PRAXIS II Test Study Guide | PRAXIS II Test Flashcards

Praxis II Middle School English Language Arts Test Questions

1. Select the correct underlined section of the following sentence: “We had the best time”! Cindy yelled as she jumped into the car.

1. time!” Cindy

2. time”, Cindy

3. time!,” Cindy

4. Correct as is

2. Informal expressions that are used in everyday conversations are known as _____.

1. malapropisms

2. non sequiturs

3. solecisms

4. colloquialisms

3. The process of quickly reading to obtain the main points of a text is called _____.

1. screening

2. scanning

3. scaling

4. skimming

4. Select the correct underlined section of the following sentence: Danny and Carl bought a new television; its a big-screen model.

1. television, its

2. television, Its

3. television; it’s

4. Correct as is

5. Which kind of verb does NOT take an object?

1. transitive

2. auxiliary

3. intransitive

4. irregular

6. A teacher is introducing a lesson on alphabetization. Which of the following word lists would be most appropriate at first?

1. human, eagle, apple, jellybean

2. rabbit, radish, rash, raffle

3. state, super, spoon, salamander

4. welcome, wallet, yellow, volume

7. Students are asked to compose an alternate ending for a short story. Which critical thinking skill is exercised by this assignment?

1. comprehension

2. synthesis

3. evaluation

4. application

8. According to language arts research, which important step in composition is most frequently omitted by students?

1. drafting

2. editing

3. outlining

4. rewriting

9. What kind of language arts instruction relies on the use of graded books of specially-composed reading samples?

1. literature-based reading instruction

2. word analysis

3. emergent literacy approach

4. basal reader approach

10. In which stage of spelling development might a student spell the word liberty “lbrte”?

1. pre-communicative

2. transitional

3. semi-phonetic

4. mature

11. When examining a short story in class, the teacher should take advantage of the opportunity to discuss:

1. topic sentences

2. irony

3. figurative language

4. thesis statements

12. When selecting materials for a seventh-grade class library, which of the following is the most important consideration?

1. All of the texts should be comprehensible to all of the students.

2. All of the books should have illustrations.

3. There should be a wide variety of ability levels and subject matter.

4. The books should be covered with dust jackets.

13. Which of the following is the most efficient kind of formative assessment for sixth-grade students?

1. independent reading

2. reading aloud

3. pop quiz

4. student-teacher conference

14. Which of the following would be the best activity for exploring the setting of a short story?

1. drawing a picture

2. free writing

3. role play

4. class discussion

15. Mr. King’s sixth-grade class is predominantly Native American. What kind of literature should he be sure to include in his syllabus?

1. world literature

2. English literature

3. cross-cultural literature

4. ethnic-specific literature

16. A third-grade teacher leads a student through a guided reading exercise, in which teacher and student alternate reading pages aloud and the student is occasionally asked to make plot predictions. What aspect of reading skill does this activity target?

1. comprehension

2. phonemic awareness

3. fluency

4. vocabulary development

17. Which of the following phonemic skills is addressed during kindergarten instruction?

1. diphthongs

2. onset sound

3. blends

4. digraphs

18. A fourth-grade teacher decides to group students together to work on an extensive project over several months. This instructional method runs the risk of alienating what kind of learner?

1. intrapersonal

2. naturalistic

3. kinesthetic

4. logical

19. Which of the following factors plays the greatest role in academic vocabulary development?

1. reading comprehension

2. breadth of reading

3. phonemic awareness

4. pragmatic understanding

20. A fifth-grade teacher wants to introduce a lesson on figurative language. Which of the following activities would be most appropriate?

1. Reading a list of all of the types of figurative language

2. Constructing a diorama

3. Brainstorming some common figurative expressions

4. Watching a documentary on poetry

21. Steps used learning to read include:

1. Memorization of ABC’s

2. Recognizing spoken words when written

3. Reading aloud

4. All of the above

22. A child learns to understand words by:

1. How they are used

2. Who is saying them

3. What is going on when he hears them

4. All of the above

23. Some benefits of reading include:

1. Expands knowledge and increasing vocabulary

2. Helps hand/eye coordination

3. Helps student get higher grades

4. All of the above

24. Which of the following steps is not part of the writing process?

1. Developing an outline

2. Writing a sloppy copy

3. Reading it out loud

4. Asking for feedback

25. Some ways to improve students’ reading, writing, listening and speaking skills include:

1. Ask questions and critique written work

2. Encourage memorization

3. Dismiss the need to listen

4. All of the above

26. Which of the following does not contribute to language development?

1. Rules, patterns and conventions

2. Changes over time

3. Is one-dimensional

4. Continues after formal schooling has ended

27. Activities that make connections between school, home and the real world include:

1. Explore universal themes and discuss current events

2. Require memorization

3. Assign topics relevant to Medieval England

4. All of the above

28. Social studies projects should:

1. Stimulate students’ creativity

2. Challenge students’ thinking

3. Combine independent study with group activities

4. All of the above

29. Standards for intellectual work include:

1. Ability to communicate knowledge

2. Disciplined inquiry

3. Lists of facts to memorize

4. All of the above

30. Dr. Fred M. Newmann’s standards to measure the quality of instruction are:

1. Higher-order thinking and depth of knowledge

2. Connectedness to the world

3. Social support for student achievement

4. All of the above

31. Every language arts program should teach students to:

1. Analyze

2. Memorize

3. Speak in public

4. All of the above

32. Active learning helps students:

1. Avoid boredom

2. Retain information

3. Use critical thinking skills

4. All of the above

33. Open-ended questions used in the Taxonomy of Personal Engagement tap into students’:

1. Points of view

2. Grades

3. Memorized knowledge

4. All of the above

34. Which of the following does not contribute to language development?

1. Rules, patterns and conventions

2. Changes over time

3. Is one-dimensional

4. Continues after formal schooling has ended

35. Which of the following steps is not part of the writing process?

1. Developing an outline

2. Writing a sloppy copy

3. Reading it out loud

4. Asking for feedback

36. Strategies to improve students’ reading, writing, listening and speaking skills may include:

1. Asking probing questions

2. Memorization projects

3. Dismissing the need to listen

4. All of the above

37. The steps used in learning to read include:

1. Decode the letters

2. Arrange them appropriately

3. Recognize spoken words when written

4. All of the above

38. How can a teacher help students learn and retain new vocabulary?

1. Define unfamiliar words

2. Stress the importance of learning new words

3. Require memorization of definitions

4. All of the above

39. Students will add a word or term to their active vocabulary for the following reasons:

1. It will give them higher grades

2. It solves a problem

3. They are forced to

4. All of the above

40. To encourage class participation, it is important to:

1. Enforce rules strictly

2. Requiring students to read aloud

3. Ask for student input

4. All of the above

Praxis II Middle School English Language Arts Test Answer Key