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Section 4: Sample Selected-Response Questions Early Childhood: PK–3 (292)Expand All Answers | Collapse All Answers This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam. Selected-Response Questions with RationalesEach sample exam question here includes the correct answer and a rationale for each answer option. Domain I—Child DevelopmentCompetency 001—(Foundations of Child Development): Understand foundational concepts of early childhood development from birth to age 8 and factors that influence student development.1. Kindergarten students have been creating shapes using colorful rubber bands and geoboards. Which of the following instructional activities would promote students' progress with cognitive concepts relating to shapes?
2. A prekindergarten teacher is using a shared reading strategy with a three-year-old child who demonstrates an expressive language delay. As the child becomes more responsive to answering knowledge-level questions, which of the following practices should the teacher add to the strategy?
Competency 002—(The Early Learning Process): Understand the developmental processes and characteristics of learning of young children from birth to age 8.3. A four-year-old child is building towers using wooden blocks of different shapes and colors. The yellow blocks are long and wide and the green blocks are short and narrow. The child builds a tower made with yellow blocks at the bottom and green blocks on the top and says, "Look, my tower is so tall, and the green blocks are all on top!" The teacher responds, "Wow, your tower is so straight and tall! What do you think would happen if you make another tower using the green blocks on the bottom this time?" This scenario demonstrates the teacher's awareness of how incidental learning experiences can be used to:
4. Which of the following scenarios exemplifies a situation in which a child's separation anxiety behaviors signify the need to intervene and provide a developmentally appropriate response and support?
Competency 003—(Family Engagement): Understand the role and importance of the family in supporting the learning and development of young children from prekindergarten to grade 3.5. A kindergarten teacher is preparing for the first conferences of the school year. The teacher plans to provide parents/guardians with an overview of the grade-level Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and information about classroom procedures and schoolwide expectations. Which of the following additional actions by the teacher would best support the teacher in developing a positive relationship with families?
6. The parents/guardians of incoming prekindergarten children are provided with handbooks to support their understanding of what the children will learn each school year. An excerpt of the handbook is shown below.
Which of the following principles does the practice of providing these handbooks most effectively promote?
Domain II—The Instructional SettingCompetency 004—(Social Skills, Emotional Development, and Behavior Support): Understand how to create positive environments and relationships that help develop interpersonal skills, autonomy, and initiative to explore and learn in young children from prekindergarten to grade 3.7. Considering the developmental stages of brain growth and cognitive development of young children, which of the following teacher activities would most effectively promote development of executive function in four-year-olds?
8. A third-grade teacher notices that a few students who are highly motivated during science instruction appear disinterested when learning social studies content. The teacher could best use developmentally responsive strategies to promote the students' participation in social studies in which of the following ways?
Competency 005—(The Instructional Setting): Understand how to create positive learning environments that promote the development and learning of young children in prekindergarten to grade 3.9. A first-grade teacher notices that a number of students have been frequently off-task and demonstrating difficulty completing projects in learning center environments within the classroom. The teacher would like to increase student engagement during these activities. After determining that the center activities do not align with student interests, which of the following approaches should the teacher take first to promote this goal?
10. A second-grade teacher notices that at certain times of the day, students in the class become easily distracted and display outbursts of excitable energy. Which of the following supports would be most appropriate to address the needs of the students?
Domain III—Educating All LearnersCompetency 006—(Differentiation Strategies in Planning and Practice)—Understand how to identify and implement developmentally appropriate strategies and practices to effectively teach and engage young children from prekindergarten to grade 3.11. A second-grade teacher is planning an end-of-unit assessment. The teacher has a goal of incorporating universal design for learning (UDL) principles throughout the unit's lesson design and assessments. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective application of UDL for the teacher to use to assess student knowledge?
12. A kindergarten teacher observes a student investigating the balance scales in the simple machines learning center. The teacher watches as the student adds the entire collection of pennies to one side of the balance scale, where the full pan is already resting on the tabletop. The teacher says, "When you added pennies to the full side, it stayed down. I wonder about the other side. What can you do to the empty side to make it go down?" The teacher's interaction with the student is an example of which of the following techniques?
Competency 007—(Culturally Responsive Practices)—Understand how to identify and implement culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate practices to effectively teach and engage young children from prekindergarten to grade 3 across all content areas.13. A third-grade teacher considers practices to use during the first week of school that will foster the students' sense of a culturally inclusive classroom. Which of the following practices would best support the teacher's goal?
Domain IV—Data-Driven Practice and Formal/Informal AssessmentCompetency 008—(Developmentally Appropriate Assessment and Practice): Understand the types, selection, and uses of developmentally appropriate assessments and assessment practices to effectively support young children's learning in prekindergarten to grade 3.14. Use the excerpts below to answer the question that follows. National Oral Reading Fluency Norms Which of the following statements best describes the intervention for student WW?
Competency 009—(Progress Monitoring and Data-Driven Instructional Practice): Understand how to design, implement, and evaluate learning experiences and instruction in order to promote development and learning of all students in prekindergarten to grade 3.15. A second-grade teacher plans to embed developmentally appropriate activities into classroom routines to support students' application of skills in capitalization and punctuation. Which of the following approaches would be most effective for this purpose?
Domain V—Learning Across the CurriculumCompetency 010—(English Language Arts and Social Studies): Understand the foundational principles, concepts, and methods in English language arts and social studies to provide developmentally appropriate instruction for students in prekindergarten to grade 3.16. A third-grade teacher assigns students several newspaper articles to read that have differing opinions about a proposal to build a new park in the community. After reading the articles, students work in small groups to complete a T-chart listing the pros and cons of building the park. Each group then presents its results to the class. This activity is likely to be most effective in helping develop the students':
17. A first-grade teacher supports students' language development by regularly modeling storytelling. For example, the teacher tells the following brief story to students as part of introducing a science unit on living things.
In addition to modeling storytelling, the teacher provides students with opportunities to tell their own stories. The teacher's use of these storytelling strategies best exemplifies which of the following approaches to supporting students' language development?
Competency 011—(Mathematics): Understand foundational principles, concepts, and methods in mathematics to provide developmentally appropriate instruction for students in prekindergarten to grade 3.18. A kindergarten student recognizes that five pencils represent the same quantity as five desks, even though desks are much larger and heavier than pencils. The knowledge of this fundamental mathematical concept demonstrates that the student:
19. A third-grade math teacher collects the following data from 20 students after a mathematics quiz. The teacher plans to adjust instruction as needed based in part on these results. Results from Quiz on Adding and Subtracting Fractions from the table below Results from Quiz on Adding and Subtracting Fractions These results show that the teacher should address students' misconceptions related to which of the following errors?
Competency 012—(Science and Technology Applications): Understand the foundational principles, concepts, and methods of teaching science and technology applications to provide developmentally appropriate instruction to students in prekindergarten to grade 3.20. Teachers in the early elementary grades can best promote students' use of digital technology as tools for learning by emphasizing which of the following approaches?
21. Use the third-grade student science center activity sheet below to answer the question that follows.
Which of the following phases of the 5-E plan is implemented at the science center?
Competency 013—(Fine Arts, Physical Education, and Health): Understand foundational skills, concepts, and methods to provide developmentally appropriate instruction for fine arts, physical education, and health to students in prekindergarten to grade 3.22. A prekindergarten teacher presents various flowers for children to explore. Following their observations, the children are given art materials, including markers, construction paper, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, and tissue paper, to design their own creation. Which of the following concepts from the Fine Arts Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines is best exemplified by the activity?
Clustered QuestionsUse the information below to answer the two questions that follow.
Competency 008—(Developmentally Appropriate Assessment and Practice): Understand the types, selection, and uses of developmentally appropriate assessments and assessment practices to effectively support young children's learning in prekindergarten to grade 3.23. The teacher's assessment method is effective for which of the following purposes?
Competency 009—(Progress Monitoring and Data-Driven Instructional Practice): Understand how to design, implement, and evaluate learning experiences and instruction in order to promote development and learning of all students in prekindergarten to grade 3.24. After analyzing the data, which of the following instructional strategies should the teacher implement to most effectively promote Lena's social development?
Additional Selected-Response QuestionsThis section includes additional sample selected-response questions for you to review in preparation for the exam. The correct answer is provided for each question below. Domain I—Child DevelopmentCompetency 001—(Foundations of Child Development): Understand foundational concepts of early childhood development from birth to age 8 and factors that influence student development.25. Research suggests a strong correlation between effective, direct instruction in key components of reading and the development of literacy skills by English learners (ELs). Which of the following additional instructional strategies would be most effective for promoting the development of English vocabulary skills for ELs?
26. A prekindergarten teacher plans to support the development of children's language skills during group story time. The class includes children who are at a beginning level of speaking and understanding English. Which of the following actions should the teacher take to attend to the language needs of English learners (ELs) in the group?
Competency 003—(Family Engagement): Understand the role and importance of the family in supporting the learning and development of young children from prekindergarten to grade 3.27. A first-grade teacher uses a home survey to learn more about how students like to spend their time outside of school with their families. The teacher finds that students and their families value and appreciate a wide range of activities. The teacher could best use this information to support effective teaching of students from all families by taking which of the following approaches?
Domain II—The Instructional SettingCompetency 004—(Social Skills, Emotional Development, and Behavior Support): Understand how to create positive environments and relationships that help develop interpersonal skills, autonomy, and initiative to explore and learn in young children from prekindergarten to grade 3.28. Four-year-olds Jessie and Simone have been quietly engaged in a center activity for a short time when the prekindergarten teacher observes the following interaction.
The teacher walks over to the children in the center area. Which of the following actions would be most effective for the teacher to use to resolve this conflict?
29. Kindergarten students are in their classroom science center exploring and sorting rocks. The teacher notices that the students are demonstrating difficulty sharing space and materials. The teacher can best promote the development of students' interpersonal skills by which of the following methods?
Competency 005—(The Instructional Setting): Understand how to create positive learning environments that promote the development and learning of young children in prekindergarten to grade 3.30. A third-grade teacher wants to provide options for equitable perception of information to all students in the class. Based on principles of universal design for learning (UDL), which of the following actions would be most effective for this purpose?
31. A third-grade teacher has a goal of improving students' ability to transition successfully between activities. The teacher provides advance warning by ringing a bell at five minutes and at two minutes prior to the end of each activity. Which of the following statements best explains the rationale for the teacher's use of this strategy?
Domain III—Educating All LearnersCompetency 006—(Differentiation Strategies in Planning and Practice): Understand how to identify and implement developmentally appropriate strategies and practices to effectively teach and engage young children from prekindergarten to grade 3.32. At the beginning of the school year, a third-grade teacher designs the layout of the classroom. The teacher considers incorporating a principle of universal design for learning (UDL) into the arrangement of the classroom, such as the placement of students' desks and chairs, work tables, and shelving units. Which of the following would be the most appropriate way for the teacher to incorporate a principle of UDL into the classroom layout?
33. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Child Find obligations primarily affect young children in which of the following ways?
Competency 007—(Culturally Responsive Practices): Understand how to identify and implement culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate practices to effectively teach and engage young children from prekindergarten to grade 3 across all content areas.34. A prekindergarten child and the child's parents/guardians are English learners (ELs) at a beginning to intermediate level of English acquisition. The parents/guardians report to the child's teacher that they only speak English at home with their child, even though they have strong primary language skills, in order to promote their child's ability to learn English. Which of the following recommendations should the teacher give to advise the parents/guardians about their child's language acquisition?
35. A teacher carefully considers ways to recognize and address classroom practices that may contribute to disproportionate participation. The teacher has observed that male students are unintentionally called on more frequently than female students. The teacher also notices that male students are chosen by peers as team captains in cooperative learning groups more often than female students. Which of the following instructional techniques by the teacher would most effectively promote equitable classroom participation?
36. A second-grade teacher works to establish positive family–teacher relationships by engaging in the following actions regularly.
Despite using these strategies to engage families, the teacher feels that some families are still hesitant to participate in school activities and an educational dialogue. When conversing with some families about the concern, the teacher hears from one parent who describes his negative school experiences as a child, and suggests that other parents in the school may have had similar experiences, leaving them anxious about developing a relationship with teachers. The teacher contemplates this reasoning, and devises potential strategies for addressing this issue. Which of the following strategies would best support the teacher's goal to establish a positive family-teacher relationship?
Domain IV—Data-Driven Practice and Formal/Informal AssessmentCompetency 008—(Developmentally Appropriate Assessment and Practice): Understand the types, selection, and uses of developmentally appropriate assessments and assessment practices to effectively support young children's learning in prekindergarten to grade 3.37. Read a kindergarten teacher's anecdotal record below; then answer the question that follows.
The teacher could most effectively use this observation for which of the following purposes?
38. Use the excerpt below from a kindergarten science lesson plan to answer the question that follows.
Which of the following revisions to the lesson plan is needed to improve alignment with the student learning objective?
Competency 009—(Progress Monitoring and Data-Driven Instructional Practice): Understand how to design, implement, and evaluate learning experiences and instruction in order to promote development and learning of all students in prekindergarten to grade 3.39. Use the record below of prekindergarten children's activity choices to answer the question that follows.
The teacher could most effectively use these data to make developmentally appropriate decisions in which of the following ways?
40. A kindergarten teacher uses an informal checklist assessment to identify students' strengths and needs in relation to their comprehension skills of text they have heard read aloud, in accordance with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Kindergarten English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR). Below is a completed checklist assessment for a student in the class.
Which of the following teacher activities would best address an area of need for the student?
Domain V—Learning Across the CurriculumCompetency 010—(English Language Arts and Social Studies): Understand the foundational principles, concepts, and methods in English language arts and social studies to provide developmentally appropriate instruction for students in prekindergarten to grade 3.41. A prekindergarten teacher wants to build children's awareness of the roles and responsibilities of family, school, and community helpers. Which of the following instructional strategies would best support the teacher's goal?
Competency 012—(Science and Technology Applications): Understand the foundational principles, concepts, and methods of teaching science and technology applications to provide developmentally appropriate instruction to students in prekindergarten to grade 3.42. Which of the following learning experiences would best support first-grade students in developing an understanding of the life cycle of animals?
43. A kindergarten teacher has been working with students to develop their awareness that animals have basic needs, including food, water, and shelter, in accordance with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Kindergarten Science. The teacher would like to further students' learning by supporting their exploration of real-world issues related to this topic, such as animal endangerment, by using technology, in accordance with TEKS for Kindergarten Technology Applications. Which of the following uses of an educational resource would be most effective for this purpose?
Competency 013—(Fine Arts, Physical Education, and Health): Understand foundational skills, concepts, and methods to provide developmentally appropriate instruction for fine arts, physical education, and health to students in prekindergarten to grade 3.44. A third-grade teacher is developing a lesson to promote students' abilities to identify and categorize musical instruments as brass, string, woodwind, or percussion. Which of the following technology resources would most effectively support students' abilities to categorize instruments by sound?
Clustered QuestionsUse the information below to answer the two questions that follow.
Competency 011—(Mathematics): Understand foundational principles, concepts, and methods in mathematics to provide developmentally appropriate instruction for students in prekindergarten to grade 3.45. The teacher's actions in this lesson demonstrate a strength related to which of the following instructional principles?
Competency 011—(Mathematics): Understand foundational principles, concepts, and methods in mathematics to provide developmentally appropriate instruction for students in prekindergarten to grade 3.46. Which of the following actions by the teacher would most effectively strengthen this mathematics activity?
Use the information below to answer the four questions that follow. A third-grade teacher created a unit focused on organisms and environments in accordance with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Grade 3. The teacher and the students placed six labeled cups, each containing one plant, on a windowsill in direct sunlight for two weeks. Three cups contained bean plants and three cups contained cactus plants. The teacher and the students created three different environments for the plants, and each environment contained one bean plant and one cactus plant. The environments varied based on how often the plants were watered. Students drew pictures of their observations of the plants in each of the three environments at the end of two weeks. Competency 012—(Science and Technology Applications): Understand the foundational principles, concepts, and methods of teaching science and technology applications to provide developmentally appropriate instruction to students in prekindergarten to grade 3.47. Given the results at the end of two weeks, this inquiry best promotes students' understanding of which of the following phenomena?
Competency 006—(Differentiation Strategies in Planning and Practice): Understand how to identify and implement developmentally appropriate strategies and practices to effectively teach and engage young children from prekindergarten to grade 3.48. Students' abilities to draw accurate conclusions from the inquiry experience is best supported by their prerequisite knowledge in which of the following areas?
Competency 012—(Science and Technology Applications): Understand the foundational principles, concepts, and methods of teaching science and technology applications to provide developmentally appropriate instruction to students in prekindergarten to grade 3.49. At the end of the two-week observation, the teacher plans to use a higher-level questioning technique to encourage students to make conclusions about what they have observed during the activity. Which of the following questions would best support the teacher's goal?
Competency 008—(Developmentally Appropriate Assessment and Practice): Understand the types, selection, and uses of developmentally appropriate assessments and assessment practices to effectively support young children's learning in prekindergarten to grade 3.50. Which of the following additional student activities would most effectively support the teacher in assessing students' abilities to apply what they have learned from the inquiry?
Return to Navigation Which of the following statements best describes the rationale for applying the principle of maximum?Which of the following statements best describes the rationale for applying the principle of maximum parsimony in constructing phylogenetic trees? Similarity due to common ancestry should be more common than similarity due to convergent evolution.
What statement best describes the principle of parsimony?Answer and Explanation: The principle of parsimony is the idea that the simplest phylogenetic tree, that is the tree with the least number of changes, is most likely to be correct.
When applying the principle of parsimony to create a phylogenetic tree?Biologists use the principle of parsimony when drawing phylogenetic trees. To draw a phylogenetic tree you must first determine which species in a group are most closely related to each other. Biologists generally compare the DNA or physical characteristics of species in the group and look for differences.
Which is the best definition of adaptive radiation See section 25.3 group of answer choices?Which is the best definition of adaptive radiation? See Section 25.3 (Page 507) . An adaptive radiation occurs when a single lineage produces many ecologically diverse descendant species in a relatively short period of time.
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