Reading Foundations Test Prep
Reading Foundations Test Prep
Reading Foundations Test Prep
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Emily Sidden
June 3, 2015
Grapheme = written
Effective phonemic awareness instruction teaches children to notice, think about, and work with
(manipulate) sounds in spoken language. Teachers use many activities to build phonemic awareness, including:
Phoneme isolation
Children recognize individual sounds in a word.
Learning to isolate the final sound in a word is a step toward mastering phonemic segmentation.
The first sound in van is /v/.
Phoneme identity
Children recognize the same sounds in different words.
The first sound, /f/, is in the same.
Phoneme categorization
Children recognize the word in a set of three or four words that has the odd sound.
Rug does not belong. It doesnt begin with /b/.
Phoneme blending
Children listen to a sequence of separately spoken phonemes, and then combine the phonemes to form a word. Then they write and read the word.
Phonemic blending is used by beginning readers with their knowledge of letter-sound correspondence to sound out and blend the sounds of simple printed words.
/b/ /i/ /g/ is big.
Phoneme segmentation
Children break a word into its separate sounds, saying each sound as they tap out or count
it. Then they write and read the word.
Segmenting the first sound in a spoken word, such as /c/ cat, is one of the first phonemic
awareness skills to develop and is effective informal procedure for assessing phonemic
awareness in the beginning stages.
/g/ /r/ /a/ /b/. Four sounds in grab.
Phoneme deletion
Children recognize the word that remains when a phoneme is removed from another
word.
Smile without the /s/ is mile.
Phoneme addition
Children make a new word by adding a phoneme to an existing word.
If you add /s/ to the beginning of park you get spark.
Phoneme substitution
Children substitute one phoneme for another to make a new word.
If you change /g/ to /n/ in bug, you get bun.
Phonemic awareness is the recognition that spoken words are made up of phonemesthe discrete speech
sounds of a language. Identifying the final sound (phoneme) in hat as /t/ demonstrates phonemic awareness.
Phonemic awareness instruction helps children learn to read and spell. Instruction makes a stronger contribution to the improvement of reading and spelling when children are taught to use letters as they manipulate phonemes than when instruction is limited to phonemes alone. Teaching sounds along with the
letters of the alphabet is important because it helps children to see how phonemic awareness relates to
their reading and writing. Learning to blend phonemes with letters helps children read words. Learning to
segment sounds with letters helps them spell words.
Instruction is most effective when it focuses on only one or two types of phoneme manipulation, rather
than several types. This keeps the children from becoming confused about which type to apply. Younger
children or less able, older readers, should begin with easier activities, such as having them identify and
categorize the first phonemes in words. Blending and segmenting phonemes in words is likely to produce
greater benefits to the students reading than teaching several types of manipulation.
Phonemic awareness instruction can help essentially all students learn to read, including preschoolers,
kindergartners, first graders who are just starting to read, and older, less able readers. The same can be
said for teaching the students to spell.
In general, small-group instruction is more effective in helping the students acquire phonemic awareness
and learn to read. The students can benefit from listening to their classmates respond and receive feedback from the teacher.
Phonological Awareness (auditory)
The following examples of phonological awareness skills are listed in a hierarch from basic to more
complex
Rhyming
Syllables
Counting words in a sentence
Hearing/ manipulating onset and rime
Phonemic Awareness (identification of initial sound is basic and phoneme segmentation is
more complex.)
Phoneme isolation, phoneme identify, phoneme categorization, phoneme blending, phoneme segmentation
Phonics (visual)
Phonics knowledge (letter patterns and letter-sound correspondence) help to decode and encode printed
words for beginning readers.
Students need to know:
Alphabetic principles
Mapping phonemes to their corresponding letters and letter combinations (graphemes)
Phoneme deletion, phoneme addition, phoneme substitution
Types of Instruction
Explicit Instruction
Most important first step in a sequence of instruction
Implicit Instruction
Incidental
Extension and practice
Lessons learned or skills developed, but not primary or measureable objective
May not appear focused
Purpose may be unclear to an outside observer
Research has established that encoding and decoding are reciprocal processes and that spelling
knowledge can contribute to word-reading accuracy.
Research has shown that rereading the same text several times builds comprehensions and improves
reading rate and automaticity with respect given to the text, but these gains do not necessarily transfer to
other texts.
Practice reading many texts written at their independent level is the best way to improve.
Most of the syllables in multi-syllable words follow the same patterns as those in single-syllable words,
the primary challenge for students just learning to decode multi-syllable words is learning to recognize
the words as a series of discrete syllables. They can apply prior knowledge of syllable patterns to decoding longer words.
In research-based, systematic phonics instruction, phonics elements are introduced according to their
utility for beginning readers, and therefore according to their frequency of use in words appearing in primary-grades texts.
Generalizations
Consonant letters are fairly reliable. There is a strong relationship between the letter and the sound we
expect it to represent. Consonants represent the dominant sounds in words.
Consonant letters = strong
Generally, vowel sounds are considered short, such as in the sounds below:
A: apple
E: elephant
I: igloo
O: octopus
U: umbrella
Irregularities
A letter may represent more than one phoneme. For example, some consonant letters may produce a hard
or soft.
The hard c is the sound of /k/ in cat
The soft c is the sound of /s/ in cent, and city
The hard g is the sound of /g/ in game
The soft g is the sound of /j/ in gem and gentle
Vowel sounds behave differently in accented and unaccented syllables. The vowel is most clearly heard
in the accented syllable.
Final y
Y functions as a vowel in the final position (eg. Very, merry)
Blends
Blends are consonant pairs or clusters. Trick to help you remember: The bl in blend is an example...notice that you still hear each sound through to the end (these letters do NOT make a new sound
when combined).
bl, sm, scr, gr, sl, etc.
Digraphs (and trigraphs)
Two consonant letters that together make a new sound. Trick to help you remember: A diagraph makes
me laugh. The last two letters in diagraph (ph) and in laugh (gh) are connected to form two completely
new sounds.
Ch, ph, sh, th, wh, tch, gh (final position only), ng (final position only), etc.
When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking and says its name. These combinations of
vowels make one new sound.
Ai, ay, oa, ee, ea
Silent E
When a short word ends with an e., the first vowel usually has the long sound and the final e is silent. Word or syllable patterns that follow this generalization:
VCe (ape)
CVCe (cape)
CCVCe (brave)
R-Controlled Vowels or Vowels followed by r
When a vowel letter is followed by r, the vowel sound is neither long nor short (it is different!)
Examples: ar in car, or in for, ir in bird
Diphthongs
A blend of vowel sounds, where each sound is still heard. The two most agreed upon vowel combinations are oi in boil and ou in mouth.
Emergent Readers (Kindergarten)
Learn concepts about print
Build oral language
Build phonological awareness (e.g. a sense of rhyming)
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Contractions
Examples:
Have not: havent
Can not: cant
Prefixes/ Suffixes
Examples:
Re- (again)
Un- (not)
-able (
-ful (full)
In- (not, into, inside)
Dis- (not, opposite)
-ness (the state or quality of)
-less (without)
Base words that end in ct or ss just add ion (tract = traction, express = expression)
Base words that end in ic add ian (magic = magician)
Base words that end in te drop the e and add ion (translate = translation)
Base words that end in ce drop the e and add a tion (reduce = reduction); these words are nouns
Base words that end in dde and it drop those letters and add sion or ssion (decide = decision,
admit = admission)
Sometimes ation is added to the base word, which causes little trouble for spellers because it can
be heard (transport = transportation)
Schwa
An unstressed vowel sound, such as the first sound in around and the last vowel sound in
custom.
A chart with the base word in the center and word lists categorized to different morphological processessuffixes, inflectional endings, prefixes, compound wordspromotes on understanding or morphemic structure.
In the context of reading, structural analysis is the process of recognizing the morphemic structure of
words. Pretest, retest, tested, testing
Since there is often a discrepancy between ELLs receptive and productive language skills, the student
may in fact recognize the omitted element but simply not pronounce it, may not have the element in his
or her oral vocabulary, or may have difficulty decoding the element. To assess the source of the error and
respond appropriately, the teacher must first determine whether the missing element is in the students
oral vocabulary. Tigers to tiger. Ask if they know the s means more than one.
The spelling of a suffix is often more reliable than its pronunciation.
Watched> -ed = [t]
Wanted > -ed = [ed]
Warned > -ed = [d]
The spelling of a suffix can vary depending on its root word.
Enjoyable
corruptible
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Vocabulary Tiers
Tier 3: Domain-Specific
Science/history
E.g. Volcano, atmosphere
Tier 2: More sophisticated synonyms for words many children will know
e.g. generous, bawl, whine, infant
Tier 1: Require no instruction; concepts already familiar; words familiar
e.g. kind, cry, baby
Level of Word Knowledge
Unknown: the word is completely unfamiliar and its meaning is unknown
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Acquainted: the word is somewhat familiar; the student has some idea of its basic meaning
Established: the word is very familiar; the student can immediately recognize its meaning and
use the word correctly.
Grouping words related to a text based on conceptual categories and the words associate meanings helps
deepen students understanding of the vocabulary. Discussing and justifying connections among the
words further enhances students understanding of the words and promotes retention of new words.
An idiomatic expression is a sequence of words that has a specific meaning beyond the sum of meanings
of the component words. In addition to explaining the idioms specific meaning, the most effective way
to promote a students understanding of a new idioms to provide the student with several examples used
in comprehensible contexts.
Semantic maps of words associated with a particular content-area topic such as transportation both deepens and broadens their understanding of the topic.
Two of the most effective instructional strategies for promoting ELLs comprehension of a content-area
activating the students prior knowledge of the texts content and contextualizing new concepts and vocabulary through the use of visuals, demonstrations, and/or hands on activities.
Complex sentences contain two or more clauses, with the main clauses being the independent clause that
contains the sentences subject and predicate. Identifying the main clause will help students begin to deconstruct a complex sentence to determine its meaning.
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Adventure stories
Realistic fiction
Historical fiction
Folktales
Legends
Tall tales
Myths
Poetry
Type of Text (Genre)
Narrative poem
Lyrical poem
Humorous poem
Free verse
Text Structure and Features
Verse
Stanza
Repetition
Dialogue
Line organization
Patterns
Rhyme scheme
Rhythm
Mood
Authors Craft
Diction and word choice
Exaggeration
Use of imagery to provide detail
Figurative language (simile, metaphor, alliteration, onomatopoeia)
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Literary Notification
Type of Text (Genre)
Personal essay
Autobiography and biography
Text Structure and Features
Description
Cause and effect
Comparison
Chronology
Point of view
Themes or central ideas
Logical connections
Transitions
Authors Craft
Diction and word choice
Use of action or dialogue to introduce characters
Exaggeration
Figurative language (symbolism, simile, metaphor)
Types of Organizers
Frayer Model: a type of concept map. Includes: the concept word, the definition, characteristics of the concept word, examples of the concept word, and non-examples of the concept
word.
KWL Chart (Know, Want to Know, Learned)
Story maps (who, what, when, where, why, and how)
Modeling for students how to engage in close reading (such as rereading a complex text to enhance comprehension, analyzing the authors use of language, and questioning the authors intentions and goals) of
academic texts.
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Understand How to Apply Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies to Informational/ Expository Texts
Vocabulary
1. Informational/Expository Texts: these are factual materials for science, social studies, and other content areas, as well concept books for the very young dealing with the alphabet r relationships or
time, space, amount. These books explain something to children or teach them how to do something.
Informational/Expository Texts
Information texts:
Have a purpose to convey information about the natural or social world
Enables nonlinear reading
Has an index, table of contents, headings
Diagrams, charts, graphs, captions
Realistic illustrations, photographs
Timeless verbs, generic nouns
Specialized vocabulary, italicization, boldfacing
Particular text structures
To increase comprehension of informational texts:
Increase availability of informational texts
Increase exposure
Increase instructional time with informational text
Increase explicit teaching of comprehension strategies, along with lots of opportunities for
guided and independent practice
Increase attention to the unique features of informational text
Ensure that informational text is used for authentic purposes as much as possible
Exposition
Type of Text (Genre)
Informational trade book
Textbook
New article
Feature article
Encyclopedia entry
Book review
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Italics
Captions
Sidebars
Photos and illustrations
Charts and tables
Authors Craft
Transition words
Signal words
Figurative language and rhetorical structures (parallel structure, quotations, examples, repetition, logical arguments)
Procedural Text and Documents
Type of Text (Genre)
Recipe
Schedule
Map
Directions
Table
Graph
Time line
Text Structure and Features
Description
Procedures
Sequence
Titles
Labels
Headings
Subheadings
Captions
Sidebars
Phots and illustrations
Charts and graphs
Legends
Types of Informational Text Structures
Chronological/Sequential/Temporal: a main idea supported by details, which must be in a particular order
Descriptive/Enumerative: a major idea supported by a list of details or examples, which may
occur in any order
Cause and effect: the supporting details five the causes of a main idea or the supporting details are the results produced by the main idea
Compare/Contrast: the supporting details of two or more main ideas indicate how those concepts are similar or different
Problem/Solution: a subordinate structure that provides a problem and solution, which may
employ any (or all) of the preceding structures.
Question/Answer: a subordinate structure that provides a question and answer, which may
employ any (or all) of the first four structures.
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To draw an inference from a text is to derive a conclusion that is not stated explicitly in the text but rather suggested by facts or promises presented. The passage suggests
Authors point of view in a persuasive essay is based on the authors opinion as presented in an argument, how the author supports the argument, and facts that may have influenced the authors opinion.
Skimming involves a quick, superficial reading of a text o get an overall impression of the material, such
as previewing a textbook chapter.
Skilled readers use different comprehension strategies to achieve different purposes.
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project, paper).
Reliability: consistent results over successive administrations
Validity: test what intended to measure
A retelling is open-ended and requires the student to construct a description of the passage more independently of the examine.
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Comprehension
Literal comprehension: plot, characters, setting
Inferential comprehension: ponder, predict, wonder why something happened
Engagement of schema: background knowledge, connections, vocabulary
Self-monitoring: metacognition, comprehension strategies (visualization, summarizing, synthesizing, making connections)
Forming a Response
Identify and name the strength and then, in the next paragraph, the weakness
Running Record: identify and name the word identification strategy and refer to specific
terms
Comprehension: identify and name the comprehension strategy
Define the strength or weakness in your own words. Be very clear.
Provide evidence. Use at least 3 examples, possibly more
Briefly wrap-up by explaining how a strength/weakness in the area youve identified contributes to overall reading performance.
This section consists of two open-response item assignments that appear on the following pages. You
will be asked to prepare a written response of approximately 150-300 words for each assignment.
You are expected to apply your knowledge not merely recite factual information.
Purpose: the extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
Subject Knowledge: appropriateness and accuracy in the application of subject knowledge
Support: quality and relevance of supporting evidence
Rationale: soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject area.
The 4 response reflects a thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
The purpose of the assignment is fully achieved.
There is a substantial, accurate, and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge.
The supporting evidence is sound; there are high-quality, relevant examples.
The response reflects an ably reasoned, comprehensive understanding of the topic.
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References
Armbruster, B. B., Lehr, F., Osborn, J., & Adler, C. R. (2001). Phonemic awareness instruction. In Put
reading first: The research building blocks for teaching children to read : kindergarten through
grade 3 [PDF]. Retrieved from https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbooklet.pdf
Pearson Education, Inc. (2014). Preparation materials. Retrieved from https://www.nc.nesinc.com/
TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/SA090_PrepMaterials.html
Pope, L. (2008). Teach anyone to read: The no-nonsense guide. New York: EJK Press.
Yaeger, J. A. (2014, July). W isconsin foundations of reading study guide. Retrieved June 1, 2015, from
https://www.uwgb.edu/education/files/pdf/WI-Foundations-of-Rdg-July-2014.pdf
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