Elementary Literacy Curriculum (PAAQ)

The standard for a fourth-grade English language arts class is for students to be able to identify the main idea and supporting details in a text.

Which activity is both multisensory and aligns with the standard?

Students listen to a story read aloud and discuss the main idea and details in small groups, using graphic organizers to illustrate their points.

To apply a multisensory approach to a lesson on distinguishing first-person and third-person narration for fourth graders, which activity would be most effective?

Designate two sections of the classroom as "First Person" and "Third Person" and direct students to the section that represents the point of view of read-aloud excerpts.

To support multisensory learning in a first-grade reading lesson, which additional activity could the teacher introduce after reading a story aloud and displaying the illustrations?

Encourage students to act out scenes from the story using props and costumes.

When teaching fourth graders to identify the main idea and summarize the text of an informational article, which multisensory activity would support this standard?

Creating a poster or concept map to identify and summarize key information in the article

A third-grade teacher is planning a lesson that includes the standard, "Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events."

Which of the following multisensory activities aligns best with RICH (relevancy, inclusiveness, creativity, hands-on) principles and the standard?

Students participate in a role-play activity where they each embody a character from the story, discussing their traits, motivations, and feelings, and acting out key moments that influence the plot.

A first-grade teacher is preparing a reading lesson that will help students identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

Which of the following activities would best align with the standard for key ideas and details in reading at this grade level?

Instructing students to create a timeline of events highlighting the main topic and key details from the text

A teacher is organizing a lesson aimed at helping sixth-grade students evaluate how well an author uses vivid language to set the atmosphere and express feelings in a story or poem.

Which learning standard does this lesson address?

Assess the impact of the author's choice of sensory details and imagery in establishing the emotional landscape and narrative voice.

A first-grade teacher is planning a lesson to help students understand the concept of cause and effect in stories. The teacher will read a short narrative and wants students to identify the causes and effects of events.

Which instructional activity would best align with the standard for recognizing cause and effect relationships at this grade level?

Instructing students to identify why certain events happened in the story and what happened as a result

In order to evaluate the third graders' understanding of character traits and their influence on the story's events, which inquiry should the teacher make during the literacy circle?

"What qualities of the main character can you outline, and how do these qualities determine the unfolding of the plot?"

A student encounters the word "photosynthesis" in a biology textbook.

What would this student do if the student has high lexical quality?

Understand both the pronunciation and the concept it represents.

Which reading comprehension strategy involves connecting what you already know to what you are reading to better understand the text?

Activating prior knowledge

A student is learning to identify the individual sounds in words to improve their reading skills.

Which of the five pillars of literacy instruction is this student focusing on?

Phonics

A teacher explains to students that "c" is followed by "i," "e," or "y" to make the /s/ sound, as in the word "city."

Which aspect of literacy instruction is this teacher addressing?

orthography

A teacher is pointing out the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters in a sentence.

What is the teacher doing?

Developing students’ print awareness

Which activity demonstrates phoneme blending?

combining the sounds /s/, /t/, /o/, /p/ to say the word “stop”

What is an example of phonemic substitution?

Changing the middle sound in the word "sop" to /a/

What should a teacher do when orthographic mapping the word "that"?

Break the word "that" into its individual phonemes.

What role does structured literacy play in supporting struggling readers?

Structured literacy helps struggling readers by breaking down the reading process into manageable components and providing targeted interventions to address specific areas of difficulty

What is phonological awareness?

Phonological awareness is recognizing and manipulating the sounds in spoken language

What role does oral communication play in enhancing overall communication skills?

builds interpersonal skills

Which aspect of digital communication sets it apart from oral and print communication in terms of audience engagement?

Digital communication allows for real-time interaction and feedback across diverse locations.

How does the activity of reading text aloud in a classroom setting support the development of oral language skills in children? 

It leads to improved pronunciation and fluency.

How can educators best facilitate the growth of children's vocabulary in spoken language?

Reinforcing the understanding of new words through their use in diverse contexts

What role do cultural traditions play in shaping literacy development?

Engaging in storytelling fosters a love for reading and writing.

What is a common theme explored in fiction?

Good vs. evil

What is a common topic explored in nonfiction? 

Historical events

What is a common theme explored in poetry?

Love

Which genre often uses figurative language and imagery to evoke emotions and create vivid descriptions?

Poetry

Which genre is primarily concerned with telling a story and developing characters, conflicts, and resolutions?

Fiction

Which genre is commonly used to convey information, persuade readers, or present arguments based on facts and evidence?

Non-fiction

Which text feature is used in nonfiction?

Table of Contents

What is the purpose of narrative text?

To tell a story or recount events

What is the purpose of expository text?

To explain ideas or concepts in a straightforward manner

What is one literary feature of fiction? 

Plot

What is the purpose of argumentative or persuasive text?

To present evidence and reasoning to support a particular point of view and influence the reader's thoughts, beliefs, or actions

What is a literary feature of nonfiction? 

Comparisons

What is an element of fiction?

Plot

Which technique is used in poetry to invoke the senses?

Imagery

Why is critical thinking important when writing an argumentative essay?

It aids the writer in evaluating evidence to support a logical argument.

When reviewing a student's writing, it is observed that the student uses a combination of real and invented spelling, and each word contains a clear beginning, middle, and ending sound.

Which stage of spelling development is this characteristic of?

Semiphonetic spelling

A student's attempt to spell elephant results in elafint, using letters that represent the perceived sounds.

Which stage of spelling does this suggest?

Phonetic Spelling

Which process stage includes refining sentence structure, improving word choice, and checking for grammar errors?

Editing

Why is a thesis statement important?

It outlines the main point or argument of the essay

What is the primary goal of drafting?

To get the writer’s ideas down in a coherent form

Which aspect is often a structure of narrative writing?

The sequence of a plot