Special ED Online Practice Test

Question 1

Daniel’s IEP states that he is to have a one-to-one paraprofessional with him during the entire school day. Due to district-wide personnel shortages, Daniel’s school has had difficulty arranging substitute teachers to replace absent faculty. Today, the paraprofessional who works with Daniel was removed from Daniel’s math class to supervise a group of children for whom a substitute teacher was not available. What is the special education teacher’s most appropriate first response in this situation?

Answer 1

discussing alternatives with the school principal that will allow the implementation of Daniel’s IEP

Resources and services outlined in a student’s IEP must be met and are mandated by law. In this scenario, while unanticipated situations (e.g., personnel absences, schedule changes) may arise, the school cannot create a policy that results in the denial of special education services or accommodations. The special education teacher’s first response should be to meet with the principal or building leader to advocate for the student. In situations such as this, temporary solutions and procedures can be developed collaboratively between school staff, with the principal’s support, that will not create a compliance issue.

Question 2

Isabella is a third-grade student with a learning disability in reading comprehension. Her parents have asked the special education teacher how Isabella’s standardized test scores compare to those of the other students in the school who are similiarly identified with a learning disability. Which policy prohibits the special education teacher from providing this information?

Answer 2

the guidelines of FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) states that confidentiality must be maintained in all educational interactions with students, family/caregivers, colleagues, and community members. In this scenario, all student individualized assessment information gathered as part of the comprehensive evaluation process for special education eligibilty is protected as “confidential” information. The special education teacher is required to see that individual student information is secure.

Question 3

Which of the following is the primary benefit of routines-based interventions within a child’s natural environment?

Answer 3

The intervention can be integrated into natural activities without disrupting the flow of what a child is doing and learning.

Early intervention is typically provided in a child’s home or a natural setting. Providing services in this way offers valuable opportunities to observe and learn about children’s routines and activities. A special education teacher can support development in everyday settings, enhancing a child’s daily functioning at home and in the community.

Question 4

Mateo began receiving early intervention services when he was one year old after he was identified as having moderate physical and language developmental delays. Mateo recently celebrated his second birthday. The service coordinator explained to the family that it was time to begin thinking about Mateo’s transition from the early intervention program to preschool special education services. Which of the following steps should the service coordinator include as part of a transition outcome plan for Mateo?

Answer 4

discussing with Mateo’s family priorities and expectations to support them through this transition

A well-planned transition should start early and involve the family as a partner on the transition team. In order to actively prepare for the transition meeting, early intervention program coordinators should begin by asking the family about their preferences and needs. Parents/guardians have much to offer and much to gain from active participation in their child’s transition. Families should be encouraged to share valuable information and work with the transition team to make decisions.

Question 5

When considering which environment is best for providing services for a young child with disabilities on an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), it is important to:

Answer 5

determine which goals can best be addressed through the child’s typical routines and activities.

An IFSP approach involves the whole family in developing and implementing a plan to address early intervention services in the child’s “natural environment.” An IFSP is developed based on a comprehensive assessment of the child’s needs as well as the needs and concerns of the family. Most visits will take place within the home, although a childcare setting, preschool, or early education program that also enrolls children without disabilities can be considered the child’s “natural environment.”

Question 6

A 4-year-old child who has moderate developmental delays has been enrolled in a special education preschool program. The child will be transitioning to kindergarten in the next school year. Which of the following actions by the child’s preschool Individualized Education Program (IEP) team and the kindergarten IEP team would be likely to contribute most to a successful transition for the student?

Answer 6

maintaining ongoing contact with the student’s family before and after the student begins kindergarten

Transitions in schools can be difficult for both the student and the parents/guardians/family. Encouraging and maintaining positive relationships between the student, family, and teacher(s) is fundamental in creating a supportive learning environment. The transition plan that is developed by the preschool IEP team and the kindergarten IEP team should address the opportunity for the student and the family to continue communicating to facilitate the child’s successful entry into kindergarten.

Question 7

What should special education teachers keep in mind when conducting language-development evaluations for children from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds?

Answer 7

Children from diverse backgrounds might assign different meaning and importance to words presented during language assessments.

Teachers need to look at the meaning and importance that a child might assign to the material based on the cultural background of the child before looking at a learning-disorder diagnosis. It could be that the words presented do not hold importance in the child’s culture, or that the teachers are evaluating children’s language based on their own cultural background and bias.

Question 8

A five-year-old child in a prekindergarten class is reluctant to attempt new tasks, repeatedly telling the teacher she “can’t do it” and asking the teacher to “do it for me.” Which of the following responses by the teacher would likely be most effective for helping the child develop an attitude of greater self-confidence and motivation to learn?

Answer 8

praising the child’s effort, persistence, and ability when she is successful at a task she finds challenging

Children who demonstrate learned helplessness expect not to be able to control outcomes. They typically attribute their failures to lack of ability and their successes to external factors (e.g., to luck). Researchers have recommended helping such children alter both their ability attributions (e.g., by telling them, “This is a lot like when you did . You can do this.”) and their effort attributions (e.g., by telling them, “Keep trying, don’t give up.”). Research further suggests that encouraging children to focus on learning instead of on showing how well they can perform can be an effective teaching strategy.

Question 9

A middle school special education teacher and a general education teacher are co-teaching an eighth-grade mathematics class. Both teachers have participated in professional development designed to address the district implementation of the inclusion model. The teachers’ approach has been to have the special education teacher work with students receiving special education in a separate area of the room during each class period. Which of the following statements indicates the likely outcome of this approach?

Answer 9

All students may view the special education teacher as a teacher’s assistant.

Co-teaching is a partnership in which regular and special education teachers work to provide support to all students in the classroom. Students with disabilities and regular education students are placed in an inclusive classroom setting where academic diversity is embraced and state curriculum is supported for all students. Students in the inclusive setting are not isolated or segregated from the regular education instruction based on their disability; instead, the co-teaching team integrates differentiated approaches for all students

Question 10

Which of the following is the most likely outcome for a middle school student who struggles with reading and never received appropriate literacy support in elementary school?

Answer 10

Low-skill employment opportunities may be the primary option for the student.

The consequences of illiteracy are many and harmful. Career opportunities are limited. Employment in skilled and often higher paying jobs is impossible. Research consistently concludes that while literacy is not the sole projector of success, without it success is significantly more difficult.

Question 11

A special education teacher co-teaches in a sixth-grade general education math class that includes several students with lEPs. The teachers would like to identify which content standards have been mastered and to determine areas where additional instruction might be needed. Which of the following assessment types would be most appropriate for this purpose?

Answer 11

benchmark assessment

Benchmark assessments are given periodically throughout a school year to establish baseline achievement data and measure progress toward a standard or set of academic standards and goals. They provide teachers with information about which content standards have been mastered. Benchmark assessment tools such as curriculum-based measurement (CBM) are particularly well-suited for this purpose because they measure skills across a domain —reflecting overall competence in the year-long curriculum—and because they are sensitive to small increments of change

Question 12

A special education teacher wants to monitor the progress of a group of fourth-grade students who receive intensive literacy interventions within a multi-tiered system of supports. Which of the following assessments would be an appropriate choice for this purpose?

Answer 12

curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in reading

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in reading, such as oral reading fluency probes, is ideal for monitoring student progress and responsiveness to intervention. CBM can be given frequently, takes little time to administer, is sensitive to reading growth, and is well correlated with reading comprehension tests. Oral reading fluency probes use the number of words read correctly (WRC) to paint a picture of a student’s reading proficiency over time.

Question 13

An early-childhood special education teacher is screening bilingual kindergartners for possible language delays. In order to determine the language of dominance, the teacher should use which of the following?

Answer 13

parent/guardian surveys to determine degree of language exposure outside of school

Prior to assessing a bilingual child to screen for possible language delays, as much information as possible should be gathered about the child’s language experiences. That information would include the language(s) spoken in the home and by whom, at what age the child was introduced to the second language, whether or not the child watches television in English or another language and how often, and language programming of any preschool experiences (ESL, dual language, bilingual, etc.). Family interviews or surveys would provide the best source for this information

Question 14

Ms. Jackson teaches in a resource room science class to middle school students with disabilities. Some of her students read at grade level and some read below grade level. Ms. Jackson would like to incorporate universal design for learning (UDL) in her assessment practices. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective way for Ms. Jackson to assess her students’ knowledge of the latest science unit?

Answer 14

allowing students to choose from a list of projects that use various modalities

UDL focuses on making instruction and assessment accessible to all students. By providing students with a choice of final projects that require various modalities, Ms. Jackson will enable students to demonstrate their learning using their preferred learning style and strengths.

Question 15

A special education teacher supports a group of students with learning disabilities who are included in a seventh-grade science class. A number of these students are also English language learners. The teacher is designing a formative assessment to measure the students’ understanding of core science concepts. Which of the following steps should the teacher take to reduce linguistic bias when developing this assessment?

Answer 15

ensuring that the language used in the assessment is appropriate for the students’ level of English language proficiency

When testing ELL students, teachers should determine what needs to be measured, and ensure the test does so while taking into account the English level of those being tested. Special educators who work with ELLs should consult the Pennsylvania English Language Proficiency Standards and review individual students’ most recent scores on the ACCESS for ELLs assessment when planning instruction or assessment that is appropriate for the students’ level of English language proficiency.

Question 16

At the beginning of the school year, a third-grade student scored below the benchmark on the universal screening assessment for reading fluency. Her teacher began collecting weekly

progress monitoring data, which is shown in the graph below. After nine weeks, the school support team recommended Tier 2 interventions, which the student has been receiving for the last seven weeks. Next week, the support team will meet again to review the student’s progress monitoring data. Which of the following recommendations will the support team most likely make based on the data provided?

Tier 1, 2, or 3?

Answer 16

continuing Tier 2 interventions

Progress monitoring data indicates that while Samantha’s performance level is currently below benchmark, she is making adequate progress in her Tier 2 placement and should continue there until several data points are either above the goal line or her progress stalls.

Question 17

Kim is a fifth-grade student with an intellectual disability who receives the majority of his academic instruction in the general education classroom. The IEP team is conducting an annual review. Members in attendance include Kim’s father, the building principal, the special education teacher, and the general education teacher. Which of the following contributions to the development of the IEP is primarily the responsibility of the general education teacher?

Answer 17

translating state academic standards into specific objectives to be taught in the classroom

General education teachers are an integral part of the IEP team. Their knowledge about general education content, the pace of instruction, and state testing standards provides a unique and valuable perspective in developing a strong IEP for a student with special needs. The input of this teacher, in conjunction with his or her collaboration with special education personnel, can help to ensure that the student participates in the general education curriculum in a meaningful way.

Question 18

Members of a multidisciplinary team are conducting an annual review of an IEP for a seventh-grade student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). When writing goals for the student, which of the following steps must the team take first?

Answer 18

reviewing present performance

When conducting an annual review of a student’s IEP, the team will begin by reviewing the student’s present levels of academic and functional performance, as demonstrated by the level of mastery on current IEP goals. This information will help the team describe how the student is currently doing in school, identify strengths and needs, and form the basis for revising existing goals and writing new ones. Knowing how the student is currently performing in school will help the team develop annual goals to address those areas where the student has an identified educational need.

Question 19

Kara is a sixth-grade student who has a learning disability that affects her reading comprehension and fluency. In the general education language arts classroom, Kara’s teacher has noted that Kara gets frustrated easily when she does not understand what she is reading. Which of the following strategies should the special education teacher use first to improve Kara’s comprehension skills?

Answer 19

teaching Kara to use a graphic organizer to identify key concepts from the text

One specific reseach-based strategy that would support Kara’s text comprehension would be to teach her how and when to use a graphic organizer designed specifically for comprehension. Including visual supports to identify, organize, and record key concepts and relevant information helps the learner to connect with text and understand the material. Teaching specific, research- and evidence-based comprehension strategies empowers students to monitor their own comprehension and apply fix-up strategies when needed, and enhances their ability to self-regulate their learning—a skill that will promote long-term success.

Question 20

Mina is an eighth-grade student with a learning disability who is included in general education classes. She reads and comprehends text at the fifth-grade level, and has attained this year-end benchmark on her current IEP. Recent scores on the state assessment in English language arts place her below basic level. To make effective progress in the eighth-grade general curriculum, Mina needs to read and comprehend literature and informational texts at the high end of the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. Which of the following annual goals would be most appropriate to include next in Mina’s IEP?

Answer 20

Given reading passages at the seventh-grade level, Mina will orally read 150 or more words per minute with at least 90% accuracy in four of five opportunities.

A student who meets the end-of-year sixth-grade benchmark in oral reading fluency would already read at least 140 words per minute. A reasonable annual rate of growth in oral reading is two grade levels when research-based interventions are provided. IEP goals should be based on present levels of performance and be aligned with grade-level Pennsylvania Academic Standards.

Question 21

Mario is a first-grade student who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and uses braces to help him walk. The classroom teacher asks the special education teacher for advice on the most appropriate way for Mario to participate in recess activities. The special education teacher should recommend that Mario:

Answer 21

interact with other students during recess through playing a game such as walking tag and swinging on swings.

The goals of recess include incorporating an unstructured play time into an otherwise-structured school day and promoting physical recreation and peer-focused social development. Activities such as playing a game of walking tag and swinging on swings are in line with these goals because they promote Mario’s social interactions with peers while he engages in developmental^ appropriate recess activities in which he can participate safely.

Question 22

A special education teacher is developing a plan to maximize opportunities for his students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to interact positively with their peers in the general education setting. In creating this plan, it is important for the special education teacher to understand that:

Answer 22

peer-to-peer interactions should be structured and facilitated to build reciprocal relationships.

One of the characteristics of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is difficulty developing social relationships and communicating with others. Research has shown that communication skills can be developed and interpersonal skills subsequently taught in order to improve the social skills and relationships of individuals with ASD. These skills must be scaffolded and taught in context and in structured settings for them to generally be successful. Students and individuals with ASD can develop reciprocal relationships and participate in social settings when these skills are taught and practiced.

Question 23

Hanna is a sixth-grade student who exhibits a range of disruptive behaviors in the classroom. The special education teacher is gathering data as part of a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) for Hanna. Based on the completed antecedent-behavior-consequence (A-B-C) log shown, which of the following behavioral interventions would best address the function(s) of Hanna’s problem behaviors?

Answer 23

ignoring Hanna’s problem behaviors and providing noncontingent attention

Based on the A-B-C analysis, the function of Hanna’s behavior is to obtain peer and teacher attention. Attention-seeking behavior should be addressed by ignoring the problem behaviors (withdrawing attention) while at the same time providing positive attention to the student at regular intervals.

Question 24

Eric is a second grader who has a behavior support plan in place to address noncompliance. Results of an FBA indicated that Eric fails to follow teacher and adult directives in order to avoid tasks he doesn’t like. During class, the special education teacher approaches Eric, asks him to “give me five,” “touch your nose,” and “clap your hands” before asking him to take out his math book. Which of the following behavioral intervention strategies is the teacher using?

Answer 24

high-probability requests

A high-probability request sequence is an intervention in which a set of simple requests that the child is usually willing to complete is delivered immediately prior to a request that typically would result in challenging behavior by the child. This intervention strategy can be implemented to increase children’s participation in activities and reduce escape-motivated challenging behavior. Responding to a sequence of high-probability requests increases the likelihood that the child will respond to a low-probability request.

Question 25

A four-year-old child with ASD uses gestures and vocalizations to communicate his wants and needs, but has not begun to use objects or symbols with communicative intent. The early- childhood special education teacher wants to teach the child to use a visual communication device. As part of the lesson plan, the teacher prepared picture cards to represent the student’s favorite toys. Which of the following steps should the special educator take first to teach the student how to use the communication device?

Answer 25

placing the student’s favorite toy in front of him but out of reach, and when he indicates his desire to have the toy, taking his hand and pointing to the corresponding picture, saying the name of the toy, and then providing the toy

Using visual communication devices, expressive communication skills are targeted through the training of requests and, later, comments. This begins by teaching the student to exchange a picture of a desired item with a facilitator, who immediately honors the request. If the student wants food, the facilitator moves the student’s hand to point to the appropriate picture, says the word, and gives the student the food. In order to encourage a student’s spontaneous communicative intent and avoid prompt dependency, verbal prompts are not used during the first stages of the training process. The instruction progresses through discrete trials from the initial stage of requesting (one picture, one object or activity) through choicemaking (multiple pictures, multiple objects or activities), and eventually to stringing together several pictures into a rudimentary syntax (“I want cookie please”) and making responsive and spontaneous comments

Question 26

Peter is a sixth-grade student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He struggles with interpreting nonverbal cues and has difficulty initiating and maintaining interactions with peers. The IEP team has identified as a goal for Peter to increase the frequency and length of his social interactions with peers. Which of the following teaching strategies would provide Peter with social skills instruction that is direct, systematic, and explicit?

Answer 26

implementing video modeling strategies to teach target behaviors, including video self-modeling and video prompting

Video modeling is an intervention technique often used for explicit social skills training that involves participants watching a video of someone modeling a desired behavior and then imitating the behavior of the person in the video. In video self-modeling (VSM), students are videotaped successfully performing behaviors and then watch those videos as models. Video prompting includes visual or verbal prompts or cues for the target behavior(s), which are added to the video to scaffold student learning and can be removed as the student develops proficiency.

Question 27

The special education teacher is providing explicit instruction in solving algebraic equations to a small group of seventh-grade students with learning disabilities, including Marc, an English language learner whose English proficiency was assessed at Level 3-Developing. Which of the following instructional strategies is most likely to align with Pennsylvania’s English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) to support Marc’s language development?

Answer 27

modeling for students how to explain their solution and the strategies used to a peer during independent practice

The five language proficiency levels described by Pennsylvania’s English Language Proficiency Standards for English language learners outline the stages of language acquisition and inform instructional planning for ELL students attending schools in the state of Pennsylvania, including ELLs with disabilities. Students at Level 3, or “Developing” are able to use and produce familiar and academic language with minimal errors and benefit from opportunities to use complex and content-specific vocabulary in oral and written language. Discussing the steps used to solve a mathematical problem to a peer supports the communication skills of ELL students at an intermediate level of language proficiency.

Question 28

Which of the following instructional practices would best support vocabulary development and enhance comprehension for students with disabilities?

Answer 28

presenting a description, an explanation, and an example of the new word in context, along with a nonlinguistic representation

An extensive, active vocabulary bank, which includes words a person uses frequently and comfortably in speaking and writing, helps students comprehend the words when encountered in print. Reading vocabulary grows out of oral-language proficiency. One strategy for increasing active vocabulary is to determine what students already know or think they know; integrate direct experiences, stories, pictures, or computer images; and create pictures about the word.

Question 29

Five-year-old Silvio, a student with spina bifida, will be attending a general education preschool class in the upcoming year. Silvio uses a power wheelchair, which he propels independently.
Which of the following issues would be especially important for Silvio's preschool teacher to be aware of in order to promote Silvio's health and physical well-being in the classroom?

Answer 29

ensuring that Silvio’s pressure relief regimen is followed everyday without fail

For individuals with spinal cord injuries, pressure relief is important to prevent skin breakdown due to constant pressure on one area. Pressure relief is necessary every 15-30 minutes. A student may be able to participate independently in pressure relief using vertical pushups, forward leans, lateral bends, and shifts. A teacher or paraprofessional may be needed to tilt the wheelchair backwards to allow for a shift of weight for a short time for pressure relief.

Question 30

Kendall is 11 years old and has a moderate intellectual disability associated with Down syndrome. She is in a general education sixth-grade class and is supported by a paraprofessional

throughout the day. At the most recent Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting, Kendall’s parents explained they are happy with Kendall’s placement but would like to see her become more involved with social and leisure activities. Which of the following steps should the special education teacher take first in support of this goal?

Answer 30

giving Kendall a choice of two appropriate after-school activities that support her interests

Research shows that students with intellectual disabilities often struggle finding activities in which to participate outside of the school day. Many times students would like to participate in after-school programs but are unable to express their interest or to know what activities might be of interest to them. Asking Kendall what she likes to do after school may result in an answer of “I don’t know.” Giving Kendall two options of activities to choose from and describing the activities in each to allow her to make her own choice would be the best approach in this scenario. Collaboration between teachers, after-school or extra-curricular staff, and the parents to facilitate inclusion can be an additional step to create a culture of acceptance.

Question 31

Keith is a kindergarten student with developmental delays in language and motor development. The special education teacher has completed Keith’s basic reading inventory and determined that he has a weakness in phonemic awareness. Which of the following literacy strategies should Keith’s teacher use first to develop phonemic awareness?

Answer 31

reading aloud and singing nursery rhymes and poems with the class while focusing on alliterations and rhyming words

Rhyming is a component of phonemic awareness. Poems and rhymes are often used to show similarities between words and establish sound patterns. Utilizing nursery rhymes during a whole-group read-aloud allows the students to discriminate phonemes in isolation and expand their knowledge of words with the same initial sounds (alliterations) and words with the same ending sounds (rhyming words).

Question 32

Which of the following students is demonstrating characteristics most often associated with a pragmatic language disorder?

Answer 32

a fourth-grade student who has difficulty understanding conversational turn taking

A student with a pragmatic language disorder will have difficulty with the social aspects of language. One example of a social aspect of language is understanding the rules of conversation.

Question 33

A first-grade student with a mild intellectual disability is able to blend and segment phonemes in spoken words and can recognize most letters by name. However, the student does not understand that the letters in written words correspond to the sounds in spoken language. Which of the following steps should the special education teacher take first to improve the student’s reading skills?

Answer 33

introducing letter-sound correspondences for several consonants and short vowels

The alphabetic principle is the understanding that, in written English, words are composed of patterns of letters that represent the sounds of spoken English words. Most children with reading difficulties benefit from organized instruction that centers on sounds, letters, and the relations between sounds and letters. Even when students can segment and blend, before learning to sound out words they must be able to automatically identify some letter-sounds in isolation. For example, Carnine and colleagues (2004) recommend that at least six to eight letter-sound correspondences, including one or two vowels, be taught prior to the introduction of sounding out words.

Question 34

Carter is a fifth-grade student who has been diagnosed with a specific learning disability in written expression. His science teacher requires journal writing to demonstrate understanding of concepts and ideas. Carter’s journal entries are usually one or two sentences that do not demonstrate a complete understanding. Which of the following instructional strategies would be most helpful to Carter?

Answer 34

teaching Carter how to use a graphic organizer to guide his thinking and assist with writing

Students with specific learning disabilities in written expression often struggle to communicate through writing. Therefore, they can benefit from writing instruction that helps them organize their thoughts. Graphic organizers foster organization and assist students with writing, as the content is provided in a visual form, which helps them to make connections between ideas. These connections help students with learning disabilities to be able to write better sentences with more content. Note taking can be extremely difficult for these students and graphic organizers allow for a simpler task, but still provide the necessary information.

Question 35

Several students with disabilities in a seventh-grade language arts class have been struggling with text comprehension, especially related to content-specific vocabulary. The special education teacher would like to enhance vocabulary instruction for these students. Which of the following components should the special education teacher include in developing students’ vocabulary knowledge?

Answer 35

modeling for students the process to complete a concept definition map for key terms as they read

A concept definition map prompts students to take a key term, concept, or reading selection and uncover its component ideas, and show their structure and interrelatedness. A concept definition map also allows students to place information in logical categories, to identify defining properties and characteristics, and to offer examples (and nonexamples) of ideas. This strategy is especially useful for analyzing content-rich reading selections. While general academic vocabulary crosses content areas and usually involves teaching new labels for familiar concepts, teaching content-specific vocabulary often requires that students comprehend new concepts.

Question 36

A special education teacher is providing intensive interventions for a small group of fourth-grade students whose assessment results indicate a need for explicit, systematic reading comprehension strategy instruction. The teacher begins by teaching students the strategy of predicting what will happen next in a text. After verbally describing the strategy, which of the following activities should the teacher use next to introduce students to using the strategy?

Answer 36

modeling for students how to use the strategy with multiple examples using a “think-aloud” and an interactive whiteboard

Research shows that explicit teaching techniques are particularly effective for comprehension-strategy instruction. In explicit instruction, teachers tell readers why and when they should use strategies, what strategies to use, and how to apply them. The steps of explicit instruction typically include teacher modeling using a “think-aloud,” guided practice, and application.

Question 37

In which of the following activities could a special education teacher most effectively integrate reading and writing instruction for students with learning disabilities?

Answer 37

Genre study

One of the most effective ways to use the relationship between reading and writing to foster literacy development is by immersing students in a specific genre. Students can study a particular genre from both reading and writing perspectives. First, they can read and discuss works from a specific genre, focusing on characteristics of the genre. Once they’ve studied the genre through reading, they can be given the opportunity to write in the genre. This process should be recursive to allow students to repeatedly move between reading and writing in the genre.

Question 38

A fifth-grade student with a learning disability in reading comprehension is struggling with solving math word problems. Recent assessment data has shown that her strengths are in following directions and routines, writing, basic math facts, and calculations. Which of the following instructional practices would help the student to solve word problems?

Answer 38

teaching the student to identify key vocabulary to determine the operation needed to solve math word problems

Students with learning disabilities may struggle with problem-solving skills. A specific strategy for addressing this is to teach students to underline key information and signal words in the problems. This will help the students understand how to begin to solve the problems by identifying words such as “more,” “less,” or “in all.”

Question 39

Mr. Williams is a first-year special education teacher. His school district utilizes a comprehensive teacher induction model to support the growth of novice teachers. As part of this program, Mr. Williams has been matched with a more experienced special education teacher for mentoring. Which of the following steps should Mr. Williams take first to get the most benefit from his mentoring relationship?

Answer 39

clarifying his goals for the mentoring process

Mentoring programs help beginning teachers make a successful transition into teaching by relying on the expertise of veterans to provide clinical, real-world training and feedback. To begin the mentoring process, the mentee should clarify his or her goals and needs. Taking time to clarify what one hopes to achieve from the mentoring experience leads to a more productive relationship.

Question 40

Jackson is a first-grade student who exhibits disruptive behaviors, including engaging in prolonged tantrums that require him to be removed from the classroom. As part of a Functional Behavioral Assessment, the special education teacher is collecting observational data to identify temporal patterns in the occurrence of the target behavior. Which of the following recording methods would be most appropriate for the teacher to use in order to determine when Jackson’s tantrums most often occur?

Answer 40

recording the frequency of the target behavior on a scatterplot chart

The purpose of a scatterplot is to identify patterns of behavior that relate to specific contextual conditions. A scatterplot is a chart or grid on which an observer records single events or a series of events that occur within a given context. The scatterplot is a commonly used analysis tool for identifying temporal patterns in the occurrence of behavior problems

Question 41

Landon is a sixth-grade student who has difficulty retaining new information. Landon is facing significant challenges in his content area classes because, while he understands the broad context of new concepts presented in class, he has difficulty remembering the details and components associated with those concepts. Which of the following strategies is most likely to support Landon’s ability to transfer new learning into his long-term memory?

Answer 41

teaching Landon to create mnemonic devices to associate known information to new learning

Mnemonic instruction is a way to help students remember information more effectively and easily. It involves linking unfamiliar to-be-learned information with familiar already-known information through the use of a visual picture or letter/word combinations. Mnemonic devices are useful for developing better ways to take in (encode) information so that it will be much easier to remember (retrieve). Teachers should encourage students to actively construct links between new information and previously known information. The keyword, pegword, and reconstructive elaboration mnemonic strategies have been shown to be effective for students with long-term memory problems.

Question 42

An elementary special education teacher gives her students stickers on their daily log for raising their hand to talk during large group instruction. This application of positive reinforcement applies to which of the following behavior theorists?

Answer 42

Skinner

B. F. Skinner developed the concept of “behaviorism” to explain one’s actions. Specifically, he advanced the theory of operant conditioning in which he demonstrated that behaviors which are reinforced will most likely continue, and those that are punished will eventually fade. According to Skinner, the four consequences to effect behavior change are: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction.

Question 43

Compared with children without hearing loss, children born with hearing loss are more likely to experience significant delays in which of the following developmental domains?

Answer 43

language

Research has shown that children who are born with a hearing loss, especially when the loss is not identified early, are likely to experience both receptive and expressive language delays. Without early intervention, children who are born with a hearing loss have reduced opportunities to learn speech and language spontaneously through interactions with caregivers.