Praxis 5001 Practice Exams
Question 1 of 5.
Extract:At about 11 PM On Christmas, Washington's army commenced its crossing of the half-frozen river at three locations. The 2,400 soldiers led by Washington successfully braved the icy and freezing river and reached the New Jersey side of the Delaware just before dawn. The other two divisions, made up of some 3,000 men and crucial artillery, failed to reach the meeting point at the appointed time. -"Washington Crosses the Delaware," from the History Channel Web site Christmas, 6 PM... It is fearfully cold and raw and a snow-storm is setting in. The wind is northeast and beats in the faces of the men. It will be a terrible night for the soldiers who have no shoes... but I have not heard a man complain... December 26, 3 A.M. I have never seen Washington so determined as he is now. He stands on the bank of the stream, wrapped in his cloak, superintending the landing of his troops. He is calm and collected, but very determined. -Diary of Colonel John Fitzgerald, December 25 and December 26. 1776
Which of the following best describes a benefit of having students read both excerpts?
A. Students can analyze the differences between a primary and secondary source document.
B. Students can compare the facts in the primary source to the emotions expressed in the secondary source.
C. Students can understand different points of view when forming an opinion about an event.
D. Students can learn to recognize whether sources are reliable.
Explanation: The first excerpt is a secondary source, a historical account written later by the History Channel based on research. The second excerpt is a primary source, a firsthand diary entry written by a participant (Colonel Fitzgerald) during the event. Having students read both allows them to analyze the key differences between these two types of sources, such as the immediacy and subjective experience found in the primary source versus the broader, researched overview found in the secondary source. The primary source contains facts (weather conditions) and emotions. The point of view is different (third-person historian vs. first-person participant), but the main pedagogical benefit is the source type analysis.
Question 2 of 5.
Which of the following best describes why phonological awareness is predictive of beginning reading success?
A. It is an auditory skill in which understanding of letter-sound relationships is developed.
B. It is a visual skill in which letter recognition skills are developed.
C. It is a speaking skill in which oral production of letter sounds is developed.
D. It is a fine motor skill in which letter formation skills are developed.
Explanation: Phonological awareness involves recognizing and manipulating language sounds (e.g., rhymes, syllables, phonemes), an auditory skill critical for understanding letter-sound relationships (phonics). This supports early reading by enabling word decoding. Option B focuses on visual letter recognition, which is distinct. Option C relates to speech production, not phonological awareness. Option D involves writing, a motor skill unrelated to phonological awareness.
Question 3 of 5.
Which THREE of the following words contain diphthongs?
A. Boy
B. Mother
C. Buy
D. Apple
E. Coin
Explanation: A diphthong is a vowel sound gliding from one vowel to another within a syllable (e.g., /oi/, /ai/). 'Boy' (A) has /oi/, 'Buy' (C) has /ai/, and 'Coin' (E) has /oi/. 'Mother' (B) and 'Apple' (D) have simple vowels (/ʌ/, /ə/ and /æ/, /ə/). The correct choices are A, C, E, corresponding to option C.
Question 4 of 5.
Which two of the following words feature an open syllable pattern?
A. Happen
B. Robot
C. Sunlight
D. Artist
E. Silent
Explanation: An open syllable ends with a vowel, typically producing a long vowel sound (e.g., 'me'). 'Robot' (B) has an open first syllable ('ro', /oÊŠ/). 'Silent' (E) has an open first syllable ('si', /ai/). 'Happen' (A), 'Sunlight' (C), and 'Artist' (D) have closed syllables. The correct choices are B, E, corresponding to option B.
Question 5 of 5.
Which of the following best demonstrates student knowledge of sound matching?
A. A student is able to see an illustration of an object ending in 'g' and identify the ending sound as /g/.
B. A student is able to hear the sounds /d/ /o/ /g/ and can identify the word as 'dog' when asked.
C. A student is able to identify the initial sound of the word 'top' as /t/ and can point to an object identified by a word with the same initial sound.
D. A student can remove the /b/ sound from the word 'bat' and identify the resulting word as 'at.'
Explanation: Sound matching involves identifying words with the same sound, typically at the beginning, middle, or end. Option C demonstrates this by identifying the initial /t/ in 'top' and matching it to another word with the same initial sound. Option A is sound identification, not matching. Option B involves phoneme blending. Option D involves phoneme deletion.