CALT Written Language and Composition Skills 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student consistently omits function words (e.g., 'the,' 'is') when writing sentences. This pattern is MOST associated with which underlying deficit?
- Phonological processing weakness
- Difficulty with syntactic-grammatical formulation (Correct answer)
- Poor orthographic memory for high-frequency words
- Deficient morphological awareness
Correct answer: Difficulty with syntactic-grammatical formulation
Omitting function words reflects a breakdown in syntactic-grammatical formulation, as function words are grammatical rather than semantic carriers.
Question 2: Which graphic organizer structure is BEST suited to help a student plan a compare-contrast essay?
- Story map
- Venn diagram (Correct answer)
- Sequence chain
- Cause-effect web
Correct answer: Venn diagram
A Venn diagram visually separates and overlaps two topics, directly supporting the organizational demands of compare-contrast writing.
Question 3: A 4th-grade student's written sentences are grammatically correct but lack cohesive ties between them. The MOST appropriate instructional target is:
- Sentence combining
- Transition word instruction (Correct answer)
- Paragraph indentation rules
- Vocabulary expansion
Correct answer: Transition word instruction
Teaching transition words and cohesive devices directly addresses the lack of logical linkage between grammatically intact sentences.
Question 4: During a language sample, a student uses primarily simple sentences and avoids embedding clauses. To increase syntactic maturity in writing, the therapist should prioritize:
- Spelling pattern drills
- Sentence combining and elaboration activities (Correct answer)
- Oral reading fluency practice
- Phoneme segmentation tasks
Correct answer: Sentence combining and elaboration activities
Sentence combining activities explicitly teach students to embed clauses and expand syntactic complexity in written output.
Question 5: Which writing assessment measure captures both productivity AND syntactic complexity in a single score?
- Total number of words (TNW)
- Correct word sequences (CWS)
- Mean length of T-unit (MLT) (Correct answer)
- Words correct per minute (WCPM)
Correct answer: Mean length of T-unit (MLT)
Mean length of T-unit averages the number of words per independent clause including its subordinates, capturing both output and complexity.
Question 6: A student struggles to maintain consistent verb tense throughout a written paragraph. This error pattern reflects a difficulty with:
- Phonological encoding
- Morphosyntactic monitoring during composition (Correct answer)
- Orthographic pattern retrieval
- Executive planning before writing
Correct answer: Morphosyntactic monitoring during composition
Maintaining consistent verb tense across a paragraph requires ongoing morphosyntactic monitoring of grammatical form during the writing process.
Question 7: The Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model includes a stage called 'Support It.' What is the PRIMARY purpose of this stage?
- Introduce the writing strategy through modeling
- Provide scaffolded practice with gradual release of responsibility (Correct answer)
- Assess baseline writing performance
- Teach students to memorize strategy mnemonics
Correct answer: Provide scaffolded practice with gradual release of responsibility
The 'Support It' stage involves collaborative and guided practice where the therapist gradually reduces support as the student internalizes the strategy.
CALT Written Language and Composition Skills 4
A student consistently omits function words (e.g., 'the,' 'is') when writing sentences.
This pattern is MOST associated with which underlying deficit?