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

Question 1: Which text structure signals are associated with compare/contrast organization?

Similarly, however, on the other hand (Correct answer)
Because, therefore, as a result
First, next, then, finally
For example, such as, including

Correct answer: Similarly, however, on the other hand

Compare/contrast texts use signal words like similarly, however, and on the other hand to show likenesses and differences.

Question 2: Which of the following BEST supports students in understanding compare/contrast text structure?

Venn diagram or T-chart (Correct answer)
Cause-effect chain diagram
Story map
Timeline graphic organizer

Correct answer: Venn diagram or T-chart

Venn diagrams and T-charts visually represent similarities and differences, making them ideal organizers for compare/contrast text structure.

Question 3: The Academic Language Proficiency framework suggests that academic language includes vocabulary, grammar/syntax, and:

Letter recognition
Handwriting fluency
Discourse/text structure (Correct answer)
Phonological awareness

Correct answer: Discourse/text structure

Academic language proficiency encompasses three levels: vocabulary (word level), grammar/syntax (sentence level), and discourse/text structure (whole-text level).

Question 4: Which vocabulary strategy helps students use context clues to infer word meaning?

Pre-teaching vocabulary before reading
Semantic mapping of related words
Teaching students to examine surrounding sentences and signal words for meaning clues (Correct answer)
Using a word wall to display high-frequency words

Correct answer: Teaching students to examine surrounding sentences and signal words for meaning clues

Context clue strategies teach students to use the words and ideas surrounding an unknown word, such as definitions, examples, and contrast signal words, to infer meaning during reading.

Question 5: Which informal assessment allows teachers to observe a student's reading behaviors, errors, and self-corrections in real time?

Standardized reading test
Maze probe
End-of-unit test
Running record (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Running record

Running records capture a student's oral reading behaviors — including errors, substitutions, and self-corrections — during live reading.

Question 6: What is the primary purpose of teaching syllabication strategies to readers?

To help students decode multisyllabic words by breaking them into manageable parts (Correct answer)
To develop phonemic awareness skills for kindergartners
To improve spelling of one-syllable words
To teach students where to place written hyphens in formal documents

Correct answer: To help students decode multisyllabic words by breaking them into manageable parts

Syllabication strategies give readers a tool for segmenting long, unfamiliar multisyllabic words into smaller decodable units, making decoding more manageable.

Question 7: Which statement about the Simple View of Reading is TRUE as it relates to dyslexia intervention?

Comprehension-first strategies are the most effective intervention for dyslexia
Students with dyslexia typically have a decoding deficit; intervention must target word recognition directly (Correct answer)
The Simple View is not relevant to dyslexia because dyslexia affects overall comprehension
Students with dyslexia should focus only on language comprehension strategies

Correct answer: Students with dyslexia typically have a decoding deficit; intervention must target word recognition directly

Dyslexia is characterized by a word recognition and decoding deficit; the Simple View shows that strengthening decoding directly improves the reading comprehension product.

Question 8: What is the alphabetic principle?

The understanding that print carries meaning from left to right
The sequence in which letters of the alphabet are introduced to students
The ability to hear individual sounds in spoken words
The concept that letters and letter combinations represent sounds in a systematic way (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The concept that letters and letter combinations represent sounds in a systematic way

The alphabetic principle is the foundational understanding that written letters and letter combinations systematically represent the sounds of spoken language.

Question 9: Which of the following is an example of a derivational suffix that changes the grammatical category of a word?

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

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 10: Which activity BEST integrates spelling and reading instruction?

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

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

Words found only in literary texts and rarely encountered in speech
Domain-specific technical vocabulary unique to one subject, such as photosynthesis or polygon
Basic words known by most young children, such as table and run
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 12: Which statement best describes how Structured Literacy differs from a balanced literacy approach for students with dyslexia?

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

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 13: A teacher asks students to listen to two words and decide if they rhyme: 'cat' and 'bat.' This activity develops which component of phonological awareness?

Rhyme recognition (Correct answer)
Onset-rime blending
Phoneme isolation
Syllable counting

Correct answer: Rhyme recognition

Deciding whether two words rhyme is rhyme recognition, one of the earliest-developing phonological awareness skills.

Question 14: According to the Simple View of Reading, which of the following is a key component of language comprehension?

Phonological recoding
Phoneme segmentation
Background knowledge and vocabulary (Correct answer)
Print concepts

Correct answer: Background knowledge and vocabulary

Language comprehension in the Simple View includes background knowledge, vocabulary, grammar, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge, which are all meaning-related skills.

Question 15: Which assessment tool is most commonly used to measure oral reading fluency (ORF) in the STR framework?

CBMR (Curriculum-Based Measure of Reading) (Correct answer)
Cloze procedure
Running record
Informal Reading Inventory

Correct answer: CBMR (Curriculum-Based Measure of Reading)

Curriculum-Based Measures of Reading (CBMR) are standardized, timed probes used to measure oral reading fluency.

Question 16: Research on vocabulary and the reading achievement gap indicates that:

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

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 17: What is the primary goal of vocabulary development in early reading instruction?

To teach students to memorize lists of words
To ensure students can read quickly
To improve students' handwriting skills
To enhance students' understanding and use of words in context (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To enhance students' understanding and use of words in context

The primary goal of vocabulary development in early reading instruction is to enhance students' understanding and effective use of words in context. Beyond simply knowing definitions, it aims for deep comprehension of word meanings and how they function in sentences and texts. A rich vocabulary is fundamental for reading comprehension and effective communication.

Question 18: 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)
Separating ELL students to work on vocabulary worksheets independently
Requiring ELL students to read academic texts without scaffolding to accelerate exposure

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 19: In the context of language acquisition, what is meant by 'decontextualized language'?

Language used during concrete, hands-on activities with objects present
Dialect features that differ from standard academic English
Sign language used with non-hearing populations
Language about topics, events, or ideas not immediately present in the here and now (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Language about topics, events, or ideas not immediately present in the here and now

Decontextualized language refers to language used to discuss things not present in the immediate context, such as past events, future plans, and hypotheticals, which is the type of language heavily used in academic settings.

Question 20: Which writing process stage involves generating ideas before drafting?

Prewriting (Correct answer)
Editing
Publishing
Revising

Correct answer: Prewriting

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

Question 21: Which factor is MOST important for comprehension of informational texts, beyond decoding skill?

Phoneme segmentation ability
Background knowledge about the topic (Correct answer)
Oral reading rate
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 22: A student says the word 'flap' has three sounds rather than four. What error is the student likely making?

Treating a digraph as a single phoneme
Treating the consonant blend /fl/ as a single phoneme instead of two (Correct answer)
Confusing a rime with an onset
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 23: What is a grapheme?

A written symbol or set of symbols representing a single phoneme (Correct answer)
A meaningful unit of language such as a prefix or suffix
A unit of sound in spoken language
A syllable within a multisyllabic word

Correct answer: A written symbol or set of symbols representing a single phoneme

A grapheme is the written representation of a phoneme, which may be a single letter or a combination of letters such as 'sh' or 'igh'.

Question 24: Which of the following is an example of a phonemic awareness activity?

Reading a passage aloud
Blending sounds to make a word (Correct answer)
Matching letters to sounds
Identifying the number of words in a sentence

Correct answer: Blending sounds to make a word

Blending sounds to make a word, such as combining /c/ /a/ /t/ to form "cat," is a direct example of a phonemic awareness activity. This task requires a child to manipulate individual phonemes by putting them together to create a recognizable word. It demonstrates an understanding of how discrete sounds combine to form meaningful spoken units, which is essential for decoding in reading.

Question 25: Which word contains a derivational morpheme?

cats (cat plus plural -s)
they're (they plus are)
teacher (teach plus agent -er) (Correct answer)
walked (walk plus past tense -ed)

Correct answer: teacher (teach plus agent -er)

The suffix -er in 'teacher' is a derivational morpheme: it changes the verb 'teach' into the noun 'teacher,' altering the word's part of speech.

Question 26: Which of the following best describes academic language?

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

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 27: Why does the letter 'c' make a /s/ sound in 'city' but a /k/ sound in 'cat'?

The position of the consonant within the syllable structure
The consonant digraph rule for letter combinations
The vowel length principle governing adjacent sounds
The soft/hard consonant rule based on the vowel that follows (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The soft/hard consonant rule based on the vowel that follows

The soft/hard consonant rule states that 'c' (and 'g') typically make their soft sounds before 'e,' 'i,' or 'y,' and their hard sounds before other letters.

Question 28: The Discourse Comprehension model suggests comprehension occurs at multiple levels. Which level deals with understanding words and sentences?

Macrostructure
Text base
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 29: Which type of question asks students to use information from the text combined with their own knowledge?

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

Correct answer: Author and me question

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

Question 30: In the word 'unhappiness,' which analysis correctly identifies all morphemes?

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

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

35 min

Time Limit

70%

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