Domain II: Phonological and Other Linguistic
Processes Related to Reading
There are approximately 65-70 multiple choice questions on the
exam. These include both content questions, in which knowledge about reading
and reading instruction is directly assessed, and contextualized question that
assess the candidate’s ability to apply specific knowledge, to analyze
specific problems, or to conduct specific tasks related to reading instruction.
Approximately 30% of the question assess competencies in Domain II.
Domain II: Phoneme Awareness and Systematic Phonics Instruction
1. One of the more difficult phonemic awareness activities is:
a. blending
b. rhyming
c. segmentation
d. sound addition and substitution.
2. One of the easiest phonemic awareness activities is:
a. blending
b. rhyming
c. segmentation
d. sound addition and substitution.
3. An example of an effective phonemic awareness activity is:
a. presenting an oral activity
b. doing a mini lesson
c. reading a wordplay book
d. all of the above.
4. The alphabetic principle is important for:
a. learning to write
b. learning to read
c. learning the alphabet
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
5. The most powerful predictor of later reading achievement is:
a. a knowledge of phonics
b. a knowledge of the alphabet
c. phonemic awareness
d. a concept of print.
6. In the word church, "ch" is an example of:
a. a consonant digraph
b. a consonant blend
c. an onset
d. a and c
e. b and c
7. Lisa has no concept of rhyme. A good teaching strategy for Lisa would be:
a. phonemic awareness activities
b. a phonics mini lesson
c. reading a story
d. a and b
e. all of the above
8. Reading materials used for phonics programs have
a. high frequency words
b. decodable words
c. predictable words
d. all of the above.
9. According to Marilyn Adams, an essential component of a primary balanced reading program is:
a. literature
b. language experience
c. phonics
d. none of the above.
10. Recognizing that the "k" sound in black is a consonant digraph is an example of:
a. structural analysis
b. morphology
c. etymology
d. phonetic analysis.
11. An example of a vowel generalization is:
a. a dipthong
b. a digraph
c. CVC
d. a schwa.
12. The "a" in far is an example of
a. a short vowel
b. an r-controlled vowel
c. a long vowel
d. a schwa.
13. Sight words are high frequency words that should be
a. recognized in one second
b. recognized in 20 seconds
c. sounded out
d. defined in a sentence.
14. Ellen is a word by word reader. To develop her fluency, you try the following:
a. rereading
b. choral reading
c. LEA
d. a and b
e. all of the above.
15. The "c" is cat is an example of:
a phoneme
b. a grapheme
c. an onset
d. b and c
e. all of the above
16. In the word transportation, recognizing the root, prefix, and suffix is an example of:
a. orthography
b. phonetic analysis
c. structural analysis
d. none of the above.
17. The "str" at the beginning of street is an example of:
a. a consonant digraph
b. a consonant blend
c. an onset
d. a rime.
18. To improve reading fluency, students should read books at their:
a. instructional reading level
b. independent reading level
c. frustration reading level
d. none of the above.
19. Phonemic awareness should be taught in:
a. kindergarten
b. K-2
c. K-6
d. all of the above.
20. First graders should be able to:
a. rhyme sounds
b. segment sounds
c. isolate sounds
d. blend sounds
e. all of the above.
21. Students should recognize vowel patterns such as diphthongs by:
a. Kindergarten
b. first grade
c. second grade
d. third grade
e. none of the above.
22. The following syllabication rule (VC/CV) should be used to divide:
a. teacher
b. supper
c. candle
d. apron
23. Boat is an example of
a. a vowel digraph
b. a schwa
c. a dipthong
d. a short vowel.
24. Boy is an example of:
a. a vowel digraph
b. a schwa
c. a dipthong
d. a short vowel.
25. Affixes are:
a. prefixes
b. suffixes
c. roots
d. prefixes and suffixes.
26. To teach the letters of the alphabet, which of the following is not recommended?
a. environmental print
b. labels
c. letter of the week
d. children’s names.
27. Why is teaching a letter of the week not recommended?
a. It is isolated language.
b. It takes too long.
c. It lacks authenticity.
d. None of the above.
e. All of the above.
28. The view that phonics is best taught as the complete reading program:
a. is embraced by most reading experts.
b. ignores the interrelated nature of the four cueing systems.
c. acknowledges the complexity of the reading process.
d. acknowledges that most children learn to read in different ways.
29. Instruction that focuses children’s attention on the vowel component of a syllable, including any consonants following it, is important because:
a. onsets form rhyming patterns in over 500 early primary words;
b. children make more errors decoding initial consonants than decoding vowels;
c. onsets distract children from decoding initial consonants;
d. children make more errors decoding rimes than decoding onsets.
30. When children isolate sounds in a spoken word, they are practicing:
a. segmentation
b. sound blending
c. substitution
d. rhyming.
31. The alphabetic principle is the idea that:
a. spelling is learned through alphabetical lists of important words
.
b. children are intuitively aware of letter-sound correspondence;
c. children must recognize letters of the alphabet before entering school;
d. letters represent sounds in words.
32. Systematic explicit phonics is:
a. a series of mini lessons on selected skills, when appropriate;
b. based on teachable moments;
c. daily instruction, based on students’ needs;
d. none of the above;
e. all of the above.
34. Phonics should be taught:
a. for at least one hour per day;
b. using a whole-part-whole approach;
c. in isolation
d. after phonemic awareness skills are mastered.
35. The best way to teach phonemic awareness is through:
a. decodable text
b. information books
c. ABC books
d. literature.
36. Phonics should be taught through:
a. workbooks;
b. in context through mini lessons;
c. games;
d. flash cards.
37. An activity not recommended for teaching phonics is:
a. rhyming families
b. word sorts
c. retelling
d. magnetic letters.
38. Which one of the following is not a vowel generalization?
a. VCV
b. CV
c. CVCE
d. CVC
Roberto, a first grader, is learning sight words, and his phonics skills
are improving every day. His ability to rhyme words indicates that he has some
level of phonemic awareness. Roberto knows most of his letters and sounds. Yet,
when reading orally, he uses little expression, pauses frequently, and reads
word by word.
39. Roberto has a problem with:
a. concept of print
b. decoding
c. fluency
d. sight words.
40. An effective teaching strategy for Roberto is:
a. reading easy text
b. reading on his frustration reading level
c. phonics mini lessons
d. an interactive writing lesson.
41. To develop Roberto’s level of phonemic awareness, use:
a. word banks
b. Elkonin boxes
c. dictated stories
d. journal writing.
Maria, a quiet shy seven-year-old, has just moved to the United States
from Mexico. Her primary language is Spanish, and you are a monolingual English
teacher. The first day in your second grade class, you notice that she is "reading"
a Little Red Riding Hood book during DEAR time. She is looking at the pictures
but seems to be unfamiliar with the story. When you ask her to read a page of
the text in English, she stumbles over simple words such as "the"
and "my." You point to "red" and ask her to tell you the
word, but she is unable to sound it out.
42. What do you know about Maria?
a. She is a second language learner who needs oral language strategies in English.
b. She may or may not know how to read or write in Spanish.
c. Maria has limited phonics skills and a limited sight vocabulary.
d. All of the above.
43. What would you do to help Maria learn to read? To improve her phonics skills, you could use all of the following except:
a. an interactive writing lesson;
b. reading to her;
c. language experience;
d. mini lessons.
44. To improve Maria’s sight vocabulary, do not use:
a. word banks
b. daily writing
c. tape recorded books
d. multisensory techniques
e. workbooks.
45. When you gave Maria the Yopp-Singer Test of Phoneme Segmentation, she scored 2 out of 22. To improve Maria’s phonemic awareness, you should:
a. ask her to identify rhymes in poems and songs
b. use magnetic letters to identify CVC words
c. use Elkonin boxes to segment sounds;
d. none of the above.
Domain II: Concepts About Print
Kenny us a five-year-old kindergartner who shows little interest in
books. His teacher has observed him in the library center during free choice
time. He usually uses books as playthings, stacking them and frequently opening
them to use them to build roofs over his stacks of books.
Whenever he does open a book he usually looks at the picture on one page briefly
and then closes the book again. During times when the teacher reads aloud Kenny
listens for a few minutes but then is distracted by the children around him.
1. Kenny is showing signs of
a. learning disabilities
b. attention deficit disorder
c. little experience with reading books
d. phonemic unawareness
2. An appropriate assessment for Kenny’s teacher to use with him would be
a. concepts about print
b. running records
c. informal reading inventory
d. sight word assessment
3. An appropriate instructional strategy (or strategies) for Kenny would
be
a. guided reading
b. shared reading
c. 1 X 1 read aloud
d. b & c
e. a & b
4. When reading aloud with Kenny, the teacher should
a. discuss the illustrations
b. track words with her finger
c. relate the book to his experiences
d. all of the above
5. Having an emergent reader track the words as he reads along with the teacher is important to
a. demonstrate 1 X 1 word correspondence
b. demonstrate left to right progression
c. be sure he is paying attention
d. a & b
e. b & c
6. Concepts about print include all of the following except
a. recognizing word boundaries
b. being able to track words in a sentence from left to right
c. knowing how to spell simple words
d. knowing the purpose of punctuation
e. recognizing upper- and lower- case letters
7. Recognizing word boundaries is supported by
a. pointing to individual words as they are read
b. calling attention to spacing during interactive writing
c. calling attention to spacing during modeled writing
d. a & b
e. all of the above
Carlos is a first grader and an English language learner who is often
observed holding his book upside down during guided reading. Once the teacher
helps him to turn the book right side up he seems to be able to follow along,
tracking from left to right but doesn’t know many sight words. He is still
working in a level one book and not making much progress.
8. Which of the following instructional strategies is (are) appropriate
for Carlos?
a. oral language activities to build English speaking vocabulary.
b. use of realia and hands-on experiences related to the texts prior to reading them
c. 1 X 1 read aloud
d. shared reading
e. all of the above
9. Because Carlos often holds the book upside down, we should assess his
a. visual acuity
b. concepts about print
c. attention span
d. IQ
10. To be successful in learning to read in first grade, Carlos is probably going to need
a. short, frequent guided reading lessons
b. a peer tutor
c. psychological testing
d. all of the above
11. In addition to reading instruction, Carlos’ teacher should be providing daily
a. word play
b. modeled writing
c. English language development activities
d. oral language experiences
e. all of the above
12. Shared reading is used to
a. model reading from left to right
b. master new sight vocabulary
c. give individual reading practice
d. a & b
e. all of the above
13. Knowledge of concepts about print in a beginning kindergartner is a strong indicator that
a. the child has been read to
b. the child is gifted
c. the child can read
d. a & b
e. b & c
Miss Garcia is teaching a shared reading lesson using the big book Caps
for Sale. She is using a pointer to point to each word as she and the children
read in unison.
14. When she points to each word with the pointer she is modeling
a. 1 X 1 word correspondence
b. left to right progression
c. word boundaries
d. reading of sight words
e. all of the above
15. When she discusses illustrations and points to objects in pictures as she names them she is modeling
a. word meaning
b. a cueing system
c. art appreciation
d. a & b
e. a & c
16. When she points to an exclamation point, talks about its use and models reading the sentences with excitement, she is modeling
a. conventions of print
b. proofreading
c. a & c
d. all of the above
17. When she asks a child to come up and frame a word, she is focusing on
a. concept of word
b. phonics
c. word boundaries
d. a & c
e. all of the above
18. When she points out the quotation marks in the refrain, "Caps! Caps for sale!" and asks the children who is talking, she is focusing on
a. conventions of print
b. punctuation usage
c. reading fluency
d. a & b
e. b & c
19. A child who writes MIDGZBG. (My dog is big.) in his journal is demonstrating all of the following concepts about print except
a. left to right progression
b. punctuation usage
c. word order
d. word boundaries
e. sound/symbol relationships
20. When a child writes I lik dogs. in his journal he is demonstrating which of the following concepts about print?
a. left to right progressions
b. punctuation usage
c. word order
d. word boundaries
e. all of the above
21. When a child writes I2TEPQB (I saw a funny clown at the circus last Saturday) in his journal, he is demonstrating which of the following concepts about print?
a. left to right progression
b. punctuation usage
c. word order
d. word boundaries
e. all of the above
22. A child who reads, "Humpty Dumpty sat on a big tall wall." when looking at the text, "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall." is demonstrating lack of which of the following?
a. left to right progression
b. 1 X 1 correspondence
c. punctuation usage
d. comprehension
e. all of the above
23. Interactive writing provides opportunities for the modeling and practice of which of the following concepts about print?
a. left to right progression
b. punctuation usage
c. capitalization usage
d. word boundaries
e. all of the above
24. Using a chart with the words to a song, pointing to the words as they are sung, provides modeling of which of the following?
a. capitalization usage
b. punctuation usage
c. 1 X 1 word correspondence
d. reading with expression
e. all of the above
25. Having a child point out the title and author before reading a book is reinforcing
a. conventions of print
b. mechanics of print
c. concepts about print
d. school to work connections
e. all of the above
26. Discussing the name and uses of the punctuation mark called a period with kindergarten students is
a. focusing on conventions of print
b. premature
c. teaching vocabulary
d. a & b
e. a & d
27. A child who is reading at level seven at the end of first grade is considered to be reading
a. below grade level
b. at grade level
c. above grade level
d. gifted
28. Word boundaries are defined as
a. the length of words
b. the beginning and endings of words
c. the spaces before and after words
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
29. The terms letter, word, and sentence are best taught in the context of
a. journals
b. shared reading
c. a sorting game
d. a phonics lesson
e. all of the above
30. The terms comma, period, and exclamation point are best taught in the context of
a. interactive writing
b. read aloud
c. sorting game
d. a & b
e. b & c
Domain II: Spelling Multiple Choice
1. First grade Jessica wrote this sentence: I liek too ride mie bike
wid mie freind on Sundae. (I like to ride my bike with my friend on Sunday.)
At what stage of invented spelling are most of her incorrect spellings?
a. prephonetic
b. semi-phonetic
c. phonetic
d. transitional
e. conventional
2. First grade Juan wrote this sentence: The beg bk dog r re djrs. (The big black dogs are very dangerous.) At what stage of invented spelling are most of his incorrect spellings?
a. prephonetic
b. semi-phonetic
c. phonetic
d. transitional
e. conventional
3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of phonetic spellers?
a. Children represent all essential sound features of a word in spelling.
b. Children misapply spelling rules.
c. Children choose letters on the basis of sound without regard for English letter sequences.
d. Children ignore inflectional endings the they don’t pronounce.
e. none of the above.
4. Which of the following is not a characteristic of transitional spellers?
a. Children adhere to basic conventions of English orthography.
b. Children reverse the order of letters in words.
c. Children use a high percentage of correctly spelled words.
d. Children use morphological and visual information in addition to phonetic information.
e. none of the above.
5. At which stage of invented spelling do students become aware of the alphabetic principle and use abbreviated spellings to represent words?
a. prephonetic
b. semi-phonetic
c. phonetic
d. transitional
e. conventional
6. At which stage of invented spelling do students use scribbles and write randomly on a page?
a. prephonetic
b. semi-phonetic
c. phonetic
d. transitional
e. conventional
7. At which stage of invented spelling do students apply the basic rules of the English orthographic system and spell more than 90% of words correctly?
a. prephonetic
b. semi-phonetic
c. phonetic
d. transitional
e. conventional
8. Which statement is true of invented spelling?
a. Children use invented spellings because they haven’t been taught phonics.
b. Children continue to use some invented spellings throughout the elementary grades.
c. Children should not be allowed to use invented spellings after first grade.
d. none of the above.
e. all of the above.
9. Which of the following statements is not true of spelling?
a. Students apply phonics knowledge when they spell.
b. Weekly spelling tests are the best way to teach spelling.
c. Students need to learn visual and morphological information about spelling.
d. none of the above.
e. all of the above.
10. Which of the following statements is not true of poor spellers?
a. Poor spellers tend to be poor readers.
b. Poor spellers are likely to use a "sounding-out" strategy.
c. The errors that poor spellers make are characteristic of the phonetic stage.
d. none of the above.
e. all of the above.
11. Which of the following statements is true of good spellers?
a. Good spellers tend to be good readers.
b. Good spellers use a variety of spelling strategies.
c. The errors that good spellers make are characteristic of the transitional sage.
d. none of the above.
e. all of the above.
12. Which of the following activities is not appropriate for transitional stage spellers?
a. Encouraging students to sound-out word.
b. Teaching root words and affixes.
c. Encouraging students to visualize words.
d. Teaching syllabication rules.
e. Explaining etymologies of words.
13. Which of the following activities is not appropriate for semi-phonetic stage spellers?
a. Teaching consonant sounds.
b. Encouraging students to sound-out words.
c. Teaching high frequency words.
d. Using interactive writing.
e. Copying sentences from the chalkboard.
14. Which of the following activities is not appropriate for prephonetic stage spellers?
a. Teaching consonant sounds.
b. Encouraging students to "scribble-write."
c. Teaching vowel sounds.
d. Teaching letters of the alphabet.
e. Encouraging students to use a crayon when they draw and a pencil when they write.
15. Which of the following is not a high frequency word?
a. what
b. little
c. the
d. animal
e. said
16. Why is it important to teach students high frequency words?
a. These words are used so commonly.
b. these words are phonetically regular.
c. These words are the only words that first graders should learn.
d. none of the above.
e. all of the above.
17. Which of the following activities are recommended as an important component of spelling instruction?
a. daily reading and writing opportunities
b. word walls
c. minilessons on spelling patterns
d. none of the above
e. all of the above
18. Why are daily reading opportunities an important component of spelling instruction?
a. Reading helps students learn the visual shapes of words.
b. Reading enriches students’ vocabularies.
c. Reading develops students’ phonics skills.
d. none of the above.
e. all of the above.
19. Why is teaching students how to proofread an important component of spelling instruction?
a. So students can write more legibly.
b. So students can write more fluently.
c. So students can correct misspelled words.
d. a and b.
e. all of the above.
20. Which of the following is not a recommended component of weekly spelling tests?
a. pretests
b. a multi-sensory study strategy
c. writing words in sentences
d. final spelling tests
e. all of the above
21. Why are pretests an important component of spelling instruction?
a. A pretest is an advanced organizer.
b. Students learn best by taking a test.
c. Students identify the words they already know how to spell.
d. none of the above.
e. all of the above.
22. What is the best way for students to practice their spelling words?
a. Using a multi-sensory study strategy.
b. Writing words 50 times each;
c. Using the words in a story.
d. Reading the words 5 times each.
e. Learning the meaning of the words.
23. Which of the following is morphological information that spellers use?
a. -ing, -ed, and other inflectional endings
b. root words
c. prefixes and suffixes
d. none of the above.
e. all of the above.
24. Why is it useful for spellers to know the etymology of a word?
a. Because spelling patterns vary from language to language.
b. Because knowing the number of syllables aids in spelling the word.
c. Because knowing the phonological respelling of a word aids in spelling the word.
d. none of the above.
e. all of the above.
25. Third grade Moua is an English language learner who rarely uses inflectional endings in her speech or in writing. Which of the following instructional practices should her teacher not use?
a. Teach minilessons on inflectional endings.
b. Help Moua correct errors in her writing during editing.
c. Model how to pronounce endings.
d. Understand that her problem is typical and ignore it.
e. Do word sorts.
26. Sixth grade Luis loves to write long, detailed informational books about race cars, but he misspells 20-25% of words that he writes, both high frequency words and content words like engine. His spelling is characteristic of the transitional stage. Which of the following instructional practices is most appropriate for Luis?
a. teach proofreading
b. provide daily writing opportunities
c. teach phonics
d. teach affixes and root words
e. none of the above
27. Ms. Rodriguez has five first graders who spell at the prephonetic stage. Which of the following assessments would be appropriate?
a. phonemic awareness tests
b. writing samples
c. concepts about print tests
d. sentence dictation
e. reading sight words
28. Referring to question 27, Ms. Rodriguez wants to design a series of minilessons for these students. Which activity would not be appropriate?
a. interactive writing
b. sorting objects by initial sounds
c. teaching one letter each week
d. using magnetic letters
e. making alphabet books
29. To-two-too is an example of a _____ .
a. homophones
b. homographs
c. homophobes.
d. synonyms
e. antonyms.
30. Mrs. Jones is a fifth grade teacher who is concerned that many of her students make homophone spelling errors by choosing the wrong homophone. Which of the following is not an appropriate instructional practice?
a. teach minilessons on homophones.
b. brainstorm with students lists of homophones.
c. put homophones on weekly spelling tests.
d. create a class homophone book.
e. none of the above.
31. Mr. Johnson wants to teach dictionary skills to his third graders. His students already know how to alphabetize to the third letter and can use word walls that are alphabetized. They don’t use the dictionaries in their classroom. Which of the following is not an appropriate instructional practice?
a. Teach a minilesson on the importance of using the dictionary.
b. Teach a strategy for locating unfamiliar words in the dictionary.
c. Give students a list of 20 words to look up in the dictionary and write the page number on which the word is located.
d. Use dictionaries during editing.
e. Play a game in which students look up unfamiliar words from a book they are reading in a dictionary and report back to the class.
Domain II: Focused Educational Problems and Instructional Tasks
In this section of the RICA exam, problems and tasks in educational
contexts are presented and require candidates to (a) consider information about
a class, a groups of students, an individual student or an instructional situation
and (b) devise or proved explanations related to appropriate instructional strategies
or assessment approaches. Four of these focused tasks are included on the exam.
Each assesses one or more competencies in one domain of the RICA Content Specifications,
and there is one problem or task for each of the four domains. Problems or tasks
for Domains I and IV each require a written response of approximately 50 words.
Those for domains II and III each require a written response of approximately
150 words.
Domain II—Focused Educational Problems and Instructional Tasks
1. What is the difference between phonics and phonemic awareness?
Phonics: an awareness of sounds in written words; phonemic awareness: an awareness of sounds
in spoken words OR
Phonics: set of relationships between speech and sound patterns; phonemic awareness: the ability
to segment and blend spoken words.
2. Define systematic, explicit phonics:
Direct teaching on a daily basis, from simple to complex skills; may be in the form of a mini
lesson. Skills are taught when appropriate.
3. How should spelling be taught? Include at least five components of
an effective spelling program.
Choose from the following seven components:
A. Daily writing opportunities E. Daily reading opportunities
B. Word walls F. Proofreading
C. Dictionary use G. Spelling options
D. Strategies for spelling unfamiliar words
4. Explain the language cueing systems:
A. Semantic: using meaning or context clues
B. Syntactic: word order or sentence structure
C. Graphophonic or Phonological: the sound system of English; 44 sounds.
Graphics: how the word looks; phonics: how the word sounds.
D. Pragmatic: system of English that varies language according to social and cultural issues.
5. Define onset and rime:
Onset: Beginning sound of a word (letter or letters before the vowel)
Rime: Ending sound of a word (from the vowel onward)
6. What is the difference between phonetic and structural analysis?
Phonetic Analysis: An analysis of letter/sound patterns;
Structural Analysis: An analysis of the parts of words (i.e. prefixes, suffixes, roots, syllables,
etc.).
7. Define the alphabetic principle and why it is important:
Alphabetic Principle: The knowledge that letters represent sounds. When a child understands this,
he or she can learn to read.
8. List the stages of phonemic awareness from easiest to most difficult:
• rhyming • blending • segmentation • sound addition & substitution
• sound manipulation (hardest)
9. What type of text is used in phonics program and why?
Decodable, because the books contain words made up of only the phonetic sounds that have been
explicitly taught.
10. Name five skills that could be included in a first grade phonics checklist:
(Any of the following are acceptable.)
A. phonemic awareness (segmenting, blending, rhyming)
B. consonants
C. blends and digraphs
D. rimes
E. short vowels
F. long vowels
G. rules (CVC, CVCe, r-controlled, syllables)
11. What knowledge about phonology do children need before they "break the code"?
• phonemic awareness • phonics • spelling
12. Which phonics concepts are most important for children to learn?
(Should include all of the following:)
A. alphabetic principle
B. letters of the alphabet
C. consonants
D. vowels H. syllabication
E. rime/rhyme
F. blending
G. phonics generalizations
13. Describe components of an effective phonics program.
Include at least five of the following:
A. high utility phonics
B. developmental continuum
C. whole-part-whole instructional
sequence
D. mini lessons
E. application of phonics skills
F. teachable moments
G. phonemic awareness
H. phonics review
14. Describe the various levels of a concept of print or print awareness.
A. book handling
B. directional behavior language
C. tracking of print
D. understanding that print carries letters within words, or words
meaning within sentences
E. specific concepts about printed
F. hierarchical concepts including letters,
*terminology and hierarchy may vary
15. Describe the stages of invented spelling (with at least two characteristics per stage).
Stage 1: Precommunicative Spelling
Child uses scribbles, letterlike forms, letters, and sometimes numbers to represent a message.
Child may write from left to right, right to left, top to bottom or randomly on the page.
Child shows no understanding of phoneme-grapheme correspondences.
Child may repeat a few letters again and again or use most of the letters of the alphabet.
Child frequently mixes upper- and lowercase letters but shows a preference for uppercase letters.
Stage 2: Semiphonetic Spelling
Child becomes aware of the alphabetic principle that letters are used to represent sounds.
Child uses abbreviated one-, two-, and three-letter spelling to represent an entire word.
Child uses letter-name strategy to spell words.
Stage 3: Phonetic Spelling
Child represents all essential sound features of a word in spelling.
Child develops particular spellings for long and short vowels, plural and past-tense markers, and
other aspects of spelling.
Child chooses letters on the basis of sound without regard for English letter sequences or
conventions.
Stage 4: Transitional Spelling
Child adheres to basic conventions of English orthography.
Child begins to use morphological and visual information in addition to phonetic information.
Child may include all appropriate letters in a word but reverse some of them.
Child uses alternate spellings for the same sound in different words, but only partially understands
the conditions governing their use.
Child uses a high percentage of correctly spelled words.
Stage 5: Conventional Spelling
Child applies the basic rules of the English orthographic system.
Child extends knowledge of word structure including the spelling of affixes, contractions,
compound words, and homonyms.
Child demonstrates growing accuracy in using silent consonants and doubling consonants before
adding suffixes.
Child recognizes when a word doesn't "look right" and can consider alternate spellings for the
same sound.
Child learns irregular spelling patterns.
Child learns consonant and vowel alternations and other morphological structures.
Child knows how to spell a large number of words conventionally.
-from Gail Tompkins' Literacy for the 21st Century (1997); terms may vary slightly depending on
the text used.
16. Why is invented spelling useful?
Encourages children to write without worrying about spelling every word correctly. There is less
risk of failure. Can be used to assess a child's knowledge of phonics and spelling patterns.
17. How does invented spelling help children to learn phonics?
As young children begin writing, they use invented spelling to apply what they know about
English spelling patterns. Their spelling changes to reflect phonics skills and spelling patterns they
are learning.
18. Why are phonics generalizations useful?
They help to clarify English spelling patterns; however, only a few have a high degree of utility for
readers.
19. What are five of the most useful phonics generalizations?
Choose from the following:
A. Two sounds of c
B. Two sounds of g
C. CVC pattern
D. Final e or CVCe pattern
E. CV pattern
F. R-controlled vowels
G. -igh
H. Kn- and wr- (silent letters)
20. Why should students learn the 100 most frequently used words in the English language?
Children need to develop a sight vocabulary - words that should be recognized instantly, in less
than one second. Many of these words must be memorized. They cannot be sounded out, found
frequently in beginning readers, represent over 50% of all words children and adults write.
21. What are three strategies for spelling unfamiliar words?
Choose from the following:
A. "Have-a-go" - Spell the word three different ways; choose the one that looks right; (from
Reggie Routman)
B. Invented spellings based on students' phonological, semantic, and historical knowledge of
words;
C. Proofreading to locate and correct spelling errors;
D. Locating words on word walls and other charts;
E. Applying affixes to root words;
F. Spelling by analogy;
G. Locating the spelling of unfamiliar words in a dictionary or other resource books;
H. Writing a letter or two as placeholders during quickwrites or rough days;
I. Asking the teacher or a peer how to spell a word.
22. Identify and describe two ways a teacher can help children develop phonemic awareness.
Choose from:
A. Songs
B. Poetry
C. Reading aloud
D. Elkonin boxes
E. Books (wordplay)
F. Minilessons
G. Oral activities
23. What is the difference between the alphabetic principle and phonemic awareness? Explain how each is important in learning to read.
Alphabetic principle : A knowledge that letters represent sounds. Phonemic awareness : An
awareness of sounds in spoken words. Phonemic awareness is the most powerful predictor of
reading achievement. The alphabetic principle must be understood before a child can learn to read.
24. Define "concepts about print."
An understanding of how letters, words and sentences are represented in written language;
sometimes called print awareness.
25. Why are Elkonin boxes used in beginning reading instruction?
To teach the segmentation of words.
26. How can students develop fluency?
Choose from (include at least 3):
A. Choral reading
B. Echo reading
C. Rereading
D. Tape-recorded books
E. Shared reading
F. Guided reading
G. Reading decodable and other texts at the student's independent reading level.
27. What is the most useful syllabication rule?
When two consonants follow a vowel, the syllable is usually divided between the two consonants.
28. What are some examples of phonics mini-lessons?
Choose from:
A. Word sorts
B. Making Words
C. Elkonin boxes
D. Onset/rime
E. Magnetic letters to form words
F. Dr. Seuss books (locate pattern words)
29. What is the difference between "rime" and "rhyme?"
Rime : a specific pattern (beginning with a vowel); for example, ay.
Rhyme : a word that uses the pattern; alternate beginning sounds (onsets); for example, day, say,
ray, may, lay, etc.
30. What is the purpose of a word wall?
To teach high frequency words the children are responsible for spelling correctly in their writing.
31. What is the controversy about spelling instruction?
The use of invented spelling and weekly spelling tests: The controversy is over when and where to
allow invented spelling and the fact that children do not tend to remember the spelling of words on
weekly tests. The words are often in isolation. Instead, the focus should be on strategies and on
spelling words in context such as in daily reading and writing.
32. What is the goal of phonemic awareness activities?
To break down and manipulate spoken words.
34. What are other names for invented spelling?
Kid spelling, temporary spelling, or phonetic spelling
35. Why is syllabication useful?
For decoding when reading and spelling words when writing.
Domain II: Case Study Based on Student Profile
In this section of the RICA exam, candidates receive substantial background
information about a student and samples of materials illustrating the student’s
reading performance. Candidates are asked to assess the student’s reading
performance, describe appropriate instructional strategies for the student,
and explain why these strategies would be effective or task for each of the
four domains. The exam contains one case study, which includes content related
to all four domains of the RICA Content Specifications and requires a written
response of approximately 300 words.
MARIA
Maria, a quiet shy seven-year-old, has just moved to the United States from
Mexico. Her primary language is Spanish, and you are a monolingual English teacher.
The first day in your second grade class, you notice that she is "reading"
a Little Red Riding Hood book during DEAR time. She is looking at the pictures,
but seems to be unfamiliar with the story. When you ask her to read a page of
the text, she stumbles over simple words such as "the" and "my."
You point to "red" and ask her to tell you the word, but she is unable
to sound it out. What do you know about Maria and what instructional strategies
do you recommend and why?
A. Problem: Limited sight vocabulary, phonics, and probably phonemic awareness. Limited
knowledge of English.
B. Recommendations: English Language Development strategies (ELD), Sheltered English
techniques, and activities for developing sight words improving phonemic awareness and phonics
skills. Start with phonemic awareness (rhyming words). Determine if she can read, and write in
Spanish. Assess her knowledge of letters and sounds in English. Start with onsets and rimes (the
37 most frequent). See attached list of recommendations under ELD and SDAIE for second
language learners, strategies or activities for improving sight words and word attack/decoding
strategies.
KHAM
Kham's primary language is Lao. You are a monolingual first grade English teacher.
She can decode well, knows many sight words, and is able to segment most of
the sounds on the Yopp-Singer. Her concept of print is average for a first grader.
She understands the alphabetic principle. However, when asked to do a retelling
of a story she has just read, Kham is able to recall very little. What do you
know about Kham and what instructional strategies do you recommend and why?
A. Problem: Comprehension of text
B. Recommendations: see attached list of recommended strategies or activities for improving
comprehension. See also ELD and SDAIE recommendations that emphasize a meaning of text.
Meaning vocabulary strategies and activities should also be beneficial for Kham.
ROBERTO
Roberto, a first grader, is learning sight words, and his phonics skills are
improving every day. His ability to rhyme words indicates that he has some level
of phonemic awareness. Roberto knows most of his letters and sounds. He is able
to read in a Level 5 reader; however, his reading is very choppy. Roberto uses
little expression, pauses frequently, and tends to read word by word. What do
you know about Roberto and what instructional strategies do you recommend and
why?
A. Problem: Reading fluency
B. Recommendations: See attached list of suggested strategies and activities for improving
fluency.
MARK
Mark, an active fourth grader, is able to read and comprehend at the fourth
grade instructional level. Although he would rather be riding his bike or playing
Nintendo, he enjoys reading in his free time, especially Goose Bump books. However,
Mark struggles during Writer's Workshop. When asked to write in his journal,
he only produces a few sentences. You notice that there are many misspelled
words. What do you know about Mark and what instructional strategies do you
recommend and why?
A. Problem: Spelling, phonics, vocabulary, and possibly attitude toward writing
B. Recommendations: See attached lists under these topic headings: To improve writing
skills, attitude toward writing, word attack and decoding skills and meaning vocabulary. Begin
with how to improve writing skills (intermediate level).
LORI
When Lori arrives at school the first day of kindergarten, she goes over to
the reading corner and picks up the wordless picture book, Good Dog, Carl. Sitting
down on the rug, she begins to look at the book. You notice that she holds it
upside down at first, and skips around, looking at the pictures from back to
front. When you ask her to tell you about the story, she says very little except
that the book is about a dog and a baby. When you ask Lori to write her name,
she writes a letter that resembles "L" and then draws circles on the
rest of the page. What do you know about Lori and what would you do?
A. Problem: Concept of print; letter recognition, and possible oral language skills.
B. Recommendations: Use shared reading to help Lori with her oral language skills and
concept of print. Do a picture walk with Good Dog, Carl, discussing what is happening on each
page, beginning with the cover. Use multisensory techniques for letter recognition and sounds.
See attached lists of strategies and activities under sight vocabulary and word attack/decoding
skills. Read to her frequently and ask her parents to read to her at home.