Middle Grades English 5–9
For Testing until 12/31/2023

Multiple-Choice Section

Test Format and Sample Questions

The Middle Grades English 5–9 Multiple-Choice Section contains approximately 60 multiple-choice items. You will have one and one-half hours to complete this section.

Each of the questions in the multiple-choice section will contain four response options. You will choose the best response out of the available options, and indicate A, B, C, or D.

The table below presents types of questions on the exam and directs you to examples of these formats among the sample items that follow.

Table of Question Formats

Type of Question	Sample Question
Sentence Completion Select the response option that best completes the sentence.	Question 1
Direct Question Choose the response option that best answers the question.	Question 3
Command Select the best response option.	Question 6
Scenario Examine a classroom situation or a student composition. Then select the response option that best answers a question, recommends a course of action, or gives the appropriate evaluation or teacher comment.	Question 14

Sample Questions

The following questions represent both the form and content of questions on the examination. These questions will acquaint you with the general format of the examination; however, these sample questions do not cover all of the competencies and skills that are tested and will only approximate the degree of examination difficulty.

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Competency 1—Knowledge of the characteristics of students in order to make instructional decisions for teaching and learning language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

For a unit on the novel Touching Spirit Bear, the teacher prepared an activity that required his 8^th-gradeeighth grade students to work in pairs to generate and discuss pros and cons of the judge’s decision regarding the main character. This was an effective activity because young adolescents are likely to be in the process of

Choose an answer

1. becoming concrete thinkers.
2. emulating authority figures.
3. becoming egocentric in their thinking.
4. developing formal reasoning.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 1—Knowledge of the characteristics of students in order to make instructional decisions for teaching and learning language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Middle school language arts teachers use semantic mapping and webbing to help develop students' cognitive abilities primarily because these methods

Choose an answer

1. provide a framework for describing and analyzing language patterns.
2. focus on concepts that are unique to each content area and are best studied in discrete contexts.
3. facilitate the comprehension of unfamiliar words and phrases.
4. encourage the integration, interaction, and understanding of ideas from various content areas.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 1—Knowledge of the characteristics of students in order to make instructional decisions for teaching and learning language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following instructional goals for a 7^th-gradeseventh grade language arts class is aligned with the emotional development of students at that grade level?

Choose an answer

1. keeping students focused by stressing individual work rather than collaborative learning
2. guiding students through a semester-long independent research project culminating in an oral presentation
3. fostering disciplined teamwork by adapting the rules of formal debate for use during class discussions
4. encouraging students to express their perceptions, ideas, and feelings in personal narratives

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 1—Knowledge of the characteristics of students in order to make instructional decisions for teaching and learning language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

To improve students' writing and motivate them to continue striving for mastery, a teacher would employ which of the following strategies most often?

Choose an answer

1. individual conferencing with specific feedback
2. whole group direct instruction in writing
3. small group instruction and monitoring
4. peer editing and revision sessions

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 2—Knowledge of applications of evidence-based research and best practices in teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following language arts activities is facilitated by a word processing program?

Choose an answer

1. diagramming sentences
2. free writing
3. determining parts of speech
4. grammar exercises

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 2—Knowledge of applications of evidence-based research and best practices in teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Identify the best interdisciplinary project to incorporate history, mathematics, and language arts.

Choose an answer

1. summarizing the story of the mathematician and the mathematical problem he solved in the movie A Beautiful Mind
2. creating a timeline depicting various mathematicians and examples of the mathematical problems they solved
3. writing a story about a time-traveler who visits famous mathematicians and helps them solve mathematical problems
4. creating a poster about a famous mathematician and the steps she took to solve a famous mathematical problem

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 2—Knowledge of applications of evidence-based research and best practices in teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A team of 7^th-gradeseventh grade teachers would like to incorporate technology into a unit that includes science and language arts. Which of the following technology-based activities provides the most opportunities for interdisciplinary experiences?

Choose an answer

1. conducting Internet searches for information about marine life on Florida's Atlantic coast
2. creating an interactive website about ecosystems found in the Florida Everglades
3. using computer software to produce statistical charts that track the increase in tourism in Florida
4. generating on computers different types of demographic charts of major Florida cities

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 2—Knowledge of applications of evidence-based research and best practices in teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Prior to taking her 6^th-gradesixth grade class on an excursion to an amusement park, which language arts activity should the teacher use to help the English language learners in her class communicate with the vendors at the park?

Choose an answer

1. role-playing
2. peer tutoring
3. brainstorming
4. journal writing

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language arts content

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

The most appropriate technique for teaching students the concept of an author's purpose is to have the students

Choose an answer

1. summarize the content of a long piece of writing.
2. circle all the imperative sentences in their compositions.
3. identify several pieces of work designed to inform, to persuade, or to entertain.
4. identify the speakers in various pieces of literature.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language arts content

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A middle school language arts teacher would like to help students understand how a narrative point of view affects the message conveyed in a literary text. Given this purpose, the teacher should have his students do which of the following activities?

Choose an answer

1. selecting a character from the text for whom they prepare a detailed personal history
2. highlighting all the words and phrases in a text that reflect a particular perspective
3. selecting a part of a text to rewrite from the perspective of a particular character
4. forming small groups to dramatize for various audiences the key actions and events in a text

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language arts content

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following critical approaches to literature focuses on everyday life in various cultures (e.g., traditions, rituals, celebrations)?

Choose an answer

1. anthropological
2. new historicism
3. psychological
4. formalism

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language arts content

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following is a characteristic of emergent literacy?

Choose an answer

1. understanding that print in English is read from left to right
2. using context clues to determine the meaning of a word in a text
3. applying knowledge of common spelling patterns in English to decode words in a text
4. being able to read aloud from a text quickly and accurately

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language arts content

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Students are preparing to write a newspaper article about the life cycle of the alligator. Which of the following would be the most likely type of organization that they might use in the article?

Choose an answer

1. spatial
2. chronological
3. cause and effect
4. compare and contrast

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language arts content

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A 7^th-gradeseventh grade teacher wants her students to actively engage in group discussion. However, when she places students in their respective groups, provides them a summary of her expectations, topics, roles and goals, only one group's outcomes are compatible with those she intended. She polls the class and discovers that the groups that erred did not understand their mission.

Which of the following personal conduct components did she not adequately address?

Choose an answer

1. respect
2. listening
3. mutual intent
4. self-discipline

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language arts content

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A middle school language arts teacher is presenting a lesson on writing conventions. Which of the following is the best way for the teacher to effectively show students how to use correct proofreading symbols for peer editing?

Choose an answer

1. use a projection device to share how to use proofreading symbols
2. provide a proofreading chart for implementation of symbols
3. identify sample papers and share with the whole group
4. form groups and have students correct their papers

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of pedagogical content for teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Students in an 8^th-gradeeighth grade science class are learning new vocabulary related to the human skeletal system. Which of the following instructional strategies would best help students understand and use the new vocabulary?

Choose an answer

1. using a cloze exercise to teach the vocabulary in context
2. showing students what reference sources are useful for science research
3. providing a full human skeleton with all bones labeled
4. surveying students to determine any prior knowledge of anatomical terms and concepts

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of pedagogical content for teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A 9^th-gradenineth grade English teacher asks each student in class to write a persuasive essay that argues that organic produce is better than nonorganic produce. During the drafting phase of the writing process, students work in pairs, asking and answering a series of questions about the topic. Which of the following questions will best help students support their arguments effectively in writing?

Choose an answer

1. How does organic produce differ from nonorganic produce?
2. Why does some organic produce taste better raw than cooked?
3. When did the local supermarket begin stocking organic produce?
4. What types of organic produce are the most difficult to cultivate?

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of pedagogical content for teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

The works of which of the following authors would provide middle school students with the best introduction to the concept of allegory?

Choose an answer

1. Mildred D. Taylor
2. C. S. Lewis
3. Madeleine L'Engle
4. Washington Irving

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of pedagogical content for teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A television advertisement for a remote-controlled toy car shows a 5-year-old boy playing with the car in a kitchen setting. The boy has set up ramps that he then drives the car over to make a series of jumps and crashes. Which of the following changes to the advertisement would make the toy car more appealing to boys ages 7 to 10?

Choose an answer

1. showing a 12-year-old boy playing enthusiastically with the toy car
2. adding soothing orchestral music and a long close-up shot of the toy car
3. having a voiceover describe the battery requirements of the toy car
4. showing a 7-year-old boy smiling as he takes the toy car out of its box

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of pedagogical content for teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Students who are working independently are analyzing a video on wildlife. Which of the following would be an effective instructional strategy to teach students for analyzing the video?

Choose an answer

1. dramatic retelling
2. how to make inferences
3. text structure and text features
4. how to use plot analysis charts

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of pedagogical content for teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Mrs. Bourdon wants her 8^th-gradeeighth grade students to understand how studying poetry is relevant to their lives. What small-group activity below would best address this goal within an integrated approach to language arts?

Choose an answer

1. choosing a song and a poem with similar themes and creating a presentation to facilitate students’ understanding of the works
2. creating a poetry dictionary that contains examples of figurative language taken from the poems previously studied in class
3. creating a dance to the words of a poem previously studied in class
4. identifying figurative language in song lyrics and creating a collage to illustrate their understanding

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of pedagogical content for teaching language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A language arts teacher asks students to take out a piece of writing from their writing folder that they want to work on. The teacher tells the students to rewrite their piece of writing from a different perspective or point of view. This is a strategy for which stage of the writing process?

Choose an answer

1. prewriting
2. drafting
3. revising
4. editing

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of various assessments and use of corresponding data to drive instructional decisions within language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A middle school language arts teacher writes informal notes to students that contain questions about subject matter covered in class. The students, in turn, write back to the teacher with answers and questions of their own. This is an example of which of the following methods of assessing student understanding in an integrated language arts class?

Choose an answer

1. dialogue journal
2. portfolio
3. anecdotal record
4. teacher conference

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of various assessments and use of corresponding data to drive instructional decisions within language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A 5^th-gradefifth grade language arts teacher notices that a particular student always points to each word on a page when reading silently to himself. The teacher uses this information as a basis for designing activities for the student that will help him develop word-recognition skills and fluency. The technique that the teacher uses in this case to assess the student's reading needs and design instruction is called

Choose an answer

1. running record.
2. observation.
3. learning log.
4. checklist.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of various assessments and use of corresponding data to drive instructional decisions within language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

The best method for utilizing the data collected from various classroom activities is to

Choose an answer

1. make decisions about groups of students based on strengths and areas of need.
2. identify one area to focus in which to make decisions about groups of students.
3. encourage students to monitor themselves and their activities.
4. engage students in learning new subject matter.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of various assessments and use of corresponding data to drive instructional decisions within language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Over the course of a school term, students have undertaken many writing projects. The most effective way to assess individual student growth in writing through the term would be

Choose an answer

1. cumulative assessment.
2. peer assessment.
3. portfolio assessment.
4. self-assessment.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of various assessments and use of corresponding data to drive instructional decisions within language arts

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

According to current research, English language learners are most likely to benefit from language arts instruction that

Choose an answer

1. immerses students in an English-only environment regardless of their level of proficiency in English.
2. emphasizes the development of academic skills in English over the development of interpersonal skills.
3. separates English-language instruction from content-area instruction.
4. recognizes that students' knowledge and skills in their primary language can be transferred to English.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 6—Knowledge and application of the collaborative processes of reading and writing

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following are the best instructional practices to teach writing and speaking in response to informational texts?

Choose an answer

1. quiz and debate
2. test and speech
3. cooperative learning groups and literary analysis
4. collaborative writing groups and multimedia presentation

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 6—Knowledge and application of the collaborative processes of reading and writing

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

Which of the following is a reader and task factor to consider when determining text complexity?

Choose an answer

1. student's motivation
2. levels of meaning
3. archaic language
4. readability

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 6—Knowledge and application of the collaborative processes of reading and writing

DIRECTIONS: Read the question and select the best response.

A language arts class is studying word relationships. The teacher selects several sets of words to illustrate the concept. Which of the following sets would be INAPPROPRIATE for this lesson?

Choose an answer

1. abhor, abridge, acquainted, acquired
2. cognate, cognizant, incognito, recognize
3. immortal, mortal, mortuary, post mortem
4. centennial, centimeter, century, percentage

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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