Module 1: PECT

Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences focuses primarily on which of the following aspects of education?

the various ways in which children think and learn

A PreK-4 teacher can best create a culturally inclusive classroom environment for all students by regularly

Encouraging students to share information about their cultures with the class

A kindergarten teacher observes two children playing together. The children are attempting to use blocks and other play materials to build a bridge for their toy cars. The first bridge that they build collapses when they begin to roll the toy cars across it. Which of the following teacher questions would best promote the development of the students’ reasoning and problem-solving skills?

Why do you think the bridge fell over? How can you build the bridge differently?

Children who demonstrate typical language development most often begin using two-word utterances between the ages of:

18 to 24 months

As second-grade students are learning a new science concept, the teacher helps them acquire knowledge and skills they could not develop on their own by using prompts, offering suggestions, providing feedback, and modeling activities. In this situation, which of the following strategies is the teacher primarily using to foster students’ cognitive development?

scaffolding

A prekindergarten teacher wants to establish a classroom environment in which spontaneous play is encouraged and play is recognized and valued as meaningful learning. Which of the following strategies would likely be most effective for the teacher to use to achieve this goal?

ensuring that a variety of materials are available in the classroom for students to try out and explore during playtime

PreK-4 teachers have the goal of being culturally competent educators who use an understanding of diversity among young children to plan developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate instruction that meets the needs of all their students. The most important first step for the teachers to take in acheiving this goal is to:

examine their own cultures and beliefs and their impact on interaction with students

According to convergent research, which of the following factors has been shown to have the greatest effect on a child’s language development?

The amount of verbal input the child receives from caregivers and others

Which of the following is an essential component of a formative assessment?

monitoring and adjusting a teaching strategy during the learning process based on individual student progress

A third-grade teacher develops an assessment for a particular unit prior to writing up the daily lesson plans for the unit. The most important advantage of this approach is that it helps the teacher:

align daily lessons and activies with the targeted learning outcomes

Which of the following assessment practices would be considered ethical?

using ongoing informal assessments of students’ learning to guide the instructional process foruthA

A fourth-grade teacher uses a variety of techniques, including questioning and journal prompts, to check for students’ understanding of content-area instruction. Which of the following outcomes is likely to be the most important benefit of this strategy?

helping the teacher identify areas where students may need additional reinforcement

A kindergarten teacher frequently uses home-school notebooks to communicate with families about their children’s progress. For example, the teacher and the family of one student recently used such a notebook to keep one another informed about the student’s progress in mastering specific self-help skills. This approach is likely to be most effective in prompting which of the following outcomes?

establishing partnerships with families in the assessment of their children’s learning and development

Using spreadsheet software to maintain students’ performance data is likely to provide a teacher with the most support in which of the following areas?

identifying specfic gaps in students’ learning

Which of the following statements best describes a major role of assessment anchors in the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)?

clarifying the standards assessed on the PSSA to support students’ learning of essential skills and knowledge

A fourth-grade class includes a number of students who are English language learners. The teacher is designing a formative assessment to measure students’ understanding of a specific science concept. When developing this assessment, the teacher can use Pennsylvania’s Language Proficiency Standards for English Language Learners PreK-12 (ELPS) most effectively to

help ensure that the language function of the assessment is appropaite for the students’ level of English language proficiency

A student who is an English language learner and qualifies for migrant education services joins a second-grade class partway into the school year. The teacher is preparing to administer a variety of informal assessments to the student. Which of the following teacher goals should be the main focus of these assessments?

identifying any specfic weaknesses in the student’s academic knowledge and skills

A first-grade teacher uses a language experience approach with beginning-level students who are English language learners. A student dictates a story based on personal experience to the teacher, who writes the story verbatim. The teacher then leads the student in various reading and language activities using the dictated text. A primary benefit of this approach is that it helps the student

Make connections between oral and written English

Which of the following accommodations to a content-area reading assignment best provides universal access for all learners?

providing digital textbooks with features such as images, text-to-speech, videos, and modifiable text

A second-grade teacher is reading a story aloud to a class that includes several students who are English language learners. Throughout the reading, the teacher pauses to verify students’ comprehension. The teacher encourages all students to speak and participate in discussions during and after the reading. Which of the following types of feedback from the teacher would provide meaningful English language input to the students who are English language learners during the discussions?

responding to the intent and content of the students’ utterances

A kindergarten teacher works with two students who are English language learners who have no prior exposure to English. She exposes them to natural English in meaningful contexts but does not push them to contribute to the discussion. She allows them to respond to question nonverbally or with one-word answers. The teacher’s actions best demonstrate her awareness that second language learners often:

go through a silent period during which they produce very little oral language

Which of the following characteristics would indicate atypical cognitive development in a four-year-old child?

Having difficulty matching a toy car to a picture of a car

A kindergarten teacher is planning to read aloud a picture book to the class. One of the students in the class has a visual impairment that severely limits vision to within several inches. Which of the following accommodations would best help this student participate in this activity?

provinding an indvidual copy of the book to the student to look at

An IEP annual review meeting has been scheduled for a second-grade student who is currently placed in a general education classroom full-time. Which of the following elements of the review is most likely to be provided by the student’s general education teacher?

A description of the present level of performance the student has achieved

Which of the following statements accurately describes a central principle of the family systems theory?

Individual family members are mutually influenced by and dependent on one another.

In support of a schoolwide initiative to enhance the learning environment for students with disabilities, fourth grade teachers will be participating in regular meetings with special education professionals. The primary focus of these meetings should be to:

Examine the effectiveness of current practices in meeting the needs of students with disabilities and make adjustments as needed.

Federal law allows schools to disclose information in a student’s educational records without parental consent to which of the following individuals?

educators with legitimate educational interest in the student

A new third-grade teacher believes that too much instructional time is being used each day to pass out students’ graded work, so the teacher decides to put graded papers in a basket for students to pick up their own throughout the day. This action is considered inappropiate primarily because it:

infringes on the students’ right to privacy

A kindergarten teacher’s weekly newsletter includes information about community programs and special events that are designed specifically for children. This practice is likely to be most effective in helping the teacher achieve which of the following goals?

connecting families with resources to help promote their children’s learning and development

During a routine parent-teacher conference, a student’s parent confides to the teacher about a recent job loss. The single parent, with an infant and toddler at home, explains that child care, health insurance, and housing are no longer affordable. In this situation, the teacher’s most important priority should be to:

connect the parent to available support services in the community.

Which of the following preconditions is most essential to effective collaboration among a group of teachers with diverse philosophies and teaching styles?

recognizing that they have a common goal of educating the students entrusted to their care

A new teacher regularly writes in a teaching journal. In addition to considering the success of his lessons, the teacher reflects on his interactions with students and on how his thoughts and actions during these interactions were culturally motivated. This strategy best demonstrates the teacher’s awareness of which of the following principles?

Personal values and beliefs can influence a teacher’s communication practices.

A kindergarten teacher who wants to provide a positive social context for learning decides that one way to do this is to ensure educational equity for all students. The teacher can best promote such equity by:

Providing all students with support in meeting high standards of acheivement.

A teacher learns that the district is considering requiring all first-grade students to engage in academic testing that the teacher believes is developmentally inappropriate. In this situation, the teacher can best serve as an advocate for students by taking which of the following actions first?

talking to the school principal about the issue

After reviewing midyear testing data, a fourth-grade teacher is concerned about an increase in achievement differences between groups of students in the class. In attempting to address this issue, the teacher should begin by:

Examining personal attitudes, expectations, and practices regarding learning for all students in the class.

In choosing a professional development activity from among various options, a teacher’s first consideration should be to determine which option is most likely to:

Provide research-based information relevant to current instructional issues or needs.

Teachers have an ethical responsibilty to:

Respond to the needs of all students.

According to privacy rights guidelines, a teacher could appropriately share a student’s school records with which of the following individuals?

a school counselor who believes the student would benefit from participating in upcoming small-group counseling sessions

In a PreK-4 program that practices a philosophy of inclusion for students with disabilities, a fundamental responsibility for teachers is to ensure that students with disabilities:

Are active participants in all class activities

A new teacher’s meeting with an assigned mentor is likely to be most productive if the new teacher:

Prepares for each meeting by identifying particular classroom concerns to discuss.