TeXes ELAR 4-8 Practice Exam Fall 2023 Questions and
Answers Complete
Domain I—Language Arts, Part I: Oral Language, Early Literacy Development,
Word Identification Skills and Reading Fluency
Competency 001—The teacher understands the importance of oral language,
knows the developmental processes of oral language and provides a variety of
instructional opportunities for students to develop listening and speaking skills.
1. Ms. Woods teaches social studies to a diverse group of students, including
several English-language learners (ELLs). She divides the class into groups of
four to five students. Each student reads and presents the information in a
different excerpt from the textbook to the other group members. Which of the
following is a primary rationale for using the activity?
(a) Discussing expository selections improves ELLs' navigation of nonfiction text
structures
(b) Using prior knowledge helps ELLs make connections to unfamiliar vocabulary
words
(c) Providing a meaningful context increases ELLs' comprehension of academic
language
(d) Requiring the use of multiple registers develops ELLs' application of the
appropriate register choice
Option C is correct because structured small group conversations allow students to
practice using new vocabulary through engaging in authentic interactions with other
students. Option A is incorrect because all students study their own sections of the text,
so they do not have help with the text structures of their excerpts. In addition, focusing
on oral language does not develop knowledge of text structures, which is linked to
reading skills. Option B is incorrect because students are learning new content as they
read their excerpts, so there is no connection to their prior knowledge. Option D is
incorrect because students use a formal register to both read and present the
information.
2. A teacher has students listen to an audio recording of a presidential speech
twice. The first time, students listen and respond to the content. The second time,
students evaluate the tone, inflection and pace of the recording. The primary
purpose of the activity is to help students
(a) understand the verbal skills necessary to speak publicly.
(b) prepare for informal speaking opportunities.
(c) collaborate on improving the message of a speech.
(d) compare different presentation styles for speeches.
Option A is correct because the activity described helps students understand the verbal
techniques that are necessary when speaking publicly. Option B is incorrect because
the students are listening to a formal presidential speech. Option C is incorrect because
students are not collaborating on how to improve the speech; rather, they are
responding to the content and evaluating the delivery of the message. Option D is
,incorrect because students are listening to only one speech and therefore not
comparing speeches.
Which of the following words has five phonemes?
(a) Apple
(b) Stand
(c) Break
(d) Crash
Option B is correct because "stand" has five phonemes s/t/a/n/d. Option A is incorrect
because "apple" has three phonemes a/pp/le. Option C is incorrect because "break" has
four phonemes b/r/ea/k. Option D is incorrect because "crash" has four phonemes
c/r/a/sh. .
Competency 002—The teacher understands the foundations of early literacy
development.
4. To motivate middle school students in language arts, a teacher implements
learning clubs in the classroom. Students have a class meeting on an assigned
topic. They then work in groups to research the topic and reflect on the
information they learn. Finally, they add what they have learned to a blog. The
design of the learning clubs best shows that the teacher understands the
importance of which of the following?
(a) Placing students in groups based on their individual language-arts abilities
(b) Allowing students to research topics that are of personal interest to them
(c) Developing students' literacy skills through multiple language-arts contexts
(d) Providing students with explicit instruction to build their oral-language
proficiency
Option C is correct because learning clubs allow students to meet in groups to discuss,
reflect on and write about research topics, which all help to develop students' literacy
skills. Option A is incorrect because although grouping students according to their
abilities is a useful practice, the scenario does not give enough information about how
the students are grouped to come to this conclusion. Option B is incorrect because the
students are not choosing the topic based on their personal interests; the teacher
assigns the topic. Option D is incorrect because the teacher is not providing explicit
instruction, and oral language is only one component of the activity.
5. Which of the following would best help a teacher evaluate the phonics skills of
beginning readers?
(a) Examining students' handwriting
(b) Assessing students' sight word recall
(c) Timing students as they read orally
(d) Analyzing students' attempted spellings
Option D is correct because students' attempted spellings give the teacher an idea of
how they view words phonetically. Option A is incorrect because students' handwriting
does not reflect their phonetic understanding. Option B is incorrect because sight words
do not usually follow common phonics rules. Option C is incorrect because students
, may have relied on memorizing the words rather than using phonics skills. Timing
students while they read orally best assesses fluency.
Competency 003—The teacher understands the importance of word identification
skills (including decoding, blending, structural analysis and sight word
vocabulary) and reading fluency and provides many opportunities for students to
practice and improve word identification skills and reading fluency.
6. A teacher meets with a small group of students to read a new book.
Throughout the week, the teacher encourages the students to reread the book
several times. Which of the following is a primary purpose of this practice?
(a) Instilling a life-long love of reading
(b) Reinforcing the skill of letter-sound correspondence
(c) Developing critical-thinking skills about story elements
(d) Promoting recognition of high-frequency words
Option D is correct because repetition is a successful strategy for improving sight word
recognition. Option A is incorrect because the focus is to improve rate and accuracy
rather than literary appreciation, which would develop more readily through discussing
the text. Option B is incorrect because repeated reading actually reduces the need to
use one's understanding of letter-sound correspondence to read the text. Option C is
incorrect because comprehension can improve with repeated reading, but the repetition
does not promote critical thinking about the text or story elements.
7. Andre, a middle school student, is struggling to decode unfamiliar multisyllabic
words. The difficulty is affecting his fluency and comprehension. Which of the
following is the most effective instructional strategy to improve Andre's reading
skills?
(a) Using cards containing common morphemes to build and segment words
(b) Engaging in repeated readings of independent-reading-level passages
(c) Participating in peer tutoring to develop sight word recognition
(d) Practicing and presenting an oral reading performance to a class
Option A is correct because Andre's reading skills will improve as he understands
common morphemes or word parts. This understanding will help increase Andre's rapid
word recognition and fluency and lead to improved comprehension. Options B, C and D
are incorrect because although these activities are strategies that help increase fluency,
they do not address Andre's specific struggle with multisyllabic words.
8. A teacher provides students with a list of prefixes, suffixes and their meanings
along with a list of five words, including "predetermined" and "indivisible." The
teacher then asks the students to work with partners to use the two lists to try to
discover the meaning of the words without using a dictionary. The activity will
primarily help students determine the meanings of words through which of the
following?
(a) Contextual clues
(b) Structural analysis
(c) Visualization strategies
(d) Syntactical clues
Answers Complete
Domain I—Language Arts, Part I: Oral Language, Early Literacy Development,
Word Identification Skills and Reading Fluency
Competency 001—The teacher understands the importance of oral language,
knows the developmental processes of oral language and provides a variety of
instructional opportunities for students to develop listening and speaking skills.
1. Ms. Woods teaches social studies to a diverse group of students, including
several English-language learners (ELLs). She divides the class into groups of
four to five students. Each student reads and presents the information in a
different excerpt from the textbook to the other group members. Which of the
following is a primary rationale for using the activity?
(a) Discussing expository selections improves ELLs' navigation of nonfiction text
structures
(b) Using prior knowledge helps ELLs make connections to unfamiliar vocabulary
words
(c) Providing a meaningful context increases ELLs' comprehension of academic
language
(d) Requiring the use of multiple registers develops ELLs' application of the
appropriate register choice
Option C is correct because structured small group conversations allow students to
practice using new vocabulary through engaging in authentic interactions with other
students. Option A is incorrect because all students study their own sections of the text,
so they do not have help with the text structures of their excerpts. In addition, focusing
on oral language does not develop knowledge of text structures, which is linked to
reading skills. Option B is incorrect because students are learning new content as they
read their excerpts, so there is no connection to their prior knowledge. Option D is
incorrect because students use a formal register to both read and present the
information.
2. A teacher has students listen to an audio recording of a presidential speech
twice. The first time, students listen and respond to the content. The second time,
students evaluate the tone, inflection and pace of the recording. The primary
purpose of the activity is to help students
(a) understand the verbal skills necessary to speak publicly.
(b) prepare for informal speaking opportunities.
(c) collaborate on improving the message of a speech.
(d) compare different presentation styles for speeches.
Option A is correct because the activity described helps students understand the verbal
techniques that are necessary when speaking publicly. Option B is incorrect because
the students are listening to a formal presidential speech. Option C is incorrect because
students are not collaborating on how to improve the speech; rather, they are
responding to the content and evaluating the delivery of the message. Option D is
,incorrect because students are listening to only one speech and therefore not
comparing speeches.
Which of the following words has five phonemes?
(a) Apple
(b) Stand
(c) Break
(d) Crash
Option B is correct because "stand" has five phonemes s/t/a/n/d. Option A is incorrect
because "apple" has three phonemes a/pp/le. Option C is incorrect because "break" has
four phonemes b/r/ea/k. Option D is incorrect because "crash" has four phonemes
c/r/a/sh. .
Competency 002—The teacher understands the foundations of early literacy
development.
4. To motivate middle school students in language arts, a teacher implements
learning clubs in the classroom. Students have a class meeting on an assigned
topic. They then work in groups to research the topic and reflect on the
information they learn. Finally, they add what they have learned to a blog. The
design of the learning clubs best shows that the teacher understands the
importance of which of the following?
(a) Placing students in groups based on their individual language-arts abilities
(b) Allowing students to research topics that are of personal interest to them
(c) Developing students' literacy skills through multiple language-arts contexts
(d) Providing students with explicit instruction to build their oral-language
proficiency
Option C is correct because learning clubs allow students to meet in groups to discuss,
reflect on and write about research topics, which all help to develop students' literacy
skills. Option A is incorrect because although grouping students according to their
abilities is a useful practice, the scenario does not give enough information about how
the students are grouped to come to this conclusion. Option B is incorrect because the
students are not choosing the topic based on their personal interests; the teacher
assigns the topic. Option D is incorrect because the teacher is not providing explicit
instruction, and oral language is only one component of the activity.
5. Which of the following would best help a teacher evaluate the phonics skills of
beginning readers?
(a) Examining students' handwriting
(b) Assessing students' sight word recall
(c) Timing students as they read orally
(d) Analyzing students' attempted spellings
Option D is correct because students' attempted spellings give the teacher an idea of
how they view words phonetically. Option A is incorrect because students' handwriting
does not reflect their phonetic understanding. Option B is incorrect because sight words
do not usually follow common phonics rules. Option C is incorrect because students
, may have relied on memorizing the words rather than using phonics skills. Timing
students while they read orally best assesses fluency.
Competency 003—The teacher understands the importance of word identification
skills (including decoding, blending, structural analysis and sight word
vocabulary) and reading fluency and provides many opportunities for students to
practice and improve word identification skills and reading fluency.
6. A teacher meets with a small group of students to read a new book.
Throughout the week, the teacher encourages the students to reread the book
several times. Which of the following is a primary purpose of this practice?
(a) Instilling a life-long love of reading
(b) Reinforcing the skill of letter-sound correspondence
(c) Developing critical-thinking skills about story elements
(d) Promoting recognition of high-frequency words
Option D is correct because repetition is a successful strategy for improving sight word
recognition. Option A is incorrect because the focus is to improve rate and accuracy
rather than literary appreciation, which would develop more readily through discussing
the text. Option B is incorrect because repeated reading actually reduces the need to
use one's understanding of letter-sound correspondence to read the text. Option C is
incorrect because comprehension can improve with repeated reading, but the repetition
does not promote critical thinking about the text or story elements.
7. Andre, a middle school student, is struggling to decode unfamiliar multisyllabic
words. The difficulty is affecting his fluency and comprehension. Which of the
following is the most effective instructional strategy to improve Andre's reading
skills?
(a) Using cards containing common morphemes to build and segment words
(b) Engaging in repeated readings of independent-reading-level passages
(c) Participating in peer tutoring to develop sight word recognition
(d) Practicing and presenting an oral reading performance to a class
Option A is correct because Andre's reading skills will improve as he understands
common morphemes or word parts. This understanding will help increase Andre's rapid
word recognition and fluency and lead to improved comprehension. Options B, C and D
are incorrect because although these activities are strategies that help increase fluency,
they do not address Andre's specific struggle with multisyllabic words.
8. A teacher provides students with a list of prefixes, suffixes and their meanings
along with a list of five words, including "predetermined" and "indivisible." The
teacher then asks the students to work with partners to use the two lists to try to
discover the meaning of the words without using a dictionary. The activity will
primarily help students determine the meanings of words through which of the
following?
(a) Contextual clues
(b) Structural analysis
(c) Visualization strategies
(d) Syntactical clues
