Children enter the early childhood classroom from various backgrounds, from those who were read to starting from the womb and others having little to no exposure to the written word. Fostering an environment that helps youngsters develop these skills no matter their experience is beneficial for all.

Rhyming involves the repetition of ending word sounds. Hearing, identifying, and creating rhymes allows students to understand how words and language work. It helps them anticipate and predict, which are valuable reading skills.

Rhyming games and songs are an excellent tool to aid children in identifying beginning sounds and rhyming words. These types of activities allow students to hear and repeat sounds, manipulate words, and rhyme. Understanding these concepts prepares them for more complex skills later.

A combination of implicit and explicit rhyming instruction can be useful. Implicit training involves rhyming skills in context, like chanting a nursery rhyme together. Teaching about rhymes, modeling the concept, and allowing students to complete the activity is an example of explicit instruction.

How to Teach Rhymes

• Rhyming Songs – “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “B-I-N-G-O”
• Nursery Rhymes – “Little Boy Blue” and “Open Them, Shut Them”
• Rhyming Books – Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
• Word Comparisons – Students determine whether provided spoken words rhyme or not. 
• Matching Games – Games like Memory or Concentration with picture cards.
• Additional Activities – Show students three pictures, two of which rhyme and one that does not. Children must identify the picture that does not belong.

Repetition of favorite songs and books emphasizes the concept. Find a few that your class enjoys and use them often throughout the year. After you develop a classroom rhyme repertoire, allow students to choose their favorites to read/recite during a specific day or week.

This is just one important topic that is covered on the Foundations of Reading certification exam that is required for many licenses, including the elementary teaching license.

All teacher candidates wonder how to score their best on certification exams, whether they are taking the MTEL, FTCE, Praxis, or another state test. Each certification exam includes a reading comprehension section. Even the best readers often shudder when approaching this subject matter. What if your interpretation is different than what the text means? Can you even prepare for the reading comprehension portion of the exam?

Yes, you can. After reading the presented passage, one of the first things to do is determine whether the text is objective or biased. This will help you understand what you will be asked in the question portion of the exercise. 

Evaluating the intent behind a written passage is beneficial not only on your certification exam but also when reading an article in a magazine, the newspaper, or online content. 

Here are just a few facts to look for when reading a passage to decide whether factual or opinion-based writing.

Objective Writing 

• The language in the text is neutral, and the writer does not “take sides” on an issue.
• Both pros and cons are presented, or “all sides” of the topic.
• Multiple sources for and against the subject are offered.
• The writer’s opinion includes supporting facts, and all relevant information is included.

Biased Writing

• The writing is often emotional and leans toward the opinions of only one side of an argument or issue.
• The writer’s claims or statements are usually unsupported with facts.
• The only sources used are those that support the writer’s opinion.
• Facts and information from the opposing side are missing.

When you determine the difference between the two types of passages in an exam or other setting, it is easier to draw the appropriate conclusions in the writing and answer related questions in the manner that the examiners have pre-determined.

Check out our teacher certification exam prep courses to learn additional ways to improve your scores on your teacher licensure exam. It can be done!

Very few people enjoy taking tests. And, since it’s so crucial to your career that you pass your teacher certification exam or exams, it’s just as imperative that you are adequately prepared.
Unfortunately, college does not completely prepare you for these tests. Neither does student teaching. Sometimes you can benefit from a little “extra” assistance and guidance to ensure that you not only pass but do well on these important evaluations.

Here are a few tips that can help:

1. Understand that you will be tested on a broad area of subject matter. Even if you plan (or hope to) teach kindergarten students, you will still be asked questions about higher level science and mathematics topics, so you need to be familiar with them. Enroll in an online course or two to bridge the gap in your knowledge base. You will find that it is worth the time and expense.
2. Take advantage of as many study materials as possible. Yes, they often cost money but utilizing these sources can greatly increase your odds of having to pay to retake the certification exam if you fail it. Not all test preparation materials are the same, however, so choose wisely.
3. Cramming is NEVER wise. Ideally, spread out your study time over several weeks. No matter which certification tests you will take, you will not be assessed on recall. Problem solving, providing examples of real-life situations, and explaining concepts in your own words are the types of questions you should expect.
4. Review. Review. Review. Study your notes from different college courses that are relevant to the test you will take. The testing company that issues your exam probably has some guidelines to look over to give you an idea of what competencies you will be tested on, as well as sample questions. This can help you outline a study schedule and determine what areas you should target your focus.

You can feel confident going into your teacher certification exam. Take review courses online, create a detailed plan of study, follow a study guide, and get plenty of rest before test day. You’re almost ready for your first class!

Click here to find out about PrepForward’s teacher certification exam prep courses.