Reading for Virginia Educators: Elementary and Special Education

Teachers (5306)
Test at a Glance

Test Name Reading for Virginia Educators: Elementary and Special Education Teachers

Test Code 5306

Time 2.5 hours

Number of Questions 100 multiple-choice questions (Part A)

3 constructed-response questions (Part B)

Format Multiple-choice and constructed-response questions

Approximate Approximate
Content Categories Number of Percentage of
Questions Examination
V. I. Part A: Multiple-choice questions 100 80%
I. Assessment and Diagnostic Teaching 19 15%
II.
II. Oral Language and Oral Communication 19 15%
IV.
III. Reading Development 43 35%
III. IV. Writing and Research 19 15%
Part B: Constructed-response questions 3 20%
V. Analysis and Application
A. Analysis of Assessment and Diagnostic 1 6%
Teaching
B. Application of Reading Development 1 6%
Knowledge
C. Analysis and Application of Writing and 1 6%
Research

Pacing and Special Tips In allocating time on this assessment, it is expected that approximately 105 minutes
will be spent on Part A (the multiple-choice section) and approximately 45 minutes on
Part B (about 15 minutes on each constructed-response question). Please note that
Parts A and B are not independently timed.

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About This Test Topics Covered
Representative descriptions of topics covered in each
The Elementary and Special Education reading test is
category are provided below.
intended primarily for entry-level elementary and special
education teachers who have completed training in a I. Assessment and Diagnostic Teaching
program to prepare them to teach in either of these areas. x Understand the characteristics and uses of
The purpose of the test is to determine that the entry-level assessment and screening measures for
elementary and special education teacher will have the evaluating students language proficiency and
knowledge, skills, and abilities that are important, reading skills.
necessary, and needed at time of entry to the profession to Demonstrate knowledge of formal
assessments, informal assessments, and
teach reading.
screening measures for evaluating
This test may contain some questions that will not count students oral and written language
toward your score. proficiency.
Demonstrate knowledge of formal and
informal assessments and screening
measures for evaluating emergent
readers and beginning readers
knowledge and skills, including concepts
of print, phonemic awareness, letter
recognition, sound-symbol knowledge,
single-word recognition, and decoding.
Demonstrate knowledge of formal and
informal assessments and screening
measures for monitoring the ongoing
development of students reading skills
and strategies, including word-attack
skills, vocabulary, word recognition in
context, reading fluency, and oral and
silent reading comprehension

x Understand the use of assessment data to

plan reading instruction.
Recognize how to use assessment data to
diagnose the reading needs of, and tailor
instruction for, individual students.
Recognize how to use diagnostic reading
data to differentiate instruction to
accelerate the development of students
reading skills.
Recognize how to use diagnostic reading
data to differentiate instruction to address
the needs of students with reading
difficulties.
Demonstrate knowledge of the role of
flexible groupings in instruction to address
students changing reading needs.

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II. Oral Language and Oral Communication III. Reading Development
x Understand the development of oral language x Understand how to promote students
and oral communication skills. understanding of concepts of print and basic
Demonstrate knowledge of ways to phonetic principles.
promote growth in students use of oral Identify instructional strategies for helping
language, to develop their listening and students learn concepts of print and begin
speaking skills, and to expand their to match voice with print.
listening and speaking vocabularies. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to
Identify instructional strategies to build promote students automatic recognition of
students oral communication skills, to high-frequency sight words.
help students use oral language for Demonstrate knowledge of ways to help
different purposes, and to facilitate the use students recognize and name uppercase
of oral language for critical thinking and and lowercase letters.
creative expression. Apply knowledge of instructional
Identify instructional strategies to promote strategies to promote students
students use of oral and nonverbal understanding of basic phonetic principles
communication skills in various settings, by helping students grasp the alphabetic
including group activities and oral principle, match consonant sounds and
presentations. short vowel sounds to appropriate letters,
Recognize how to promote students and identify beginning consonant sounds
understanding of oral language structures. in single-syllable printed words.
Demonstrate knowledge of effective Recognize the connection between
methods for facilitating the learning of students invented spellings and their
Standard American English by speakers understanding of phonetic principles.
of other languages and dialects.
Demonstrate knowledge of the complex x Understand explicit, systematic phonics
nature of language acquisition and the instruction.
unique needs of students with language Demonstrate knowledge of basic phonic
delays and disorders. elements.
Recognize how to create a learning Demonstrate knowledge of explicit
environment that is respectful of, and instructional strategies for helping
responsive to, linguistic and cultural beginning readers blend consonant and
diversity. vowel sounds to decode single-syllable
words with regular spellings.
x Understand the development of phonological Identify instructional strategies for helping
awareness, including phonemic awareness. beginning readers recognize common
Demonstrate knowledge of phonological consonant-vowel patterns and apply
awareness and effective instructional knowledge of these patterns to read
strategies for promoting students single-syllable words and decode
phonological association skills. unfamiliar words through analogy with
Demonstrate knowledge of phonemic known words containing familiar patterns.
awareness and the role of phonemic Demonstrate knowledge of explicit
awareness in reading development. instructional strategies for developing and
Identify types of phonemic awareness reinforcing students skills in using phonics
skills. to decode multisyllabic words and read
Demonstrate knowledge of instructional words containing consonant blends,
strategies to promote development of consonant digraphs, vowel combinations,
phonemic awareness skills by helping and r-controlled vowels.
students hear, say, and manipulate
phonemes in spoken words containing
one or more syllables.

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x Understand word-analysis skills and x Understand the development of reading
vocabulary development. fluency and reading comprehension.
Demonstrate knowledge of the way Recognize the importance of automatic
phonics, syntax, and semantics interact as word recognition and reading fluency.
the reader constructs meaning. Identify instructional strategies for
Identify methods for improving students promoting development of students
reading proficiency by helping students reading fluency.
apply word-analysis skills and word-attack Demonstrate knowledge of the linguistic,
strategies. sociological, cultural, cognitive, and
Recognize how to help students read psychological bases of the reading
unfamiliar multisyllabic words, including process and how they influence students
compound words, by using syllabication reading comprehension.
and structural analysis to identify common Demonstrate knowledge of literal
spelling patterns and morphemes within comprehension, inferential
the word. comprehension, and evaluative
Recognize how to help students use comprehension.
context, including sentence structure as Recognize how to help students apply
well as meaning clues, to help identify comprehension strategies before reading,
unfamiliar words and technical terms, during reading, and after reading.
determine the relevant meaning of a word Recognize the role of independent reading
with multiple meanings, and verify the in the development of reading
relevant meaning and/or pronunciation of comprehension and vocabulary
a homonym or homograph. knowledge.
Demonstrate knowledge of instructional Identify ways to promote independent
strategies for building and extending reading and family and community
vocabulary knowledge. involvement in literacy activities.
Recognize ways to help students make
effective use of a dictionary, thesaurus, x Understand reading comprehension strategies
glossary, or other word-reference for fiction and poetry.
materials to clarify understanding of a Recognize how to select a wide variety of
words denotative and connotative literature at appropriate reading levels to
meanings. encourage independent and reflective
reading and to promote students
comprehension and enjoyment of, and
appreciation for, fiction and poetry.
Demonstrate knowledge of ways to help
students comprehend fiction by identifying
basic story elements, retelling familiar
stories, and making predictions based on
information and pictures in the text.
Demonstrate knowledge of different
genres and types of literature and use this
knowledge to improve students
comprehension.
Identify instructional strategies to help
students recognize different genres and
types of literature.
Demonstrate knowledge of ways to
strengthen students comprehension by
developing their literary response and
analysis skills.

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are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). PRAXIS and THE PRAXIS SERIES are trademarks of ETS. 8601
 x Understand reading comprehension strategies x Understand how to promote students
for nonfiction. knowledge of correct spelling, usage, and
Recognize how to select and use a variety other writing mechanics.
of informational, descriptive, and Recognize spelling as a developmental
persuasive materials at appropriate process.
reading levels to promote students Demonstrate knowledge of systematic
comprehension of nonfiction, including spelling instruction including strategies for
content-area texts. helping students recognize common
Recognize how to use a variety of orthographic patterns and strategies for
comprehension strategies to clarify helping students generalize spelling
understanding of a text. knowledge by transferring what they learn
Identify instructional strategies to help in spelling lessons to their own writing.
students distinguish main ideas and Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate
supporting details in a nonfiction text and instructional strategies for promoting
identify the authors purpose. students knowledge and use of writing
Demonstrate knowledge of ways to mechanics, including correct usage,
promote students comprehension by punctuation, and capitalization.
helping them identify logical organization
and recognize structural patterns in x Understand writing and reading as tools for
nonfiction texts. inquiry and research.
Recognize how to help students locate Demonstrate knowledge of ways to
and use evidence from a nonfiction text to promote students research skills by
support their predictions, opinions, and helping the students apply effective
conclusions. reading techniques and writing techniques
to locate, organize, evaluate, and
IV. Writing and Research synthesize information from a variety of
x Understand writing skills and processes. print and electronic sources.
Recognize writing as a developmental Recognize how to help students use text
process. organizers to help locate and categorize
Demonstrate knowledge of how to write in information.
various forms and for various audience Identify strategies for helping students
and purposes. make effective use of reference materials.
Identify strategies for promoting students Recognize how to promote students skills
writing skills. in using technology, including electronic
Recognize recursive stages in the writing media, to conduct research and create
process and appropriate strategies for final products of research.
conferencing with students to provide Demonstrate knowledge of ways to
feedback during all phases of writing. evaluate and select a variety of media
Demonstrate knowledge of the resources.
characteristics of effective composing.
Demonstrate knowledge of the principles
of effective written expression.
Recognize the interdependence of reading
and writing development and the role of
writing activities in promoting reading
comprehension.

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V. Analysis and Application
x The candidate will apply knowledge of
assessment and diagnostic teaching to
prepare an organized written response to a
constructed-response question.

x The candidate will apply knowledge of the

elements of reading development to prepare
an organized written response to a
constructed-response question.

x The candidate will apply knowledge of the

elements of writing and research to prepare
an organized written response to a
constructed-response question.

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 Reading for Virginia Educators (RVE) Score 1
General Scoring Guide The response demonstrates a weak or limited
understanding of the elements of reading and
Note: The elements of reading and reading reading instruction relevant to the question.
instruction assessed in constructed-response
A response in this category
questions are those included in the RVE
assessment domains. x Answers some part (or parts) of the question at
a basic level.
Score 3 x Has one or more of the following weaknesses:
The response demonstrates a thorough Fails to answer most parts of the question
understanding of the elements of reading and and/or fails to address crucial aspects of the
reading instruction relevant to the question. instructional situation described.
A response in this category Shows weak or limited knowledge of concepts,
x Clearly and specifically answers all parts of the theories, facts, procedures, or methodologies
question in a way that directly addresses the relevant to the question. The weakness may
instructional situation described. be indicated by errors or misconceptions.
x Shows strong knowledge of concepts, theories, Any evidence or rationales provided are weak
facts, procedures, or methodologies relevant to or limited.
the question. Any errors of fact or terminology
are minor and do not detract from the thorough Score 0
understanding shown. The response demonstrates no understanding
x Provides strong supporting evidence and of the elements of reading and reading
rationales. instruction relevant to the question.
A response in this category
Score 2 x Fails to respond appropriately to any part of the
The response demonstrates general question.
understanding of the elements of reading and
reading instruction relevant to the question. x Shows no knowledge of concepts, theories,
facts, procedures, or methodologies relevant to
A response in this category the question; or any information presented
x Adequately answers most or all parts of the about reading and reading instruction is
question in a way that is appropriate for the seriously in error.
instructional situation described. Note: The mere presence of reading-specific words
x Shows general knowledge of concepts, or phrases that might be used in an adequate
theories, facts, procedures, or methodologies response does not by itself indicate knowledge.
relevant to the question. Any errors do not Also receiving a score of 0 would be responses that
detract from the general understanding shown. are blank, completely off-topic, or not written in
x Provides adequate supporting evidence and English.
rationales.

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are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). PRAXIS and THE PRAXIS SERIES are trademarks of ETS. 8601