-grapheme instruction and multisensory techniques (Correct answer)

Correct answer: An Orton-Gillingham based program with explicit phoneme-grapheme instruction and multisensory techniques

Orton-Gillingham based programs are the prototypical Structured Literacy approach: explicit, systematic, multisensory phoneme-grapheme instruction that is individually diagnostic and cumulative.

Question 23: Isabel Beck's Tier 2 words are best described as:

Basic words known by most young children, such as table and run
Words found only in literary texts and rarely encountered in speech
Domain-specific technical vocabulary unique to one subject, such as photosynthesis or polygon
High-frequency academic words useful across many contexts, such as analyze and fortunate (Correct answer)

Correct answer: High-frequency academic words useful across many contexts, such as analyze and fortunate

Tier 2 words are high-frequency, high-utility words that appear across many content areas and academic texts but are not typically part of everyday conversational vocabulary.

Question 24: Texas law requires districts to screen for dyslexia characteristics beginning at which grade level?

Second grade
Kindergarten (Correct answer)
Pre-Kindergarten
First grade

Correct answer: Kindergarten

Texas Education Code requires districts to screen students for dyslexia characteristics beginning in kindergarten, with assessment also required at the end of first grade if not tested in kindergarten.

Question 25: Which text structure presents events in the order they occurred?

Problem and solution
Compare and contrast
Chronological/sequence (Correct answer)
Cause and effect

Correct answer: Chronological/sequence

Chronological or sequence text structure organizes information in time order, presenting events as they happened.

Question 26: A teacher introduces the word 'persistent' by providing its definition, showing it used in two different sentences, asking students to compare a persistent person to a lazy one, and then having students rate their own persistence. This approach exemplifies:

Tier 3 technical vocabulary instruction
Rich, robust vocabulary instruction with deep processing (Correct answer)
Direct phonics instruction applied to multisyllabic words
Incidental vocabulary learning through context

Correct answer: Rich, robust vocabulary instruction with deep processing

This multi-faceted approach combining definition, contextual examples, comparison, and personal connection characterizes the rich, robust vocabulary instruction recommended by Beck and colleagues.

Question 27: Why is word analysis important for reading comprehension?

It improves students' handwriting
It helps students read faster
It enables students to decode and understand unfamiliar words (Correct answer)
It helps students memorize vocabulary lists

Correct answer: It enables students to decode and understand unfamiliar words

Word analysis is essential for reading comprehension because it enables students to decode and understand unfamiliar words. By analyzing prefixes, suffixes, and root words, readers can infer the meaning of new vocabulary encountered in text. This skill reduces reliance on context alone and empowers students to independently access and comprehend a wider range of written material.

Question 28: What is a tiered vocabulary?

Vocabulary divided into categories: Tier 1 (basic words), Tier 2 (high-frequency words), and Tier 3 (subject-specific words) (Correct answer)
A set of words that students must memorize each week
A list of vocabulary words grouped by difficulty level
Vocabulary used only in academic settings

Correct answer: Vocabulary divided into categories: Tier 1 (basic words), Tier 2 (high-frequency words), and Tier 3 (subject-specific words)

Tiered vocabulary is a framework that categorizes words to guide instruction, typically into three tiers. Tier 1 consists of basic, everyday words; Tier 2 includes high-frequency words that appear across various subjects and are crucial for comprehension; and Tier 3 comprises low-frequency, subject-specific words. This system helps educators prioritize which words to teach explicitly to maximize impact on student learning.

Question 29: Which approach to teaching phonics most directly involves teacher modeling and immediate corrective feedback?

Explicit systematic phonics instruction with a defined scope and sequence (Correct answer)
Incidental phonics teaching that arises from classroom reading events
Discovery-based phonics learning through reading exploration
Embedded phonics instruction tied to authentic literature

Correct answer: Explicit systematic phonics instruction with a defined scope and sequence

Explicit systematic phonics instruction directly teaches letter-sound relationships through clear teacher modeling, structured practice, and immediate corrective feedback in a planned sequence.

Question 30: In the vowel-consonant-e (VCe) syllable pattern, what role does the final 'e' play?

It makes the preceding consonant become silent
It causes the preceding vowel to make its long sound (Correct answer)
It adds an extra syllable to the pronunciation of the word
It softens the sound of the consonant that precedes it

Correct answer: It causes the preceding vowel to make its long sound

In the VCe or 'magic e' pattern, the final 'e' is itself silent but signals that the preceding vowel makes its long sound, as in 'make,' 'pine,' or 'note.'

Question 31: What is word analysis?

The memorization of sight words
The ability to read words fluently
The study of word meanings
The process of decoding and understanding the structure of words (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The process of decoding and understanding the structure of words

Word analysis is the process of breaking down words into their component parts to understand their meaning and pronunciation. This involves decoding the structure of words, including recognizing prefixes, suffixes, root words, and sometimes syllables. It is a crucial skill for expanding vocabulary and comprehending complex texts, as it allows readers to decipher unfamiliar words independently.

Question 32: Which syllable type contains a vowel immediately followed by the letter 'r,' which modifies the vowel sound?

Closed syllable
R-controlled syllable (Correct answer)
Open syllable
Consonant-le syllable

Correct answer: R-controlled syllable

R-controlled syllables (ar, er, ir, or, ur) contain a vowel followed by 'r,' which changes the vowel sound so it is neither clearly short nor long.

Question 33: A student's listening comprehension is strong but reading comprehension is weak. According to the Simple View, the primary deficit is likely in:

Language comprehension
Decoding/word recognition (Correct answer)
Background knowledge
Vocabulary

Correct answer: Decoding/word recognition

Strong listening comprehension but weak reading comprehension points to a decoding problem, not a language comprehension problem.

Question 34: How does reading aloud to children help with vocabulary development?

It improves their spelling skills
It helps them memorize words more quickly
It exposes them to new words and models correct pronunciation (Correct answer)
It teaches them how to write stories

Correct answer: It exposes them to new words and models correct pronunciation

Reading aloud to children significantly helps with vocabulary development by exposing them to a wide range of new words they might not encounter in everyday conversation. It also models correct pronunciation and demonstrates how words are used in meaningful sentences and stories. This exposure builds a foundation for later independent reading and comprehension.

Question 35: Syntactic complexity in academic texts refers to:

The number of new vocabulary words per page
The topic being unfamiliar to readers
The length of the text
Long, complex sentence structures with multiple clauses (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Long, complex sentence structures with multiple clauses

Syntactic complexity refers to long, embedded, or multi-clause sentence structures that are common in academic writing and challenging for many readers.

Question 36: The Discourse Comprehension model suggests comprehension occurs at multiple levels. Which level deals with understanding words and sentences?

Text base
Macrostructure
Surface code (Correct answer)
Situation model

Correct answer: Surface code

The surface code level involves understanding the exact words and sentence structures as written in the text.

Question 37: Which of the following is a correct example of the VC/CV syllable division pattern?

bot/tle dividing before the double consonant
nap/kin dividing between the 'p' and 'k' (Correct answer)
ti/ger showing an open first syllable with a long vowel
e/vent showing an open first syllable

Correct answer: nap/kin dividing between the 'p' and 'k'

VC/CV splits a word between the two consonants when two consonants appear between vowels: nap-kin divides between 'p' and 'k', yielding two closed syllables.

Question 38: Which of the following is an example of a word analysis skill?

Identifying the root word in "unhappiness" (Correct answer)
Writing a story
Reading a sentence aloud fluently
Understanding the main idea of a paragraph

Correct answer: Identifying the root word in "unhappiness"

Identifying the root word in "unhappiness" (which is "happy") is a prime example of a word analysis skill. This task involves morphological analysis, where a reader breaks down a word into its meaningful units (morphemes) to understand its core meaning. Recognizing root words, prefixes, and suffixes helps readers unlock the meaning of complex or unfamiliar words.

Question 39: Which task requires a student to say 'cat' without the /k/ sound?

Phoneme segmentation
Phoneme blending
Phoneme deletion (Correct answer)
Phoneme substitution

Correct answer: Phoneme deletion

Phoneme deletion involves removing a specific sound from a word and saying what remains. Removing /k/ from 'cat' leaves 'at'.

Question 40: Which type of vocabulary instruction has the strongest research support for improving reading comprehension?

Requiring students to use new words in a sentence the day they are introduced
Having students copy dictionary definitions for all unknown words
Explicit, rich instruction in a small number of high-utility words with multiple exposures (Correct answer)
Encouraging wide independent reading as the sole vocabulary-building strategy

Correct answer: Explicit, rich instruction in a small number of high-utility words with multiple exposures

Research supports explicit, rich vocabulary instruction that provides deep processing and multiple encounters with a limited set of high-utility words, which leads to durable word learning.

Question 41: Text-dependent questions require students to:

Draw on personal experience only
Predict what will happen next based on guessing
Use evidence directly from the text to support answers (Correct answer)
Define words without context

Correct answer: Use evidence directly from the text to support answers

Text-dependent questions cannot be answered from personal experience alone — they require citing specific evidence from the passage.

Question 42: Which error pattern would MOST indicate a student has a phonological processing deficit rather than a phonics knowledge gap?

Confusing long and short vowel patterns
Consistently misspelling -igh words
Omitting silent letters
Unable to blend sounds even when shown individually (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Unable to blend sounds even when shown individually

Difficulty blending sounds presented individually suggests a phonological processing deficit — the student cannot manipulate phonemes even without the spelling layer.

Question 43: Which factor is MOST important for comprehension of informational texts, beyond decoding skill?

Phoneme segmentation ability
Oral reading rate
Background knowledge about the topic (Correct answer)
Handwriting fluency

Correct answer: Background knowledge about the topic

Background knowledge is a powerful predictor of informational text comprehension because readers use it to interpret and connect new information.

Question 44: What is a morpheme in the context of word analysis?

A synonym for prefix
The smallest unit of sound in a word
A type of punctuation mark
The smallest meaningful unit in a language (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The smallest meaningful unit in a language

In the context of word analysis, a morpheme is defined as the smallest meaningful unit in a language. Unlike phonemes, which are just sounds, morphemes carry semantic meaning or grammatical function. Examples include root words (e.g., 'read'), prefixes (e.g., 'un-'), and suffixes (e.g., '-ing'), all of which contribute to the overall meaning of a word.

Question 45: Which type of assessment is used to identify students at risk for reading difficulties BEFORE problems emerge?

Summative assessment
Portfolio assessment
Diagnostic assessment
Universal screening (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Universal screening

Universal screening is administered to all students to identify those at risk for reading difficulties before they fall significantly behind.

Question 46: The Transitional stage of spelling is BEST characterized by:

Letter-name strategies
Random letter strings
Mastery of all spelling patterns
Awareness of visual patterns and morphemes but inconsistent use (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Awareness of visual patterns and morphemes but inconsistent use

Transitional spellers know many patterns but apply them inconsistently, showing emerging understanding of morphological and orthographic rules.

Question 47: A teacher provides a student with extended time on tests, audiobooks for assignments, and a reader for state assessments. These accommodations are appropriate for a student with dyslexia because:

They provide access to grade-level content while the student continues to develop decoding skills (Correct answer)
They fulfill all legal obligations and no reading instruction is needed
They serve as substitutes for teaching phonics
They eliminate the need for direct reading intervention

Correct answer: They provide access to grade-level content while the student continues to develop decoding skills

Accommodations allow the student with dyslexia to access content using their strong language comprehension while reading intervention continues to develop their decoding skills.

Question 48: Which of the following is a Tier 3 (domain-specific) vocabulary word?

Significant
Photosynthesis (Correct answer)
Compare
Analyze

Correct answer: Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is a Tier 3 word — a technical term specific to the domain of biology/science.

Question 49: Structured Literacy instruction is characterized by which set of principles?

Explicit, systematic, sequential, cumulative, diagnostic, and multisensory (Correct answer)
Implicit, discovery-based, mixed with whole-language approaches
Flexible grouping with student-selected texts as the main instructional driver
Primarily visual and sight-word based with minimal phonics

Correct answer: Explicit, systematic, sequential, cumulative, diagnostic, and multisensory

Structured Literacy as defined by the IDA is explicit, systematic, cumulative, sequential, diagnostic, and often multisensory, ensuring all skills are directly taught in a planned progression.

Question 50: Which comprehension skill involves identifying the most important ideas and restating them in one's own words?

Summarizing (Correct answer)
Predicting
Visualizing
Inferencing

Correct answer: Summarizing

Summarizing requires selecting the most important information and paraphrasing it concisely in the reader's own words.

Question 51: Which comprehension approach uses gradual release ('I do, We do, You do') to teach strategies explicitly?

Literature circles
Direct instruction of comprehension strategies (Correct answer)
Guided reading
Independent reading practice

Correct answer: Direct instruction of comprehension strategies

Explicit comprehension strategy instruction uses a gradual release model where the teacher models, guides practice, then releases responsibility to students.

Question 52: What is a schwa sound?

A vowel sound produced when two different vowels appear adjacent to each other
A diphthong created by gliding smoothly between two distinct vowel sounds
An unstressed, reduced vowel sound often represented by the symbol /ə/ (Correct answer)
A long vowel sound occurring in a strongly stressed, accented syllable

Correct answer: An unstressed, reduced vowel sound often represented by the symbol /ə/

The schwa (/ə/) is an unstressed, reduced vowel sound found in unaccented syllables; it can be spelled with any vowel letter, as in the 'a' in 'about.'

Question 53: Which assessment would give a teacher the MOST information about a student's specific phonics skill gaps?

Vocabulary assessment
Phonics screener / decoding survey (Correct answer)
ORF probe
Comprehension retell

Correct answer: Phonics screener / decoding survey

A phonics screener or decoding survey assesses knowledge of specific phonics patterns (CVC, CVCe, blends, etc.) to identify skill gaps.

Question 54: Which statement best describes how Structured Literacy differs from a balanced literacy approach for students with dyslexia?

Balanced literacy is more evidence-based for dyslexia; Structured Literacy lacks research support
Structured Literacy ignores comprehension; balanced literacy addresses both decoding and comprehension equally
Structured Literacy provides explicit, systematic phonics and phonological instruction; balanced literacy relies more on implicit learning and meaning-based cuing strategies (Correct answer)
Both approaches are equivalent in effectiveness for students with dyslexia

Correct answer: Structured Literacy provides explicit, systematic phonics and phonological instruction; balanced literacy relies more on implicit learning and meaning-based cuing strategies

Structured Literacy is explicit and systematic in phonics instruction, whereas balanced literacy relies more on meaning-based cues, implicit phonics learning, and leveled text, which research shows are insufficient for students with dyslexia.

Question 55: The term 'phonological core deficit' in the context of dyslexia refers to:

Difficulties with print directionality and letter formation
A general language disorder affecting all aspects of oral communication
A deficit in understanding the meaning of words
A specific impairment in processing the sound structure of language, impairing phonological awareness and phonological memory (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A specific impairment in processing the sound structure of language, impairing phonological awareness and phonological memory

The phonological core deficit theory proposes that dyslexia is fundamentally caused by a specific weakness in phonological processing, which is the ability to work with the sound structure of spoken language.

Question 56: Which strategy MOST effectively builds academic vocabulary through oral language for English Language Learners?

Providing ELL students with a glossary to memorize before each lesson
Using comprehensible input with visual supports, repetition, and structured discussion (Correct answer)
Requiring ELL students to read academic texts without scaffolding to accelerate exposure
Separating ELL students to work on vocabulary worksheets independently

Correct answer: Using comprehensible input with visual supports, repetition, and structured discussion

Comprehensible input with visual supports and structured discussion provides ELLs with accessible meaning-making opportunities while exposing them to academic language in context.

Question 57: Research on vocabulary and the reading achievement gap indicates that:

Vocabulary gaps appear primarily after third grade
Vocabulary differences are primarily due to differences in reading ability, not oral language experience
All students enter school with roughly equivalent oral vocabularies
Children from low-income households enter school with significantly smaller vocabularies than peers from higher-income households (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Children from low-income households enter school with significantly smaller vocabularies than peers from higher-income households

Hart and Risley's research documented significant vocabulary gaps at kindergarten entry, with children from lower-income families knowing far fewer words than peers from professional families.

Question 58: Which of the following BEST supports fluency development for struggling readers?

Skipping unknown words to maintain rate
Practicing with decodable texts at instructional level (Correct answer)
Focus on silent reading only
Reading only new texts each day

Correct answer: Practicing with decodable texts at instructional level

Decodable texts at the instructional level provide practice with patterns students are learning while allowing them to build accuracy and speed.

Question 59: Which activity BEST integrates spelling and reading instruction?

Using dictation with targeted words that match current phonics patterns (Correct answer)
Asking students to memorize a word list
Having students copy words without analysis
Only using worksheets

Correct answer: Using dictation with targeted words that match current phonics patterns

Dictation with words that match taught phonics patterns integrates spelling and reading by reinforcing the same sound-symbol relationships.

Question 60: Which syllable type ends in a consonant, typically resulting in a short vowel sound?

Open syllable
Closed syllable (Correct answer)
Vowel-consonant-e syllable
Vowel team syllable

Correct answer: Closed syllable

A closed syllable ends in one or more consonants, which 'closes' the vowel and typically produces a short vowel sound, as in 'cat' or 'sit.'

Question 61: A kindergarten teacher reads a complex picture book aloud and asks: 'Why do you think the fox tricked the crow? Have you ever felt like the crow? What does that tell us about trust?' What level of comprehension do these questions target?

Phonological awareness through rhyme recognition
Print concept development
Literal comprehension only
Inferential and evaluative comprehension (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Inferential and evaluative comprehension

Inferential questions ask why (cause/motive) and evaluative questions connect to personal experience and life lessons, both going beyond literal recall of stated facts.

Question 62: Which type of words should receive the MOST direct instructional time according to Beck's tiered vocabulary framework?

Tier 1 words such as basic, conversational words
All three tiers equally
Tier 2 words such as high-utility academic vocabulary (Correct answer)
Tier 3 words such as specialized domain content words

Correct answer: Tier 2 words such as high-utility academic vocabulary

Tier 2 words warrant the most direct instructional time because they appear frequently across texts and content areas and are less likely to be learned through everyday conversation.

Question 63: Which statement best describes the role of phonics within a comprehensive reading program?

Phonics instruction is unnecessary for students who already have strong oral language skills
Phonics should be taught only to struggling readers and not to typically developing students
Phonics instruction alone is sufficient for developing fully skilled, proficient readers
Phonics instruction is one essential component within a broader, multi-component literacy framework (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Phonics instruction is one essential component within a broader, multi-component literacy framework

According to the science of reading, systematic phonics instruction is one critical component within a comprehensive program that also includes phonological awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension instruction.

Question 64: Which pair of words are antonyms that could be used to teach the concept of word relationships?

Habitat and ecosystem
Rapid and swift
Enormous and gigantic
Melancholy and cheerful (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Melancholy and cheerful

Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Melancholy (sadness) and cheerful (happiness) are opposites; the others are synonyms or related terms.

Question 65: Which fluency measure specifically counts the number of correct words read per minute (WCPM)?

Vocabulary probe
Maze probe
Phoneme segmentation fluency
ORF probe (Correct answer)

Correct answer: ORF probe

The Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) probe measures words read correctly per minute from a grade-level passage.

Question 66: Which of the following is an example of onset-rime segmentation?

Replacing /l/ in 'slip' with /n/ to say 'snip'
Removing /s/ from 'slip' to say 'lip'
Breaking 'slip' into the onset /sl/ and the rime /ip/ (Correct answer)
Breaking 'slip' into four individual phonemes

Correct answer: Breaking 'slip' into the onset /sl/ and the rime /ip/

Onset-rime segmentation splits a single-syllable word at the onset (consonants before the vowel) and the rime (vowel and everything after). For 'slip': onset is /sl/, rime is /ip/.

Question 67: A student understands individual sentences but struggles to understand the whole text. This is BEST described as a problem with:

Phonological awareness
Decoding
Sentence-level fluency
Text-level comprehension (global coherence) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Text-level comprehension (global coherence)

Difficulty integrating sentences into a coherent whole reflects a problem with global coherence or text-level comprehension.

Question 68: Which of the following activities best supports the development of phonological awareness in young children?

Clapping out syllables in words (Correct answer)
Reading silently
Writing sentences
Reciting the alphabet

Correct answer: Clapping out syllables in words

Clapping out syllables in words is an excellent activity for developing phonological awareness because it directly involves segmenting spoken words into their component sound units. This task helps children recognize the distinct rhythmic beats within words, improving their auditory discrimination and manipulation of sound structures. It's a hands-on way to make abstract sound concepts concrete and understandable for young learners.

Question 69: Prosodic reading includes all of the following EXCEPT:

Reading at a fast rate (Correct answer)
Appropriate phrasing
Correct intonation
Expression that matches meaning

Correct answer: Reading at a fast rate

Prosody encompasses phrasing, intonation, and expression — speed alone is a component of rate, not prosody.

Question 70: Which of the following BEST supports the development of conventional spelling?

Spelling bees without pattern instruction
Red-marking all errors immediately
Explicit instruction in patterns followed by guided practice and application (Correct answer)
Avoiding correction to build confidence

Correct answer: Explicit instruction in patterns followed by guided practice and application

Explicit pattern instruction followed by practice and application builds the orthographic knowledge needed for conventional spelling.

Question 71: How does spelling instruction support reading development?

It focuses on meaning alone
It replaces phonics instruction
It only improves handwriting
It reinforces phoneme-grapheme correspondences used in decoding (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It reinforces phoneme-grapheme correspondences used in decoding

Spelling instruction reinforces the same grapheme-phoneme mappings used in decoding, creating a bidirectional benefit for both reading and writing.

Question 72: What does automaticity in word recognition mean, and why is it important?

Memorizing sight words in isolation without phonics knowledge
The ability to recognize a word's meaning automatically without using context
Reading at a fast rate regardless of accuracy
The ability to recognize words accurately and rapidly without conscious attention, freeing cognitive resources for comprehension (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The ability to recognize words accurately and rapidly without conscious attention, freeing cognitive resources for comprehension

Automaticity means words are recognized instantly and effortlessly, freeing working memory for comprehension, which is the ultimate goal of decoding instruction.

Question 73: A student says the word 'flap' has three sounds rather than four. What error is the student likely making?

Confusing a rime with an onset
Treating a digraph as a single phoneme
Treating the consonant blend /fl/ as a single phoneme instead of two (Correct answer)
Conflating a syllable with a phoneme

Correct answer: Treating the consonant blend /fl/ as a single phoneme instead of two

The student is treating the consonant blend /fl/ as one sound instead of two separate phonemes /f/ and /l/, resulting in an undercount of phonemes.

Question 74: Which instructional approach asks students to sort words into categories based on spelling patterns?

Dictation only
Cloze activities
Word sorts (Correct answer)
Speed drills

Correct answer: Word sorts

Word sorts have students categorize words by shared patterns (e.g., vowel sounds or prefixes), actively building orthographic knowledge.

Question 75: When students apply letter-sound knowledge to read unfamiliar words, they are using which skill?

Contextual guessing
Phonological decoding (Correct answer)
Semantic cueing
Whole-word recognition

Correct answer: Phonological decoding

Phonological decoding is the process of using letter-sound correspondences to systematically sound out and read unfamiliar words.

Question 76: Which type of question asks students to use information from the text combined with their own knowledge?

Think and search question
Author and me question (Correct answer)
Right there question
On my own question

Correct answer: Author and me question

Author and Me questions (from QAR) require students to combine textual evidence with personal knowledge to answer.

Question 77: Using mentor texts in writing instruction MOST directly helps students:

Practice phoneme blending
Memorize spelling words
Practice handwriting
Observe and apply the text structures and language patterns of skilled authors (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Observe and apply the text structures and language patterns of skilled authors

Mentor texts expose students to exemplary writing and provide models for text structure, vocabulary, and craft techniques they can apply in their own writing.

Question 78: Which stage of spelling development is characterized by representing each phoneme with a letter, even if unconventionally (e.g., 'KAD' for 'caged')?

Pre-communicative
Semiphonetic
Transitional
Phonetic (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Phonetic

In the Phonetic stage, spellers represent virtually every sound they hear, though not always with standard spelling patterns.

Question 79: A student with dyslexia who receives properly designed Structured Literacy intervention can MOST reasonably be expected to:

Make meaningful gains in decoding and word recognition with consistent, evidence-based intervention (Correct answer)
Never read at grade level regardless of instruction quality
Outgrow dyslexia completely with enough years of reading practice
Read at the same rate as typical peers within one academic year in all cases

Correct answer: Make meaningful gains in decoding and word recognition with consistent, evidence-based intervention

Research shows that students with dyslexia who receive early, intensive, evidence-based Structured Literacy instruction can make significant gains in decoding and reading, though the trajectory and degree of progress vary.

Question 80: What are the five common informational text structures?

Introduction, thesis, body, conclusion, summary
Description, sequence, compare/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution (Correct answer)
Setting, plot, character, theme, conflict
Narrative, persuasive, expository, descriptive, procedural

Correct answer: Description, sequence, compare/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution

The five common informational text structures are description, sequence, compare/contrast, cause/effect, and problem/solution.

Question 81: Which of the following is an example of a derivational suffix that changes the grammatical category of a word?

-tion (education) (Correct answer)
-ing (running)
-s (cats)
-ed (jumped)

Correct answer: -tion (education)

The suffix -tion changes a verb (educate) into a noun (education), making it a derivational suffix that changes grammatical category.

Question 82: Repeated reading practice most directly improves which literacy skill?

Vocabulary
Reading fluency (Correct answer)
Phonemic awareness
Spelling

Correct answer: Reading fluency

Repeated reading of the same text increases word recognition speed and prosody, directly building fluency.

Question 83: Which type of text structure is most commonly found in informational texts in science?

Narrative chronology
Persuasive argumentation
Problem-solution
Cause-effect and compare-contrast (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Cause-effect and compare-contrast

Science informational texts frequently use cause-effect to explain phenomena and their causes, and compare-contrast to compare organisms, processes, or conditions.

Question 84: What does the term 'orthographic knowledge' mean in the context of spelling?

Awareness of syllable stress
Knowledge of grammar rules
Understanding of how letters and letter patterns represent sounds in written language (Correct answer)
Understanding of text structure

Correct answer: Understanding of how letters and letter patterns represent sounds in written language

Orthographic knowledge is the understanding of the writing system — including letter patterns, spelling rules, and the way sounds map to print.

Question 85: Reciprocal Teaching incorporates which four comprehension strategies?

Scan, skim, read, review
Connect, visualize, infer, evaluate
Preview, read, recite, review
Predict, question, clarify, summarize (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Predict, question, clarify, summarize

Reciprocal Teaching uses predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing — strategies students apply in rotating teacher roles.

Question 86: The double deficit hypothesis proposes that the most severe reading difficulties result from deficits in:

Vocabulary knowledge and syntactic awareness
Listening comprehension and reading fluency
Working memory and processing speed
Phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming

The double deficit hypothesis identifies two independent predictors of reading difficulty, phonological awareness and RAN, and proposes that deficits in both produce the most severe and intervention-resistant reading difficulties.

Question 87: Which listening comprehension skill is most directly targeted when a teacher asks: 'What was the author's main message in the passage we just heard?'

Sequencing events in chronological order
Identification of the main idea from an oral text (Correct answer)
Literal recall of stated facts
Evaluation of the author's writing style

Correct answer: Identification of the main idea from an oral text

Identifying the main idea, which is the central message or point of a passage, when the text is delivered orally targets listening comprehension at the inferential and interpretive level.

Question 88: What does 'encoding' refer to in the context of literacy?

Comprehending written text
Reading words aloud
Decoding print into sound
Translating spoken language into written form (spelling) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Translating spoken language into written form (spelling)

Encoding is the process of converting spoken or mental language into written symbols — essentially, spelling.

Question 89: R-controlled vowels are sometimes called 'bossy r' because:

The vowel becomes completely silent whenever the letter 'r' follows it
The 'r' completely replaces the vowel sound, which becomes inaudible
The letter 'r' modifies and changes the preceding vowel to a unique sound (Correct answer)
The 'r' causes the vowel to consistently make its long sound in all positions

Correct answer: The letter 'r' modifies and changes the preceding vowel to a unique sound

In r-controlled patterns (ar, er, ir, or, ur), the 'r' modifies the vowel so it produces a unique sound that is neither clearly short nor long, as in 'car,' 'bird,' or 'burn.'

Question 90: Which writing process stage involves generating ideas before drafting?

Editing
Publishing
Prewriting (Correct answer)
Revising

Correct answer: Prewriting

Prewriting includes brainstorming, outlining, and gathering ideas before the student begins the first draft.

Question 91: Which type of phonics instruction introduces letter-sound relationships in a predetermined, logical sequence?

Embedded phonics
Incidental phonics
Systematic phonics (Correct answer)
Whole-language phonics

Correct answer: Systematic phonics

Systematic phonics instruction introduces letter-sound correspondences in a carefully planned, sequential order rather than as opportunities arise in connected text.

TExES Science of Teaching Reading (STR) (293)

The TExES STR (293) is a Texas certification exam assessing educator knowledge in the science of reading, including foundational literacy skills, reading comprehension, and evidence-based instructional strategies required for Texas teacher certification.

Questions

285 min

Time Limit

70%

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