E T S Praxis Series

Elementary Education: Content Area Exercises (0012)

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Sample Test Questions

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Sample Question

This question refers to the following representative writing samples produced by one student as part of the writing activities in a second-grade class. The writing program in this class includes daily writing activities for all students and is based on a process-writing approach to instruction.

Three writing samples are shown. The first includes hand-written text and an image. The text reads, quote, January eighteenth. The room is messy. The room is dark. There's shadow. It's spooky. I don't like it. My sister is with me. We're hugging cus were scared. There's toys thrown around. I tund on the lithe. I clind it up. end quote. Several words in the text are misspelled and two sentences do not end with periods. The image below the text shows simple drawings of people, two of whom are smiling and one of whom is frowning. The image also includes a closed door and other items. The second writing sample is also hand-written and reads, quote, January twenty-fourth. My terrible, herrible, no good very bad day. In the morning I take a bath but my sister ruinits. She comes and gets in with me. The I get out and my mom dresses her. Then I'm late for school. In the afternoon I eat. But my sister comes sometimes. At night I to bed at eight-thirty. It's eight-thirty. Bye. End quote. Several words in the text are misspelled and some sentences have a missing word.

  1. List five (5) important aspects of writing/text production that the student seems to understand or seems to be able to control.

The final writing sample is hand-written and reads, quote, February third. Bank robbing. The people were at the bank. A robber stold a million dollars. That night was a terrible night. The next night they cot the robber. The saw the lisenplate. He was in jail. In jail intel he was a old man. End quote. Again, several words in the text are misspelled.

  1. Describe two (2) ways the teacher could assist this student in the continued development of writing skills. The first example should include one or more activities that would build on the student's strengths in written expression. The second example should suggest a way for building on the student's strengths in the mechanics of writing.