Virginia Reading & Literacy Instruction 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which reading comprehension strategy involves students previewing headings, images, and captions before reading to activate prior knowledge?
- Summarizing
- Text mapping
- Previewing / surveying (Correct answer)
- Reciprocal teaching
Correct answer: Previewing / surveying
Previewing or surveying text features before reading activates schema and sets a purpose, which research shows improves comprehension.
Question 2: A Virginia teacher is using the Orton-Gillingham approach with a student diagnosed with dyslexia. This approach is best described as:
- Multi-sensory, structured, sequential phonics instruction (Correct answer)
- Silent reading with periodic comprehension checks
- Literature-circle discussion method
- Whole-word memorization technique
Correct answer: Multi-sensory, structured, sequential phonics instruction
Orton-Gillingham is a multi-sensory, structured, sequential, and cumulative approach explicitly designed for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.
Question 3: In Virginia, what does the term 'morphology' refer to in the context of literacy instruction?
- The study of speech sounds and their representations
- The study of word parts such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots (Correct answer)
- The use of context clues to determine word meaning
- The rhythm and meter of written prose
Correct answer: The study of word parts such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots
Morphology is the study of morphemes — the smallest meaningful units of language — including prefixes, suffixes, and root words, which aids vocabulary and decoding.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'orthographic mapping,' a concept central to Virginia's science of reading framework?
- Drawing concept maps of story elements
- The process by which readers store written words in long-term memory by connecting spellings to pronunciations and meanings (Correct answer)
- Mapping phonemes to graphemes during initial phonics lessons
- Using graphic organizers to outline text structure
Correct answer: The process by which readers store written words in long-term memory by connecting spellings to pronunciations and meanings
Orthographic mapping is the mental process by which readers permanently bond a word's spelling, pronunciation, and meaning together for instant sight-word recognition.
Question 5: A Virginia teacher reads aloud daily to her fourth graders, even though they can read independently. What is the primary literacy benefit of this practice?
- It replaces independent reading time to save instructional minutes
- It exposes students to vocabulary and text complexity above their independent reading level (Correct answer)
- It satisfies Virginia SOL fluency requirements for grade 4
- It allows the teacher to assess all students' comprehension simultaneously
Correct answer: It exposes students to vocabulary and text complexity above their independent reading level
Read-alouds expose students to richer vocabulary, complex syntax, and higher-level texts than they could access independently, building listening comprehension and language.
Question 6: According to Scarborough's Reading Rope model, which two major 'strands' must become automatic and work together for skilled reading to occur?
- Fluency and motivation
- Word recognition and language comprehension (Correct answer)
- Phonemic awareness and phonics
- Vocabulary and background knowledge
Correct answer: Word recognition and language comprehension
Scarborough's Reading Rope illustrates that skilled reading emerges from the interweaving of word recognition (decoding, sight recognition) and language comprehension strands.
Question 7: A Virginia reading specialist conducts a 'miscue analysis' during a running record. What information does this primarily provide?
- The student's reading rate in words per minute
- The types of errors a student makes and the cueing systems they rely on (Correct answer)
- Whether a student meets SOL benchmark vocabulary standards
- The student's ability to retell a story in sequence
Correct answer: The types of errors a student makes and the cueing systems they rely on
Miscue analysis examines the nature of oral reading errors to determine whether a student over-relies on semantic, syntactic, or graphophonic cues, guiding targeted instruction.
Virginia Reading & Literacy Instruction 2
Which reading comprehension strategy involves students previewing headings, images, and captions before reading to activate prior knowledge?