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

Question 1: Which statement about the Simple View of Reading is TRUE as it relates to dyslexia intervention?

Students with dyslexia should focus only on language comprehension strategies
The Simple View is not relevant to dyslexia because dyslexia affects overall comprehension
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)

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 2: Formative assessment in reading instruction is BEST described as:

Ongoing data collection used to adjust instruction during the learning process (Correct answer)
End-of-year standardized tests
High-stakes assessments for accountability
Diagnostic testing done only at the start of the year

Correct answer: Ongoing data collection used to adjust instruction during the learning process

Formative assessment is continuous, low-stakes data collection during instruction that informs real-time teaching decisions.

Question 3: Morphological awareness in spelling refers to understanding:

How letters map to sounds
Syllable stress patterns
The meaningful units (prefixes, roots, suffixes) within words (Correct answer)
Letter formation

Correct answer: The meaningful units (prefixes, roots, suffixes) within words

Morphological awareness involves recognizing and using meaningful word parts (morphemes) to spell, read, and understand words.

Question 4: 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 5: Sentence-level writing instruction that helps students combine ideas is called:

Text structure analysis
Story grammar
Narrative mapping
Sentence combining (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Sentence combining

Sentence combining instruction explicitly teaches students how to merge simple sentences into more complex, syntactically varied sentences.

Question 6: A fourth-grade teacher creates a semantic map connecting the word 'government' to related words: law, president, vote, citizen, and constitution. This activity primarily builds:

Morphological analysis skills
Word-level decoding strategies
Conceptual knowledge and semantic networks (Correct answer)
Phonological awareness of multisyllabic words

Correct answer: Conceptual knowledge and semantic networks

Semantic mapping builds conceptual vocabulary by explicitly connecting words in a concept web, helping students understand how words relate within a semantic domain.

Question 7: The Discourse Comprehension model suggests comprehension occurs at multiple levels. Which level deals with understanding words and sentences?

Situation model
Surface code (Correct answer)
Text base
Macrostructure

Correct answer: Surface code

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

Question 8: Which component of reading fluency refers to reading at an appropriate speed without sacrificing accuracy?

Rate (Correct answer)
Automaticity
Decoding
Prosody

Correct answer: Rate

Rate refers to how quickly a reader reads, and an appropriate rate supports comprehension without sacrificing accuracy.

Question 9: Which of the following student behaviors MOST suggests the need for a dyslexia evaluation?

Slow reading rate only
Problems with reading comprehension but not decoding
Persistent difficulty with decoding, despite quality instruction and normal intelligence (Correct answer)
Difficulty understanding figurative language

Correct answer: Persistent difficulty with decoding, despite quality instruction and normal intelligence

Dyslexia is characterized by persistent, unexpected difficulty with accurate and fluent word recognition (decoding) despite adequate instruction and intelligence.

Question 10: Which of the following is a Tier 3 (domain-specific) vocabulary word?

Analyze
Compare
Significant
Photosynthesis (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Photosynthesis

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

Question 11: How does spelling instruction support reading development?

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

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 12: An Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) establishes a student's independent level as the level at which the student reads with:

80% accuracy
90% accuracy
95–100% accuracy (Correct answer)
75% accuracy

Correct answer: 95–100% accuracy

The independent level is where a student reads with 95–100% accuracy with minimal support, allowing for enjoyable, self-directed reading.

Question 13: Which text feature helps readers locate information in informational books quickly?

Title page
Dedication
Illustrations
Index (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Index

An index is an alphabetical listing at the back of a book that directs readers to where specific topics are discussed.

Question 14: R-controlled vowels are sometimes called 'bossy r' because:

The vowel becomes completely silent whenever the letter 'r' follows it
The letter 'r' modifies and changes the preceding vowel to a unique sound (Correct answer)
The 'r' completely replaces the vowel sound, which becomes inaudible
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 15: Which word contains a derivational morpheme?

they're (they plus are)
teacher (teach plus agent -er) (Correct answer)
cats (cat plus plural -s)
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 16: A teacher uses the sentence 'Even though she was tired, Maria finished her homework' to teach a grammar concept. Which concept is being illustrated?

A compound-complex sentence with two independent clauses
A complex sentence with a subordinating conjunction (Correct answer)
A simple sentence with an appositive phrase
A compound sentence using a coordinating conjunction

Correct answer: A complex sentence with a subordinating conjunction

'Even though' is a subordinating conjunction that introduces a dependent clause, making this a complex sentence with one independent and one dependent clause.

Question 17: Which assessment tool is most commonly used to measure oral reading fluency (ORF) in the STR framework?

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

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 18: Which of these is an example of a phonemic awareness task?

Identifying the first sound in the word "dog" (Correct answer)
Writing the word "dog"
Reading the word "dog" aloud
Naming the letters in the word "dog"

Correct answer: Identifying the first sound in the word "dog"

Identifying the first sound in a word, such as /d/ in "dog," is a classic phonemic awareness task. Phonemic awareness is a specific subset of phonological awareness that focuses on the individual sounds (phonemes) within words. This activity requires a child to isolate and recognize a single phoneme, demonstrating their ability to manipulate the smallest units of sound in spoken language.

Question 19: What does automaticity in word recognition mean, and why is it important?

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

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

To improve students' handwriting skills
To teach students to memorize lists of words
To ensure students can read quickly
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 21: Which instructional practice best supports students in reading multisyllabic words?

Having students memorize multisyllabic words as unanalyzed sight words
Encouraging students to skip difficult words and focus on overall passage meaning
Teaching syllabication strategies to break long words into decodable parts (Correct answer)
Teaching students to guess based on the first letter and surrounding context clues

Correct answer: Teaching syllabication strategies to break long words into decodable parts

Teaching syllabication strategies gives students a systematic, transferable approach to decoding longer multisyllabic words they encounter across texts.

Question 22: In the MTSS framework, what level of intervention is typically appropriate for a student identified as at-risk on dyslexia screening in kindergarten?

No formal intervention until a full special education evaluation is completed
Tier 2 supplemental intervention with progress monitoring every 2 to 4 weeks (Correct answer)
Tier 3 intensive intervention in a separate classroom immediately
Tier 1 core instruction only, monitored with quarterly assessments

Correct answer: Tier 2 supplemental intervention with progress monitoring every 2 to 4 weeks

A student identified as at-risk on a dyslexia screener typically receives Tier 2 supplemental, small-group intervention with more frequent progress monitoring to determine responsiveness before escalating to Tier 3.

Question 23: Which text structure signals are associated with compare/contrast organization?

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

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

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

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

Vowel team syllable
Vowel-consonant-e syllable
Closed syllable (Correct answer)
Open 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 26: Which instructional approach asks students to sort words into categories based on spelling patterns?

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

Correct answer: Word sorts

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

Question 27: Which of the following is a correct example of the VC/CV syllable division pattern?

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

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 28: The word 'unbreakable' can be analyzed morphologically as:

One free morpheme and one bound morpheme
One free morpheme and two bound morphemes (Correct answer)
Three free morphemes
Two free morphemes and one bound morpheme

Correct answer: One free morpheme and two bound morphemes

Unbreakable consists of un- (bound prefix) plus break (free root) plus -able (bound suffix): one free morpheme and two bound morphemes.

Question 29: A student understands individual sentences but struggles to understand the whole text. This is BEST described as a problem with:

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

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

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

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

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

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 32: Which of the following accommodations is specifically listed in the Texas Dyslexia Handbook as appropriate for students with dyslexia?

Oral testing and extended time on assessments (Correct answer)
Placement in a substantially separate classroom
Grade retention in place of intervention
Elimination of all written assignments

Correct answer: Oral testing and extended time on assessments

The Texas Dyslexia Handbook specifies accommodations including oral testing, extended time, and use of assistive technology to provide access without modifying standards.

Question 33: Which pair of words are antonyms that could be used to teach the concept of word relationships?

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

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

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

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

A syllable omission error dropping part of the word
A consonant substitution error involving the initial sound
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 36: Phonological awareness assessments should be administered:

Only at the end of the school year as a summative measure
Exclusively in written format to standardize conditions
As universal screeners at the beginning of the year and progress-monitored throughout (Correct answer)
Only when a student is referred for special education evaluation

Correct answer: As universal screeners at the beginning of the year and progress-monitored throughout

Research-based practice calls for universal screening of phonological awareness at the start of the year followed by ongoing progress monitoring to identify at-risk students early.

Question 37: The term 'phonological core deficit' in the context of dyslexia refers to:

A general language disorder affecting all aspects of oral communication
A deficit in understanding the meaning of words
Difficulties with print directionality and letter formation
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 38: A student reads aloud with appropriate expression, phrasing, and intonation. This aspect of fluency is called:

Automaticity
Rate
Prosody (Correct answer)
Accuracy

Correct answer: Prosody

Prosody encompasses the expressive elements of reading aloud, including intonation, stress, and phrasing.

Question 39: Which text structure presents events in the order they occurred?

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

Correct answer: Chronological/sequence

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

Question 40: 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 41: Which DIBELS subtest measures phoneme segmentation fluency?

LSF (Letter Sound Fluency)
ORF
PSF (Phoneme Segmentation Fluency) (Correct answer)
NWF (Nonsense Word Fluency)

Correct answer: PSF (Phoneme Segmentation Fluency)

The DIBELS Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) subtest measures a student's ability to segment spoken words into individual phonemes.

Question 42: Which comprehension skill involves identifying the most important ideas and restating them in one's own words?

Visualizing
Summarizing (Correct answer)
Predicting
Inferencing

Correct answer: Summarizing

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

Question 43: Which of the following is an example of a literal comprehension question?

How does this story connect to your life?
What did the author say the character's name was? (Correct answer)
What lesson does this story teach us?
Why do you think the character felt sad?

Correct answer: What did the author say the character's name was?

Literal comprehension questions have answers explicitly stated in the text, such as factual details like a character's name.

Question 44: Which statement best describes the relationship between phonemic awareness and reading comprehension?

Phonemic awareness and reading comprehension are unrelated skills
Phonemic awareness directly determines reading comprehension at all grade levels
Strong phonemic awareness supports decoding, which frees cognitive resources for comprehension (Correct answer)
Reading comprehension must be mastered before phonemic awareness develops

Correct answer: Strong phonemic awareness supports decoding, which frees cognitive resources for comprehension

Phonemic awareness supports decoding accuracy and automaticity. When decoding is fluent, students can devote cognitive resources to meaning-making and comprehension.

Question 45: Isabel Beck's Tier 2 words are best described as:

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

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 46: What is the recommended basis for sequencing letter-sound correspondences in a systematic phonics program?

Teaching all vowel sounds first before introducing any consonants
Following strict alphabetical order from the letter A through Z
Introducing high-utility letter-sound relationships that allow students to read words early (Correct answer)
Beginning with all lowercase letter forms before introducing uppercase letters

Correct answer: Introducing high-utility letter-sound relationships that allow students to read words early

Systematic phonics programs prioritize high-frequency, useful letter-sound relationships first so students can begin reading and spelling many words early in their instruction.

Question 47: How does phonemic awareness differ from phonological awareness?

Phonemic awareness is a broad skill encompassing various sound-related skills, while phonological awareness is more specific to phonemes
Phonemic awareness involves understanding word meanings, while phonological awareness does not
Phonemic awareness involves working with letters, while phonological awareness does not
Phonemic awareness is specific to phonemes, while phonological awareness includes a range of sound-related skills (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Phonemic awareness is specific to phonemes, while phonological awareness includes a range of sound-related skills

Phonemic awareness is a specific subset of phonological awareness, focusing exclusively on the individual sounds (phonemes) within spoken words. Phonological awareness is a broader skill that encompasses a range of sound-related abilities, including recognizing and manipulating words, syllables, and rhymes, in addition to phonemes. Therefore, phonemic awareness is a more refined and advanced skill within the larger domain of phonological awareness.

Question 48: Which stage of spelling development is characterized by representing each phoneme with a letter, even if unconventionally (e.g., 'KAD' for 'caged')?

Phonetic (Correct answer)
Pre-communicative
Semiphonetic
Transitional

Correct answer: Phonetic

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

Question 49: A first-grade teacher notices students consistently mispronounce 'spaghetti' as 'pasketti.' This error suggests difficulty with:

Phoneme substitution
Onset-rime blending
Phoneme deletion
Syllable structure and phoneme sequencing (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Syllable structure and phoneme sequencing

Transposing phonemes and altering syllable structure reflects difficulty with the syllable structure and ordering of phonemes within words.

Question 50: How does reading aloud to children help with vocabulary development?

It exposes them to new words and models correct pronunciation (Correct answer)
It helps them memorize words more quickly
It improves their spelling skills
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 51: Which task is MOST appropriate as an initial phonological awareness activity for pre-K students?

Counting syllables by clapping (Correct answer)
Phoneme deletion from blends
Blending onset and rime
Phoneme segmentation of CVC words

Correct answer: Counting syllables by clapping

Syllable clapping is appropriate for the earliest stage of phonological awareness development and is accessible to pre-K students before phoneme-level tasks.

Question 52: 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?'

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

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 53: Which strategy best helps students identify the main idea of an informational paragraph?

Reading only the first and last sentence
Identifying the topic and what the author says about it most (Correct answer)
Counting the number of details
Looking for bold words

Correct answer: Identifying the topic and what the author says about it most

The main idea is the central point the author makes about the topic, found by identifying the topic and the author's key claim about it.

Question 54: Which is the best definition of a phoneme?

A letter or group of letters that represents a sound
A spoken syllable that carries stress
The smallest unit of meaning in a language
The smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning in a language (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning in a language

A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning; changing one phoneme in a word creates a different word, as in /b/ vs /p/ in 'bat' vs 'pat'.

Question 55: What is the primary purpose of 'word sorting' activities in phonics instruction?

To build reading fluency through timed reading of high-frequency word lists
To practice alphabetical ordering and dictionary reference skills
To develop phonemic awareness through purely auditory listening tasks
To help students discover and internalize spelling patterns by categorizing words (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To help students discover and internalize spelling patterns by categorizing words

Word sorting activities have students compare and categorize words by their spelling patterns, deepening their understanding of orthographic patterns and phonics principles.

Question 56: Research on vocabulary and the reading achievement gap indicates that:

Vocabulary gaps appear primarily after third grade
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)
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 57: Which stage of spelling development involves using mostly correct spelling with some errors in complex patterns?

Pre-communicative
Conventional/Within Word Pattern (Correct answer)
Semiphonetic
Transitional

Correct answer: Conventional/Within Word Pattern

In the Conventional or Within Word Pattern stage, students spell most words correctly but still make errors on complex vowel patterns and irregulars.

Question 58: Structured Literacy instruction is characterized by which set of principles?

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

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

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

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 60: Which activity best develops phoneme substitution skills?

Telling students to say 'bat' but change /b/ to /s/ (Correct answer)
Clapping out syllables in compound words
Having students sort pictures by beginning sound
Asking students to count phonemes in three-letter words

Correct answer: Telling students to say 'bat' but change /b/ to /s/

Phoneme substitution directly practices replacing one phoneme with another, as in changing /b/ in 'bat' to /s/ to make 'sat'.

Question 61: Signal words such as 'as a result,' 'consequently,' and 'therefore' indicate which text structure?

Sequence
Compare and contrast
Cause and effect (Correct answer)
Description

Correct answer: Cause and effect

Signal words like 'as a result,' 'consequently,' and 'therefore' show that one event caused or led to another — cause and effect structure.

Question 62: The multisensory approach used in Structured Literacy instruction simultaneously engages which pathways?

Phonological, syntactic, and pragmatic language pathways
Semantic, morphological, and orthographic pathways
Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways (Correct answer)
Cognitive, emotional, and social pathways

Correct answer: Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways

Multisensory instruction engages visual (seeing letters), auditory (hearing and saying sounds), and kinesthetic-tactile (tracing, tapping, writing) pathways simultaneously to build stronger neural connections.

Question 63: Which assessment would give a teacher the MOST information about a student's specific phonics skill gaps?

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

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 64: Word consciousness refers to:

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

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 65: What is phonemic awareness?

The ability to understand the meaning of words
The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words (Correct answer)
The ability to recognize letters and their sounds
The ability to read fluently

Correct answer: The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words

Phonemic awareness is the most advanced and specific level of phonological awareness, focusing on the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. It is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate these discrete sounds. This skill is crucial for early reading development because it directly supports a child's ability to connect sounds to letters and decode written words.

Question 66: Which type of spelling instruction is MOST consistent with structured literacy principles?

Systematic study of sound-symbol correspondences and orthographic patterns (Correct answer)
Memorizing weekly word lists
Copying words from the board
Random writing practice

Correct answer: Systematic study of sound-symbol correspondences and orthographic patterns

Structured literacy-aligned spelling instruction explicitly and systematically teaches phoneme-grapheme relationships and orthographic rules.

Question 67: 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?

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

Correct answer: Rhyme recognition

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

Question 68: Which vocabulary strategy helps students use context clues to infer word meaning?

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

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 69: Inferencing in reading comprehension requires students to:

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

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 70: Which of the following is a hallmark early indicator of dyslexia risk in kindergarten?

Poor handwriting and fine motor skills
Persistent difficulty with phonological awareness tasks such as rhyming and blending (Correct answer)
Difficulty with reading comprehension of complex texts
Slow silent reading rate in second grade

Correct answer: Persistent difficulty with phonological awareness tasks such as rhyming and blending

Phonological awareness difficulties, particularly with rhyming, blending, and segmentation, are among the earliest and strongest predictors of dyslexia risk.

Question 71: Which activity BEST develops deep comprehension through student-to-student discourse?

Silent sustained reading
Whole-class teacher lecture
Flashcard vocabulary review
Accountable talk / structured discussion protocols (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Accountable talk / structured discussion protocols

Accountable talk and structured discussion protocols require students to cite text evidence, build on each other's ideas, and deepen understanding through dialogue.

Question 72: Which factor is MOST important for comprehension of informational texts, beyond decoding skill?

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

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

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

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

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

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 75: A student reads 90 words per minute with 95% accuracy. What does this indicate about her fluency?

She is reading above grade level
Her accuracy is too low to build comprehension
She is at benchmark for most 2nd grade norms (Correct answer)
Her rate is the only concern

Correct answer: She is at benchmark for most 2nd grade norms

90 WCPM with 95% accuracy is near the typical benchmark for 2nd grade readers according to common fluency norms.

Question 76: Texas law requires districts to screen for dyslexia characteristics beginning at which grade level?

Pre-Kindergarten
First grade
Kindergarten (Correct answer)
Second 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 77: 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?

Appositive or definition clue
Inference clue (Correct answer)
Contrast clue
Example 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 78: Which definition of dyslexia is used by the International Dyslexia Association?

A vision disorder causing letters to reverse or appear backwards
A specific learning disability characterized by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition, poor decoding and spelling, rooted in a phonological processing deficit (Correct answer)
A general intelligence deficit that impairs reading acquisition across all subjects
A behavioral disorder resulting from inadequate reading instruction

Correct answer: A specific learning disability characterized by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition, poor decoding and spelling, rooted in a phonological processing deficit

The IDA defines dyslexia as a specific, neurobiological learning disability rooted in a phonological processing deficit, affecting word recognition and decoding despite adequate instruction.

Question 79: Which statement about syllable types is accurate as defined in the Science of Reading framework?

An open syllable ends with a consonant and the vowel is typically short
A closed syllable ends with a consonant and the vowel is typically short (Correct answer)
A closed syllable ends with a vowel and the vowel is typically long
A vowel team syllable contains only one vowel letter

Correct answer: A closed syllable ends with a consonant and the vowel is typically short

A closed syllable ends with one or more consonants, and the vowel before them is typically short, as in 'cat' or 'hop'.

Question 80: What term describes the ability to read words accurately and quickly without conscious effort?

Fluency
Decoding
Automaticity (Correct answer)
Prosody

Correct answer: Automaticity

Automaticity means recognizing words rapidly and effortlessly, freeing cognitive resources for comprehension.

Question 81: Which type of words should receive the MOST direct instructional time according to Beck's tiered vocabulary framework?

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

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 82: 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)
Conflating a syllable with a phoneme
Confusing a rime with an onset

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 83: Why is phonemic awareness important for learning to read?

It enables children to memorize sight words
It helps children understand the meanings of words
It improves children’s handwriting skills
It allows children to decode words by sounds (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It allows children to decode words by sounds

Phonemic awareness is critically important for learning to read because it enables children to decode words by sounds. By understanding that spoken words are made up of individual phonemes, children can then connect these sounds to their corresponding letters or letter combinations (phonics). This ability to blend and segment sounds allows them to sound out unfamiliar words and read them independently.

Question 84: Teaching students to recognize text structure explicitly improves:

Oral reading rate
Spelling accuracy
Phoneme segmentation only
Reading comprehension of both narrative and informational texts (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Reading comprehension of both narrative and informational texts

Explicit text structure instruction improves comprehension by helping students organize incoming information and predict how a text will unfold.

Question 85: Academic language instruction should include which of the following?

Only vocabulary flashcards
Grammar drills in isolation
Explicit instruction in word meanings, sentence structures, and discourse patterns of academic texts (Correct answer)
Reading only narrative texts

Correct answer: Explicit instruction in word meanings, sentence structures, and discourse patterns of academic texts

Comprehensive academic language instruction addresses vocabulary, syntax (sentence structures), and discourse patterns that appear across content areas.

Question 86: A kindergartner can identify rhymes but cannot segment the word 'dog' into its individual sounds. Based on the phonological awareness continuum, the teacher should next focus on:

Syllable blending
Phoneme isolation (Correct answer)
Phoneme substitution
Phoneme deletion

Correct answer: Phoneme isolation

Between rhyme recognition and full segmentation, phoneme isolation (identifying the first, last, or middle sound) is the appropriate intermediate step.

Question 87: 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 88: Why is background knowledge particularly important for reading comprehension?

It primarily helps with fluency rather than comprehension
It replaces the need for vocabulary instruction
It helps students decode unknown words more quickly through context
It allows readers to make inferences, fill gaps, and build mental models of text meaning (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It allows readers to make inferences, fill gaps, and build mental models of text meaning

Background knowledge provides the conceptual scaffold for inference-making and mental model construction, which are essential for deep comprehension.

Question 89: Why is word analysis important for reading comprehension?

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

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 90: What is the alphabetic principle?

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

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

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

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.

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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