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REA: THE LEADER IN TEACHER CERTIFICATION PREP

PRAXIS II

PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING AND TEACHING (PLT): EC, k-6, 5-9, and 7-12

John Allen and the Editors of Research & Education Association

Research & Education Association

61 Ethel Road West

Piscataway, New Jersey 08854

E-mail: info@rea.com

PRAXIS II PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING AND TEACHING (PLT): EC, K-6, 5-9, and 7-12 with Online Practice Tests

Copyright © 2014 by Research & Education Association, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number 2013920945

eISBN-13: 978-0-7386-8427-7

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: Publication of this work is for the purpose of test preparation and related use and subjects as set forth herein. While every effort has been made to achieve a work of high quality, neither Research & Education Association, Inc., nor the authors and other contributors of this work guarantee the accuracy or completeness of or assume any liability in connection with the information and opinions contained herein and in REA’s software and/or online materials. REA and the authors and other contributors shall in no event be liable for any personal injury, property or other damages of any nature whatsoever, whether special, indirect, consequential or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from the publication, use or reliance upon this work.

All trademarks cited in this publication are the property of their respective owners.

Cover image: thinkstock.com/Stockbyte

PRAXIS II® PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING AND TEACHING TESTS (PLT): EC, K-6, 5-9, AND 7-12

Access your Online Tools by following the instructions found at the back of this book.

Foreword

Dr. Ernest Balajthy

Professor of Education

State University of New York

Welcome to REA’s preparation materials for the Praxis II: Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) examinations. Never before has teacher preparation and assessment been so much at the forefront of national interest about educational reform. In the early 2000’s under the No Child Left Behind legislation, educational reformers emphasized curriculum and student assessment. Few then could have predicted today’s national shift away from those issues and toward the current emphases on teacher education and teacher assessment.

The Praxis II: PLT examinations are used by many states to evaluate the quality of teachers who are about to begin their careers. This challenging test does not simply require you to recite memorized facts about students and teaching. It goes beyond the knowledge level of learning to demand your in-depth analysis and critical thinking and the application of what you know about teaching to situations and scenarios you will find in classrooms and in schools.

As the Praxis II: PLT examinations address today’s changing times of reform and higher teaching standards, REA provides your preparation material based on an exciting new approach to understanding teacher assessment. The foundation of REA’s preparation materials is a unique framework of levels of cognitive understanding on the Praxis II: PLT, from the most simple to the most complex, centered on research-based theoretical understandings including Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Objectives, Robert Marzano’s New Taxonomy, the 21st Century Learning Framework, and the cognitive developmental principles underlying the Common Core State Standards. REA has created its new framework to,

(1) carefully analyze the contents and processes assessed by the Praxis II: PLT examinations, and then, to

(2) create instructional materials, practice tests, and explicit feedback to optimally prepare you for the Praxis II: PLT testing experience. The practice tests were specially written, reviewed, and revised according to this REA analysis of the Praxis II: PLT tests. Feedback for each practice test question will lead you through an item analysis to choose the best answer based on the kind of thinking required on the Praxis II: PLT.

REA’s instructional materials cover the broad range of teacher preparation topics included on the Praxis II: PLT. Instructional sections are strategically designed to enhance your learning experience in order to effectively and efficiently prepare you for the content and reasoning required on the test. Topical sections begin with a short set of Key Points, summarizing the top-level knowledge relevant to the topic. You can use these Key Points to refresh your memory of the topics and to pretest yourself on them, determining how much time and attention should be directed to study of the detailed material in that specific section.

In addition, the Praxis II: PLT will test your ability to see the relationship between your knowledge about teaching and your ability to make practical classroom decisions. This REA book includes frequent Classroom Application segments, boxed off from the text, to help you make these connections.

As you work through the materials offered by REA, we hope that you will consider this more than simply an assessment hoop through which your state teaching requirements require you to jump. We hope that these materials will provide you with powerful learning that reinforces what you learned in your teacher preparation coursework, and that sets you on firm intellectual and practical foundations as you begin your teaching career.

Dr. Ernest Balajthy is Professor of Education at the State University of New York at Geneseo. He has led teacher preparation courses in reading and language arts and has been director of the SUNY-Geneseo Reading and Literacy Center. A recognized leader in his field, he is the author of three books and many articles on reading and literacy. In a career spanning more than 35 years, Dr. Balajthy has been a classroom teacher, public school reading specialist, and teacher educator. His scholarly interests also include assessment and test development, technology education, and comprehension.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

Passing the PRAXIS PLT Tests

How to Use this Book + Online Prep

About the Praxis Series

An Overview of the Test

Question Types and Strategies

The Constructed-Response Questions

Scoring the PLT

Studying for the Test

Test-Taking Tips

Test Day Preparation

PRAXIS PLT Review

Chapter 1 Students as Learners

Student Development and the Learning Process

Students as Diverse Learners

Student Motivation and the Learning Environment

Chapter 2 The Instructional Process

Planning Instruction

Strategies for Instruction

Communicating with Students

Chapter 3 Assessment

Assessment and Evaluation Strategies

Tools for Reporting and Interpreting Assessments

Communicating Test Scores

Chapter 4 Professional Development, Leadership, and Community

Being a Reflective Teacher

The Teacher and Academic Support Personnel

The Teacher and Society

PRAXIS PLT Practice Tests

PLT Early Childhood (0621/5621)

Practice Test 1

Answer Sheet

Multiple-Choice Questions: Answer Key and Answer Explanations

Sample Responses to Constructed-Response Questions

Practice Test 2 available online at www.rea.com/studycenter

PLT Grades K-6 (0622/5622)

Practice Test 1

Answer Sheet

Multiple-Choice Questions: Answer Key and Answer Explanations

Sample Responses to Constructed-Response Questions

Practice Test 2 available online at www.rea.com/studycenter

PLT Grades 5-9 (0623/5623)

Practice Test 1

Answer Sheet

Multiple-Choice Questions: Answer Key and Answer Explanations

Sample Responses to Constructed-Response Questions

Practice Test 2 available online at www.rea.com/studycenter

PLT Grades 7-12 (0624/5624)

Practice Test 1

Answer Sheet

Multiple-Choice Questions: Answer Key and Answer Explanations

Sample Responses to Constructed-Response Questions

Practice Test 2 available online at www.rea.com/studycenter

Index

About Our Author

John Allen graduated from the University of Oklahoma. As a partner in BBE Associates, Ltd., he has worked in the educational publishing field for more than twenty-five years. He has authored or co-authored many books in the areas of language arts, science, and math.

About Research & Education Association

Founded in 1959, Research & Education Association (REA) is dedicated to publishing the finest and most effective educational materials—including study guides and test preps—for students in middle school, high school, college, graduate school, and beyond.

Today, REA’s wide-ranging catalog is a leading resource for teachers, students, and professionals.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Pam Weston, Publisher, for setting the quality standards for production integrity and managing the publication to completion; John Paul Cording, Vice President, Technology, for coordinating the design and development of the REA Study Center; Larry B. Kling, Vice President, Editorial, for his overall direction; Charles Heinle and Alice Leonard, Senior Editor, for coordinating development of this edition; Claudia Petrilli for page design; and Christine Saul, Senior Graphic Designer, for designing our cover.

INTRODUCTION

Passing the PRAXIS PLT Tests

This book is designed to help you prepare to take any of the four PRAXIS II: Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) tests and secure your teaching license. These tests include the following:

•Principles of Learning and Teaching: Early Childhood (Test codes 0621/5621)

•Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades K–6 (Test codes 0622/5622)

•Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 5–9 (Test codes 0623/5623)

•Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7–12 (Test codes 0624/5624)

Although the four tests cover the same basic topics and concepts, each test is unique in the grade range and developmental level reflected in its cases and scenarios. You will also be measured on the common pedagogical knowledge assessed by all four tests.

As you near your goal of securing certification as a teacher, we know that targeted preparation for your PLT test is very important to you. Our book and the online tools that come with it give you everything you need to succeed on your exam.

Our PRAXIS II: PLT Book + Online Prep package includes:

•Complete overview of the four PLT tests

•Comprehensive review of all content categories and topics for each test

•8 full-length practice tests (4 in the book and 4 online), with powerful diagnostic tools to pinpoint exactly what you need to study

•Detailed answer explanations that not only identify correct answers, but also explain why the other answer choices are incorrect

How to Use this Book + Online Prep

About the Review

The targeted review in this book is designed to help you sharpen your command of pedagogical skills and professional knowledge so you can succeed on the Praxis PLT test of your choice. Whether you’re a recent graduate of a traditional teacher education program or you’ve gone the alternate route, our review will reinforce what you’ve learned and show you how to relate the information you have acquired to the specific topics covered on the exam.

Our review chapters are structured according to the official PLT test outline. Each chapter includes must-know theories, terminology, and practical classroom examples.

About the REA Study Center

We know your time is valuable and you want an efficient study experience. At the online REA Study Center (www.rea.com/studycenter), you will get feedback right from the start on what you know and what you don’t know to help make the most of your study time.

Here’s what you’ll find at the REA Study Center:

•4 Full-Length Practice Tests—These practice tests (1 test for each of the PLT exams) give you the most complete picture of your strengths and weaknesses. After you’ve studied with the book, test what you’ve learned by taking our online practice exams. Review your score report, then go back and study any topics you missed. This will ensure you’ve mastered the material and are ready for test day.

Each online test comes with:

•Automatic Scoring—Find out how you did on your test, instantly.

•Diagnostic Score Reports—Get a specific score on each section of the test, so you can focus on the areas that challenge you the most.

•Detailed Answer Explanations—See why the correct answer is right, and why the other answer choices are incorrect.

•Timed Testing—Learn to manage your time as you practice, so you’ll feel confident on test day.

About the Praxis Series

PRAXIS is the shorthand used by Educational Testing Service (ETS) for Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers. The PRAXIS Series is a group of teacher-licensing tests that ETS developed in concert with states across the nation. There are three categories of tests in the series: PRAXIS I, PRAXIS II, and PRAXIS III.

PRAXIS I includes the new Core Academic Skills for Educators (CORE) test. The CORE test measures reading, mathematics, and writing skills. The CORE is often a requirement for admission to a teacher education program.

PRAXIS II focuses on Subject Assessment/Specialty Area Tests, including the Principles of Learning and Teaching series. In most teacher-training programs, students take these tests after having completed their classroom training, course work, and practicum.

PRAXIS III requires ETS-trained observers to evaluate an instructor’s performance in the classroom, using nationally-validated criteria.

Who Takes the Test?

Most people who take one of the PLT exams are seeking initial licensure. Check with your state’s education agency to determine which PRAXIS test or tests you should take. You may also find the ETS PRAXIS website (www.ets.org/praxis/) and registration bulletin to be helpful in determining the tests you need to take for certification. You should check individual state requirements either online or through your college’s administrative office. In addition, be sure to consult your education program for its own test requirements.

Colleges and universities often require PRAXIS tests for entry into programs, for graduation, and for the completion of a teacher certification program. These requirements may differ from the baseline requirements the state has for teacher certification. You will need to meet both sets of requirements.

When and Where Is the Test Offered?

ETS offers the PLT exams throughout the year at a number of locations across the nation. The usual testing day is Saturday, but examinees may request an administration on an alternate day if a conflict exists. Check the ETS PRAXIS Series website for available test dates and registration deadlines.

How Do I Get More Information on the PRAXIS Exams?

To receive information on upcoming administrations of the PLT test or any other PRAXIS test, consult the ETS registration bulletin or website.

Contact ETS at:

Educational Testing Service

Teaching and Learning Division

P.O. Box 6051

Princeton, NJ 08541-6051

Phone: (609) 771-7395

Website: www.ets.org/praxis

E-mail: www.ets.org/praxis/contact//email_praxis (use the online form)

You can also contact ETS to learn more about test sites; registration fees; reporting test scores; requesting changes in tests, centers, and dates of test; retaking tests; and other valuable information.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Special accommodations are available for test-takers who meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. This includes the visually impaired, hearing impaired, physically disabled, or specific learning disabled. To request a special accommodation for a disability or health-related need, the test-taker must register by mail.

For questions concerning disability services, contact:

ETS Disability Services: (609) 771-7780

TTY only: (609) 771-7714

Provisions are also available for examinees whose primary language is not English. The ETS registration bulletin and website include directions for those requesting such accommodations.

Paper-Delivered vs. Computer-Delivered Testing

The PLT exams are offered in both paper-delivered and computer-delivered formats. No matter what the delivery system, the tests are identical in content. Minimal computer and typing skills are required to complete the computer-delivered tests.

Check the ETS PRAXIS website for dates and locations regarding paper-delivered tests and computer-delivered tests. A Computer-Delivered Testing Demonstration is also available at the website.

When Will I Receive My Score Report?

Please check the ETS PRAXIS website at www.ets.org/praxis for score-release dates. Computerized testing allows for access to your scores by phone or on the web.

Score reports will indicate the following:

•Your score and whether you passed

•The range of possible scores

•The raw points available in each content category

•Your Recognition of Excellence (ROE) Award status, if applicable

•Your highest score in the last 10 years on the same test, if applicable

Along with your score report, ETS will provide you with a booklet that offers details on your scores. For each test date, you may request that ETS send a copy of your scores to as many as three score recipients, provided that each institution or agency you list is eligible to receive the scores. A score-verification service is also available for a fee.

An Overview of the Test

What is Tested on the PRAXIS PLT?

Whether offered as paper- or computer-delivered tests, each of the four PLT exams — Early Childhood (0621/5621), Grades K–6 (0622/5622), Grades 5–9 (0623/5623), and Grades 7–12 (0624/5624) — is composed of 70 multiple-choice questions and 4 constructed-response questions.

A breakdown of the common PLT content underpinning all four tests appears below:

Test-takers are allowed 2 hours to complete their exam. While the sections of the test are not independently timed, expectations are that the test-taker will spend about 70 minutes on the multiple-choice section and about 50 minutes on the constructed-response section.

Question Types and Strategies

Multiple-Choice Question Formats

The multiple-choice questions assess a beginning teacher’s knowledge of certain job-related skills and knowledge. Four choices (A) through (D) are available on each multiple-choice question. The exam contains four types of multiple-choice questions:

1.Which of the Following? Multiple-Choice Question

2.Complete the Statement Multiple-Choice Question

3.Multiple-Choice Question with Qualifiers

4.Roman Numeral Multiple-Choice Question

The following sections describe each type of question and suggested strategies for choosing the correct answer.

Which of the Following? Multiple-Choice Question

The Which of the following? multiple-choice question is the most basic type, in which one of the answers is correct among the various choices.

Strategy: Often it helps to restate the question and/or answers in your own words. For example, you might form sentences by replacing the first part of the question with each of the answer choices in turn, and then determine which of the resulting sentences is correct.

Consider the following example:

Which of the following is a level of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy?

(A)Understanding

(B)Context

(C)Accommodation

(D)Egocentrism

Using the suggested strategy technique, one would read:

(A)Understanding is a level of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

(B)Context is a level of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

(C)Accommodation is a level of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

(D)Egocentrism is a level of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

If you know the levels of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy, you can immediately choose answer (A). You should know, at minimum that Bloom’s Taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives. Therefore, even if your knowledge of Bloom’s Taxonomy is incomplete, you can still figure out the answer using the process of elimination. Context refers to the framework of a passage of text; context can include the pictures that complement the text on the page as well as the words themselves. It is not a learning objective. Accommodation is part of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and refers to the adjustment of a schema to accommodate new knowledge or new experiences. It is not a level in Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy and is not an appropriate answer. Egocentrism refers to a worldview in which the individual or the self is the center. Egocentrism is also not a learning objective. The best answer is (A), which is a learning objective and represents a level of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

Not all Which of the following? multiple-choice questions are as straightforward and simple as the previous example. Consider a more complex multiple-choice question.

Luis is a struggling student in Ms. Voegeli’s ninth-grade algebra class. For an upcoming exam on inequalities, Ms. Voegeli gives Luis extra worksheets to complete as homework. She also encourages Luis to work with another student to review the process of solving inequalities. When Luis earns a grade of B on the exam, Ms. Voegeli congratulates him and points out the effectiveness of his extra effort. As a result, Luis’s overall classroom performance begins to show steady improvement.

This scenario is an example of which of the following types of motivation?

(A)Social Cognitive Theory

(B)Behavioral Theory

(C)Goal Theory

(D)Attribution Theory

Here, you could restate the question as Which theory of motivation best explains how Ms. Voegeli helped Luis improve his classroom performance? The correct answer is (D). The Attribution Theory of Motivation best explains Ms. Voegeli’s approach to Luis’s situation. It emphasizes students’ strong motivation to have positive outcomes and to explain their success or failure to themselves in ways that boost their self-image. Ms. Voegeli has encouraged Luis to see his success on the algebra exam as a result of his extra effort, which is an internal and unstable factor over which he has a great deal of control. This outcome improves his own outlook on his potential for success in the classroom.

Strategy: Underline crucial information as you read the question. For instance, as you read the previous question, you might underline or highlight the following phrases: gives Luis extra worksheets to complete, works with another student to review the process, and congratulates him and points out the effectiveness of his extra effort. Notice that these phrases do not align particularly well with the idea of proactive, self-regulating motivation as in social cognitive theory (A). They also do not describe the kind of external rewards or incentives that are associated with behavioral theory (B). Luis does not seem motivated from the beginning by goals such as the desire to achieve competence or receive outside recognition, which is the crux of goal theory (C). These phrases do emphasize how Luis was led to attribute his success on the test to his own extra work, which is a hallmark of Attribution Theory. Highlighting key ideas can save you time by helping you focus your thoughts, which is an important consideration when you must answer 70 multiple-choice questions in about 70 minutes.

Complete the Statement Multiple-Choice Question

The Complete the Statement multiple-choice question consists of an incomplete statement for which you must select the answer choice that completes the statement correctly.

Strategy: Read the incomplete statement carefully so that you know what to look for in the answer completions. The answer should connect to the incomplete sentence to make a correct statement. Here is an example.

One significant way in which group differences can arise in the classroom is in language usage such as dialects. A teacher should approach student dialects mainly as

(A)examples of substandard English.

(B)manifestations of culture.

(C)signs of socioeconomic level.

(D)indications of learning disabilities.

The best answer to this question is (B). The ways that students use the dominant language of their country — such as English in the United States — results in dialects with nonstandard forms, different pronunciations and syntax, and rough equivalences from their native language. It is important for a teacher to identify this phenomenon chiefly as a cultural manifestation and not a weakness for substandard usage (A) or a sign of socioeconomic level (C) or a learning disability (D).

Multiple-Choice Question with Qualifiers

A multiple-choice question may contain qualifiers — words like NOT, LEAST, and EXCEPT. These words are always capitalized when they are used in test questions on the PLT. These words often make the test questions in which they appear more difficult because you must select the answer that is not correct like the other choices.

Strategy: Circle the qualifier. It is easy to forget to select the negative choice or wrong answer. Circling the qualifier is a flag to remind you as you are reading the question or especially if you must re-read or check the answer at a later time.

Now consider this question with a qualifier.

The principal at Mrs. Gupta’s school has asked her to improve her communications with parents in the coming school year. Which of the following is NOT an appropriate method to achieve this goal?

(A)Begin a regular series of letters to parents called Classroom Update.

(B)Write personal observations on report cards.

(C)Meet with a group of parents to discuss each student’s progress in the classroom.

(D)Make occasional phone calls to parents.

Notice that all four answer choices describe ways of improving communications with parents. The correct answer is the one that is NOT an appropriate method. The answer that describes an inappropriate method of communications with parents is (C). It is, therefore, the correct answer to the question. Sharing or publicizing individual student performance records without permission is illegal under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). And while it is not technically illegal for a teacher to discuss the performance of individual students in general terms in front of a group of parents, the teacher should recognize that it is improper. The teacher should hold individual parent conferences instead.

Here’s an example of a question with the qualifier LEAST.

Ms. Harbaugh wants to encourage all of her fourth grade students to participate in class discussions. Which of the following is LEAST likely to help her achieve that goal?

(A)Emphasize positive aspects in every student’s response.

(B)Use wait time after asking a question.

(C)Give a model answer to demonstrate what kind of answer is being sought.

(D)Call on the first student who raises his or her hand.

Answer (D) is correct, because it will result in a few eager students dominating classroom discussions and is LEAST likely to encourage overall participation.

Roman Numeral Multiple-Choice Question

The Roman numeral multiple-choice question can be difficult because it allows for more than one correct answer.

Strategy: First, highlight or underline important words or phrases in the question. Next, assess each Roman numeral answer choice to see if it correctly answers the question or completes the sentence. Make a check mark beside each correct answer. Finally, find the actual answer choice that includes each Roman numeral choice that you marked. If there is not an answer choice with only the Roman numeral choices you marked, you must reevaluate your analysis.

Consider the following Roman numeral multiple-choice question designed to test history content:

Ms. Tisdale’s American History class shows a particular interest in her lectures on the Civil War. Observing this, Ms. Tisdale decides to stress intrinsic motivation in assigning additional work. Such a strategy might include

(A)II only

(B)I and IV

(C)II and III

(D)I, III, and IV

As you reread and analyze the question, you should underline the words intrinsic motivation, since this is what Ms. Tisdale is trying to stress in assigning additional work. Recall that intrinsic motivation capitalizes on student enthusiasm for a topic that is inherently interesting to them. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation involves factors that are not related to the actual topic or task, such as competition or rewards. Extrinsic motivation is mostly used with topics or tasks that students find difficult or boring. Next, read the Roman numeral choices and decide which of them represent assignments based on intrinsic motivation. Since Ms. Tisdale’s students have demonstrated interest in the Civil War, viewing the documentary (II) and participating in a panel discussion (III) would fall under intrinsic motivation. You should mark these two choices. Finally, review the answer choices. You should note that you may choose one answer by choosing (A), two answers by choosing (B) or (C), and three answers by choosing (D). Answer (A) contains II, which is one of the Roman numeral answers you decided was correct. However, answer (C) has both of the Roman numeral choices you marked, II and III. Answer (C) is correct.

More Tips for the Multiple-Choice Questions

You have learned through your coursework and your practical experience in schools most of what you need to know to answer the questions on the test. In your education classes, you gained the expertise to make important decisions about situations you will face as a teacher regarding student development, teaching method, assessment, and professionalism.

Reviewing your class notes and textbooks combined with systematic use of this book will give you an excellent springboard for passing the PLT. However, here are a few more useful tips:

•Answer the questions in any order you choose. You may want to proceed from 1 to 70 in order. You may want to begin with questions in your strongest area of knowledge and then proceed to those in your weaker areas. Take the approach that suits you best.

•Don’t hesitate to guess if you are unsure of the correct answer. Your score on the multiple choice section of the test is based on your number of correct answers. You are not penalized for guessing. Eliminate any answers that are obviously wrong and then make your best guess.

•Don’t search for trick questions or hidden meanings. All the test questions are straightforward and based on information you should know.

•Don’t spend too much time on any one question.