MTEL Reading Comprehension 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Simple View of Reading, frequently cited on the MTEL Foundations of Reading, states that reading comprehension equals:
- Phonemic awareness × fluency
- Decoding × language comprehension (Correct answer)
- Vocabulary + background knowledge
- Fluency + motivation
Correct answer: Decoding × language comprehension
The Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer) defines reading comprehension as the product of decoding ability and language comprehension — both are necessary.
Question 2: Schema theory, as it relates to reading comprehension on the MTEL Foundations of Reading, suggests that readers:
- Learn best when text is presented as isolated sentences without context
- Use prior knowledge structures (schemas) to interpret, organize, and remember new information from text (Correct answer)
- Should avoid activating prior knowledge to prevent interference with the author's message
- Only comprehend text when their reading level exactly matches the text's Lexile level
Correct answer: Use prior knowledge structures (schemas) to interpret, organize, and remember new information from text
Schema theory holds that readers draw on existing knowledge frameworks to make sense of new information, integrating text content with what they already know.
Question 3: On the MTEL Foundations of Reading, which comprehension strategy involves creating mental pictures of events and descriptions while reading?
- Summarizing
- Visualizing (creating mental images) (Correct answer)
- Questioning
- Making connections
Correct answer: Visualizing (creating mental images)
Visualizing is a comprehension strategy in which readers create mental images of what is described in text, deepening engagement and understanding.
Question 4: A student reads an expository text and identifies the problem-solution structure. This demonstrates knowledge of:
- Phonological awareness
- Narrative story grammar
- Expository text structure (Correct answer)
- Orthographic patterns
Correct answer: Expository text structure
Expository text structures (e.g., problem-solution, cause-effect, compare-contrast, description, sequence) organize informational text, and recognizing them aids comprehension.
Question 5: On the MTEL Foundations of Reading, which text feature distinguishes narrative text from expository text?
- Narrative text includes headings, graphs, and captions; expository text does not
- Narrative text is organized around story grammar elements (characters, plot, setting, theme); expository text presents factual information in organizational structures (Correct answer)
- Narrative text is always shorter than expository text
- Expository text is written in first person; narrative text is written in third person
Correct answer: Narrative text is organized around story grammar elements (characters, plot, setting, theme); expository text presents factual information in organizational structures
Narrative text follows story grammar with characters, setting, and plot, while expository text presents facts and ideas using structures such as cause-effect or compare-contrast.
Question 6: Making an inference while reading, as described on the MTEL Foundations of Reading, requires a reader to:
- Identify information that is stated explicitly in the text
- Combine text information with prior knowledge to understand something the author implied but did not directly state (Correct answer)
- Read the passage a second time to confirm understanding
- Use phonics skills to decode an unfamiliar word in the passage
Correct answer: Combine text information with prior knowledge to understand something the author implied but did not directly state
Inferencing requires readers to go beyond what is explicitly stated by combining textual evidence with background knowledge to understand implied meanings.
MTEL Reading Comprehension 1
The Simple View of Reading, frequently cited on the MTEL Foundations of Reading, states that reading comprehension equals: