Deck 4: The Youngest Readers and Writers

Question 1

The goal for educators is that all children should be fluent readers and writers by:

A) age seven
B) the end of kindergarten
C) the end of first grade
D) the end of third grade

Answer 1

D

Question 2

A group of first grade students would enjoy the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, but they are not ready to read it independently. To help the children enjoy and use the book effectively, their teacher should use the practice of:

A) round-robin reading
B) running records
C) shared reading
D) popcorn reading

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The most effective way to help children develop concepts about the alphabet is to:

A) provide isolated skill and drill activities to teach letters
B) use the children's names and environmental print to teach letters
C) develop portfolio assessments
D) teach letters in alphabetical order

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Effective teachers have learned that it is best to teach letters of the alphabet:

A) in alphabetical order
B) before introducing whole words
C) using drills and writing activities
D) using children's own names and providing many experiences with meaningful written language

Question 5

Sebastian, an English learner, moved to the United States two years ago and converses easily with his third grade classmates. When asked to complete literacy tasks in the classroom, however, he seems to have difficulty understanding the teacher's directions. Sebastian is most likely having difficulty because:

A) the teacher has not provided texts which motivate him
B) he has not reached a satisfactory level of cognitive academic language proficiency
C) he has not reached a satisfactory level of basic interpersonal communicative skills
D) cultural differences prevent him from understanding the teacher

Question 6

Students are most likely to use conventional spelling in the:

A) readiness reading and writing stage
B) emergent reading and writing stage
C) beginning reading and writing stage
D) fluent reading and writing stage

Question 7

Teachers should use the time allotted for handwriting instruction primarily to:

A) model letter formation and supervise the students' practice
B) distribute worksheets for independent practice
C) complete required lesson plans and newsletters
D) teach keyboarding skills

Question 8

Of the following, the best predictor of beginning reading success is a child's level of:

A) fine motor skills
B) vocabulary knowledge
C) visual acuity
D) auditory acuity

Question 9

Five-year-old Gloria didn't understand word boundaries or concepts of words. To best address this need, her teachers used the instructional practice of:

A) the Language Experience Approach
B) Comprehension Strategies
C) Running Records
D) Graphic Organizers

Question 10

Handwriting instruction:

A) should begin in kindergarten to establish good habits
B) should begin in third grade when fine-motor skills have been developed
C) should include only cursive writing
D) is no longer necessary due to technology

Question 11

The principal wisely suggested that by adding books, pencils, pens, and paper to kindergarten play centers, teachers could enhance their instructional value and transform them into:

A) repetends
B) assessment centers
C) literacy play centers
D) Elkonin boxes

Question 12

Because fluent readers recognize many words automatically, they usually:

A) prefer to read orally
B) substitute words as they read
C) can devote more energy to comprehension
D) can devote more energy to decoding

Question 13

Six-year-old Nicole wrote a thank-you letter to her grandmother that had all the traditional parts of a letter and showed conventional spelling. This work indicates that as a writer, the child is in the:

A) readiness stage
B) emergent stage
C) beginning stage
D) fluent stage

Question 14

Several kindergarten students dictated sentences about their trip to the zoo. Their teacher wrote their dictated sentences on a chart. The children were able to easily read these sentences primarily because:

A) the text was composed of their own language
B) a familiar teacher wrote the script
C) they enjoyed the visit to the zoo
D) the words contained familiar spelling patterns

Question 15

To administer the Concepts About Print test, teachers:

A) must use one of 4 specially provided books
B) can use any book in the classroom
C) must test children in groups
D) can test in a round-robin manner

Question 16

During shared reading, students should be encouraged to:

A) join in reading predictable refrains and rhyming words
B) remain silent as the teacher reads
C) draw a picture as the teacher reads
D) examine pictures in an alternative text

Question 17

A kindergarten teacher suspects that her new student has not had the same rich exposure to books that most of his classmates have had. Of the following, which assessment tool could most likely help a teacher measure a young child's understanding of books?

A) an informal reading inventory
B) concepts-about-print test
C) running record
D) portfolio assessment

Question 18

Young children are surrounded by words. Print such as logos on cereal boxes and signs for a favorite toy store or restaurant is known as:

A) predictable print
B) decodable print
C) concept print
D) environmental print

Question 19

Of the following, the best way to help children develop oral language competence is to:

A) send newsletters home to parents
B) engage them in interactive read-alouds
C) make greater use of technology in the classroom
D) engage them in picture walks

Question 20

Books with repeated words and sentences, rhymes, or other familiar patterns are known as:

A) environmental books
B) decodable books
C) predictable books
D) shared books

Question 21

List three characteristics of fluent readers.

Question 22

Phonics instruction is most appropriate for students in the:

A) readiness reading and writing stage
B) emergent reading and writing stage
C) beginning reading and writing stage
D) fluent reading and writing stage

Question 23

Of the following, the most effective way to encourage shared reading and to involve parents in a child's literacy development is to:

A) establish a classroom word wall
B) include worksheets in a homework packet
C) provide evening phonics classes for parents
D) send home traveling bags of books

Question 24

The educator who coined the term emergent literacy is:

A) Jean Piaget
B) Lev Vygotsky
C) Maria Montessori
D) Marie Clay

Question 25

Being able to name the letters of the alphabet is a good predictor of beginning reading achievement. The most likely explanation for this is that:

A) drill and practice activities lead to reading success
B) a child must be able to name every letter in order to read words
C) children who have been involved in early & rich literacy activities generally know the letters
D) children who can name the letters have strong phonemic awareness

Question 26

The kindergarten teacher observed that her new five-year-old student, Mei, had developed age-appropriate concepts about print. List three behaviors that would indicate that a child had developed concepts about print.

Question 27

Young children's introduction and exposure to written language usually begins:

A) before they come to school
B) when they enter kindergarten
C) when they enter first grade
D) when they meet classmates

Question 28

Give three effective ways in which teachers can help children learn the letters of the alphabet.