California Commission on Teacher
1 TSETBUS • ACIR
RICA✦
✦
SUB 1
Credentialing
Reading Instruction Competence Assessment · Subtest 1 Practice
CA CTC
ENSURING EXCELLENCE IN READING INSTRUCTION
RICA — Subtest 1 Practice Examination
P H O N E M I C A W A R E N E SS · CO N C E PTS A B O U T P R I N T · P H O N I CS · S P E L L I N G · F LU E N C Y · W O R D
A N A LYS I S
ORGANIZATION California Commission on Teacher EXAM TYPE RICA Subtest 1 Practice Test
Credentialing (CTC)
ACADEMIC YEAR TOTAL QUESTIONS 25 Questions
SUBJECT AREAS Phonemic Awareness · Phonics · Fluency · FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Spelling · Word Analysis Answer
SUBTEST 1 PR ACTICE INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question based on RICA content specifications for Subtest 1.
▸ Content covers: phonemic awareness (oral blending/segmentation, Elkonin boxes, phoneme substitution), concepts about
print, alphabetic principle, letter recognition/naming, phonics (explicit instruction, diphthongs, digraphs, consonant blends),
spelling development stages, sight words (high-frequency, irregular), structural/morphemic analysis, syllabication,
orthographic rules, and fluency (accuracy, rate, prosody, running records).
▸ Key terms: diphthongs, digraphs, vowel teams, orthographic rules, prosody, automaticity, miscue analysis.
SECTION I — FOUNDATIONAL READING SKILLS & ASSESSMENT Questions 1 – 25
1. What are the primary formats for phonemic awareness instruction?
A. Oral blending and segmentation.
B. Identifying spelling patterns and vowels.
C. Sequencing and classifying.
D. Orthography and word analysis.
CORRECT ANSWER A — Oral blending and segmentation.
RATIONALE The primary formats for phonemic awareness are ORAL BLENDING and SEGMENTATION — manipulating
sounds in spoken words. The lesson substituting /p/ for /s/ in "sit" → "pit" demonstrates SUBSTITUTING AN
INITIAL CONSONANT SOUND. Elkonin boxes with colored tiles provide a KINESTHETIC, hands-on approach for
identifying sounds. A phonemic awareness assessment example is MEDIAL PHONEME SUBSTITUTION.
Concepts about print assessment includes identifying front cover, direction of reading, title, page turning, and
beginning/end of story.
1 TSETBUS • ACIR
RICA✦
✦
SUB 1
Credentialing
Reading Instruction Competence Assessment · Subtest 1 Practice
CA CTC
ENSURING EXCELLENCE IN READING INSTRUCTION
RICA — Subtest 1 Practice Examination
P H O N E M I C A W A R E N E SS · CO N C E PTS A B O U T P R I N T · P H O N I CS · S P E L L I N G · F LU E N C Y · W O R D
A N A LYS I S
ORGANIZATION California Commission on Teacher EXAM TYPE RICA Subtest 1 Practice Test
Credentialing (CTC)
ACADEMIC YEAR TOTAL QUESTIONS 25 Questions
SUBJECT AREAS Phonemic Awareness · Phonics · Fluency · FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Spelling · Word Analysis Answer
SUBTEST 1 PR ACTICE INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question based on RICA content specifications for Subtest 1.
▸ Content covers: phonemic awareness (oral blending/segmentation, Elkonin boxes, phoneme substitution), concepts about
print, alphabetic principle, letter recognition/naming, phonics (explicit instruction, diphthongs, digraphs, consonant blends),
spelling development stages, sight words (high-frequency, irregular), structural/morphemic analysis, syllabication,
orthographic rules, and fluency (accuracy, rate, prosody, running records).
▸ Key terms: diphthongs, digraphs, vowel teams, orthographic rules, prosody, automaticity, miscue analysis.
SECTION I — FOUNDATIONAL READING SKILLS & ASSESSMENT Questions 1 – 25
1. What are the primary formats for phonemic awareness instruction?
A. Oral blending and segmentation.
B. Identifying spelling patterns and vowels.
C. Sequencing and classifying.
D. Orthography and word analysis.
CORRECT ANSWER A — Oral blending and segmentation.
RATIONALE The primary formats for phonemic awareness are ORAL BLENDING and SEGMENTATION — manipulating
sounds in spoken words. The lesson substituting /p/ for /s/ in "sit" → "pit" demonstrates SUBSTITUTING AN
INITIAL CONSONANT SOUND. Elkonin boxes with colored tiles provide a KINESTHETIC, hands-on approach for
identifying sounds. A phonemic awareness assessment example is MEDIAL PHONEME SUBSTITUTION.
Concepts about print assessment includes identifying front cover, direction of reading, title, page turning, and
beginning/end of story.
