Mock Mini Content Test / Subarea I, II, III, IV

A three-year-old preschooler is playing independently on the rug building a house out of blocks. While working on the house, the child says, "No , not the yellow one. The black one would look better for the roof. " According to the theories of Lev Vygotsky, the child's behavior could best be described as:

• demonstrating an understanding of only one's own perspective

• asserting control over the environment

• thinking out loud in order to self-directing learning

• initiating communication with others in order to seek assistance

Several kindergarteners are playing in a large sandbox on the school playground. Which of the following activities demonstrates the most developmentally advanced type of play?

• pouring water on the sand to from the resulting mixture
• building a sand castle cooperatively with two other children
• filling a large bucket with sand using various sizes of scoops
• imitating another child who is tiptoeing through the sand pretending it is very hot

A research tornado caused damage in the community in which an early childhood teacher works. The mother of a 15 - month reports that since the tornado has displaced her family, her son has become clingy, wants to be carried most of the time, and has trouble falling asleep at night. The mother asks the early childhood teacher for suggestions for supporting her child in healing from the trauma of the tornado. Which of the following suggestions should the teacher make to address the mother's concerns?

• encouraging the mother to follow a predictable routine with her child and allow him to stay close to her when he expresses the need
• reminding the mother that children are resilient and that her child will cope with the events of the tornado as the time passes
• showing the mother ways to rebuild her child's independence by establishing regular times for him to play independently
• recommending that the mother discuss the events of the tornado with him daily because he has strong language skills

A first-grade teacher would like to increase parent / guardian participation in a classroom and school events. A number of parents / guardians have expressed that they feel school participation can be intimidating for adults. Some parents have also mentioned to the teacher that they feel school should be the teachers' responsibility. In which of the following ways can the teacher most effectively overcome these barriers with families?

• holding classroom events at various times during the day (e.g., morning, afternoon, evening) to allow all families the opportunity to attend
• sharing this information from the parents / guardians with other teachers and discussing with them the need to be welcoming to families
• offering presentations and workshops about the benefits of family involvement in children's academic experiences
• extending a personal welcome to each parent / guardian and establishing regular communication with them through the most convenient method for their family

According to the family systems theory, teachers can better serve children and families by considering which of the following characteristics of a family?

• amount of time spent together
• communication and interaction patterns
• physical aspects of home environment
• number of siblings and genders

A key benefit of the Preschool for All program in Illinois is that it provides support to young children who:

• are new to the Illinois school system
• have not previously attended a center-based program
• have been identified as intellectually gifted
• are potentially at risk for school failure

An early childhood teacher works with children that range in age from infants to preschoolers. When working with a six-week-old infant, it is imperative that the teacher:

• balance periods of stimulation with quiet time
• provide the infant with developmentally appropriate toys
• socialize the infant by engaging her with other babies
• ensures the infant rests during predetermined times

A second-grade teacher notes that an English language learner struggles with vocabulary when reading independently. The teacher would like to provide the student with a technological resource to clarify the meaning of unknown words while reading independently. The teacher takes into consideration that the student has strong reading skills in his home language. Which of the following resources would be most beneficial for the students to use when independently reading?

• a digital text written in both the student's home language and English
• an online language translator to translate unknown English words into the student's home language
• an audio recording of an English version of a book at the student's reading level
• an online thesaurus to help the student identify synonyms of unknown words

At the beginning of the school year, a preschool teacher plans the daily routines of the class. The teacher decides that every day when the children arrive at school, they will first hang up their backpacks in their assigned cubbies and then choose a table top activity. After table top activities, the children clean up and join the teacher at the carpet for teacher-led stories and songs. Which of the following rationales describes the primary benefit of establishing daily routines for children?

• promoting children's friendships
• fostering children's early academic skills
• helping children gain a sense of security
• ensuring development of children's independent self-care skills

A preschool teacher has set up an open-ended sand and water center in her classroom. The teacher includes a variety of materials in the center, including small shovels, buckets, sifters, measuring cups and spoons, shells, twigs, and plastic animals. The teacher's approach reflects the principle that materials in the center should:

• teach children about the relationships among the sciences.
• offer a range of experiences to meet the varied developmental levels of children in the class.
• promote children's understanding of the necessary steps to keep the center organized.
• be varied and changed daily to maintain children's interest.