Pedagogy: Elemantary (Grades K-6) Subtests 1 and 2 Flashcards
A fifth-grade teacher can promote students’ creativity most effectively by emphasizing which of the following strategies?
A) Using hypothetical scenarios to demonstrate problem-solving techniques
B) Allowing students to choose their own manipulating materials for learning tasks
C) Incorporating several nongraded assignments into each instructional unit
D) Providing students with frequent low-risk opportunities for oral, written, and artistic expression
D) Providing students with frequent low-risk opportunities for oral, written, and artistic expression
There is often significant variation in elementary school students’ social development. Teachers at this level can best respond to this variation by making a practice of:
A) Providing adequate structure and specific guidelines for cooperative learning activities B) Inviting the school counselor to visit the classroom on a regular basis and observe students' interactions C) Planning events, such as holiday celebrations, that provide students with opportunities to practice their social skills D) Assigning students with similar social skills to work together on class activities and projects
A) Providing adequate structure and specific guidelines for cooperative learning activities
A fourth-grade teacher recognizes that students at this age tend to have high levels of energy and benefit from physical activity. The teacher is also aware that fourth graders have a tendency to engage in activities they enjoy to the point of fatigue, which can result in increased frustration levels and bickering with peers. Which of the following approaches would be most responsive to these characteristics?
A) Limiting the amount of time that is devoted to any single activity during the day
B) Alternating quiet tasks, such as journal writing, with more active tasks, such as dramatic activities, throughout the school day
C) Incorporating brief stretch breaks into the daily arrival and dismissal routines
D) Providing an extended period of organized activity, such as music and movement, across the middle of the school day
B) Alternating quiet tasks, such as journal writing, with more active tasks, such as dramatic activities, throughout the school day
An elementary school teacher can best apply Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development in instructional practice by:
A) Using techniques such as think-alouds to model thought processes for students
B) Establishing heterogeneous instructional groups based on students’ interests
C) Organizing instruction in a way that allows students to master content at their own pace.
D) Providing students with regular opportunities to engage in independent thinking
A) Using techniques such as think-alouds to model thought processes for students.
According to information processing theory, young children tend to overestimate what they can remember. With this tendency in mind, a kindergarten teacher would be best advised to emphasize which of the following strategies?
A) Teaching children to repeat aloud things they want to recall
B) Providing children with directions and information both verbally and in writing
C) Helping children learn how to create and use checklists
D) Giving children a limited number of directions or amount of information at one time
D) Giving children a limited number of directions or amount of information at one time
During a mathematics lesson, several students in a sixth-grade class arrive at the same incorrect answer to a sample problem. The teacher can best use their mistake as an opportunity for learning by taking which of the following actions first?
A) Helping students analyze the approach they used in solving the problem to identify the specific area of difficulty
B) Having the students come to the board to solve another similar problem
C) Asking students to come to the board to solve another similar problem
D) Asking the students to explain which part of the problem-solving process they are having difficulty understanding
A) Helping students analyze the approach they used in solving the problem to identify the specific area of difficulty
Which of the following strategies would best support elementary school students in developing a sense of self-efficacy with regard to their learning?
A) Defining for each student a program of individualized learning goals
B) Providing students with initial learning tasks they can complete successfully before gradually increasing the difficulty and complexity
C) Using frequent assessments to evaluate students’ progress and learning
D) Offering immediate verbal praise to students when they achieve the desired outcomes on learning tasks
B) Providing students with initial learning tasks they can complete successfully before gradually increasing the difficulty and complexity
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
A fifth-grade teacher makes it a priority to integrate research skills into content-area instruction whenever possible. In most cases, the students self-select research topics and the teacher has them complete a planning sheet at the beginning of their research. On the planning sheet, the students must describe the question(s) that will be the focus of their research, the types of resources they are likely to need, and the steps they plan to take to complete the assignment.
The planning sheet strategy is likely to promote students’ independence primarily by:
A) Assisting them in developing effective time management skills
B) Prompting them to take responsibility for shaping their own learning tasks
C) Holding them accountable for meeting established goals and deadlines
D) Encouraging them to challenge themselves in their learning
B) Prompting them to take responsibility for shaping their own learning tasks
Sixth-grade teachers observe that a number of English language learners are able to converse relatively fluently in English with teachers and peers, but these same students are struggling to learn important concepts in social studies and science. Which of the following statements provides the most likely explanation for this situation?
A) English language learners typically require extensive repetition and drill to master academic-language skills
B) It takes longer for English language learners to gain proficiency in academic-language skills than it does for them to become proficient in interpersonal communication skills
C) The English language learners have not had enough formal instruction in the structure of the English language
D) The memory strategies the English language learners developed to master academic content in their first language do not transfer effectively to English.
B) It takes longer for English language learners to gain proficiency in academic-language skills than it does for them to become proficient in interpersonal communication skills
Which of the following types of assistive technology would be most helpful to a student who has a specific disability that affects the student’s ability to process printed words?
A) Reading pen
B) Word prediction software
C) Picture board
D) Personal information manager
A) Reading pen
A first-grade teacher regularly incorporates literature into instruction. The teacher makes it a priority to select well-written literature that accurately reflects and presents a positive image of the various cultures represented by the students in the class. This practice is likely to benefit students at this age level most by:
A) Making the concept of culture more concrete
B) Encouraging them to interact with a wider range of peers
C) Creating a classroom climate of mutual respect
D) Helping them strengthen their own cultural identities
D) Helping them strengthen their own cultural identities
A new second-grade teacher has a tendency to select lesson activities that are beyond students’ cognitive levels. Over time, this tendency can be expected to have which of the following effects on students’ learning?
A) Reducing students off-task behaviors since challenging tasks require more focused attention
B) Prompting students’ use of collaboration as a way to complete challenging tasks successfully
C) Diminishing students’ motivation to participate actively since there is limited chance for success
D) Encouraging students to hold appropriately high expectations for their own achievement
C) Diminishing students’ motivation to participate actively since there is limited chance for success
Which of the following strategies is likely to be most effective in establishing a positive classroom climate that promotes students’ self-esteem?
A) Displaying work from every student as evidence of their efforts and accomplishments
B) Posting inspirational posters that encourage students to strive for excellence in their work
C) Recognizing each week the students who were the highest achievers in each content area
D) Sending students to the principal’s office when they perform or behave in an exemplary way
A) Displaying work from every student as evidence of their efforts and accomplishments
After recess each day, a fourth-grade teacher has students engage in a quiet activity, such as journaling or drawing, for ten minutes. During this time, students get up in groups by table to get drinks of water and the teacher distributes materials or handouts for the next activity. The most important benefit of this routine is that it:
A) Sends a message that the teacher is in charge of the classroom
B) Enables the teacher to prepare for the upcoming lesson
C) Makes efficient and productive use of the transition period
D) Reinforces expectations for appropriate indoor behavior
C) Makes efficient and productive use of the transition period
Elementary school teachers can best ensure that classroom space is organized in a way that will promote students’ learning and engagement by considering which of the following questions first:
A) Will this organization continue to be effective throughout the school year?
B) Does each area of the room serve a clear and functional purpose?
C) Is this organization likely to have a positive effect on students’ behavior?
D) Do students have a clear view of one another from each area of the room?
B) Does each area of the room serve a clear and functional purpose?
Use the information below to answer the question that follows:
A first-grade teacher is planning to introduce students to gardening. The teacher has secured permission from the principal to have students plant and maintain a small vegetable and flower garden on school grounds. The teacher plans to use the garden as a learning lab for various activities throughout the year.
Early in the project, the students are planting seeds in the garden. The teacher has assigned small groups of students separate areas of the garden plot in which to plant seeds. The teacher’s first direction to the groups is to plant the seeds in three rows. Almost immediately, the teacher discovers that the concept of rows is not familiar to all students. The teacher can enhance students’ understanding of this concept most effectively by taking which of the following steps?
A) Creating a large diagram of the rows in the garden soil
B) Guiding the students themselves to line up in rows according to their groups
C) Describing for students the features of garden rows (e.g., straight, equal distance apart)
D) Asking students to think about a classroom in the school where the desks are in rows.
A) Creating a large diagram of the rows in the garden soil
Which of the following strategies by an elementary school teacher best demonstrates the teacher’s understanding of the role of language in learning?
A) Supplying a variety of word games that students can play when they have finished their work
B) Modeling for students the use of self-talk when solving challenging problems
C) Having students maintain bulletin board displays of vocabulary organized by content area
D) Providing students with immediate corrective feedback on spoken grammar errors
B) Modeling for students the use of self-talk when solving challenging problems
Elementary school teachers can best facilitate open and effective communication with all students by emphasizing which of the following strategies?
A) Placing their hands on students’ shoulders and maintaining eye contact when talking with them
B) Giving students their full attention and using positive nonverbal indicators
C) Encouraging students to address them by an informal version of their full name, such as “Ms. B”
D) Complimenting students on their appearance during informal conversations
B) Giving students their full attention and using positive nonverbal indicators
As students enter the classroom one morning, they see a large paper heart on the board. The teacher reads students a brief story in which a young person experiences a number of negative comments, or “put-downs.” At each “put-down,” the teacher tears off a piece of the heart. By the end of the story, the heart is in shreds. Then the teacher posts another heart and reads the same story, substituting positive comments, or “put-ups,” in place of the “put-downs.” For each “put-up,” the teacher places a large star on the heart. After the stories, the teacher leads students in a discussion of the feelings associated with “put-downs” and “put-ups” and helps the students make a list of “put-ups” to use when they are tempted to make an unkind comment. This activity is likely to be most useful in achieving which of the following outcomes?
A) Reducing the number of disagreements between students
B) Encouraging students to broaden their circle of friends
C) Prompting students to increase overt displays of empathy
D) Helping foster sensitive communication among students
D) Helping foster sensitive communication among students
Teacher observation would be the most appropriate and effective method for assessing elementary school students’ development in which of the following areas?
A) Metacognition
B) Self-esteem
C) Concept understanding
D) Collaboration
D) Collaboration
A fourth-grade teacher has every student keep a portfolio that includes examples of his or her work over a period of time. The teacher’s best use of these portfolios is to:
A) Provide sufficient evidence to ensure that students’ grades are fair and objective
B) Guide individual students in identifying appropriate learning goals
C) Enhance students’ understanding of the relationship between assessment and learning
D) Give students an opportunity to compare their work with that of their peers.
B) Guide individual students in identifying appropriate learning goals
A sixth-grade science teacher creates a spreadsheet file at the beginning of the school year in which to record students’ scores on homework assignments, projects, and tests. The most important benefit of using spreadsheet software to maintain these records is to facilitate the teacher’s ability to:
A) Make reliable predictions about students’ future performance in science
B) Identify trends in the performance of individual or small groups of students
C) Document the effectiveness of specific strategies in helping students learn science
D) Keep students’ parents/guardians informed about their children’s achievement
B) Identify trends in the performance of individual or small groups of students
Use the information below to answer the question that follows:
Students in a fourth-grade class are learning about theater as an art form. The teacher intends to have students work in small groups to prepare and present a theatrical performance of a popular children’s book, complete with props and costumes, to students in kindergarten and first-grade classes. At the beginning of the project, the teacher arranges for students to attend a play presented by a local children’s theater company.
The teacher makes video recordings of rehearsals and student discussions throughout the project and then analyzes the recordings with students. This approach is likely to enhance students’ abilities most in which of the following areas?
A) Identifying their individual learning preferences and intelligences
B) Recognizing the potential positive and negative effects of their actions on others
C) Applying reflective thinking to understand the perspectives of others
D) Using self-assessment to evaluate their progress and set goals for improvement
D) Using self-assessment to evaluate their progress and set goals for improvement
Following a revision to state learning standards, teachers are meeting to review the changes. Two teachers observe that additional standards have been added in some areas and express concern about how to teach all of the standards in the available instructional time. Which of the following planning strategies would be most effective in addressing this concern?
A) Identifying standards in several content areas that can be addressed in a single multidisciplinary unit
B) Delegating responsibility for providing instruction on some standards to specialist teachers
C) Creating a prioritized list of standards for each content area to guide lesson development
D) Eliminating subjects such as fine arts to provide more instructional time to teach the standards
A) Identifying standards in several content areas that can be addressed in a single multidisciplinary unit
