Written Language and Composition Skills Flashcards
7 cards from real CALT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Written Language and Composition Skills flashcards as text
The Test of Written Language-4 (TOWL-4) assesses which of the following?
Answer: Multiple aspects of written language including vocabulary, spelling, and composition
The TOWL-4 is a comprehensive assessment measuring multiple components of written language including vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, sentence combining, contextual conventions, and story composition.
Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) probes for written expression typically measure:
Answer: Correct Word Sequences (CWS) produced in a writing sample
CBM writing probes commonly measure Correct Word Sequences (CWS)—pairs of adjacent correctly spelled and grammatically appropriate words—as a sensitive indicator of written language proficiency.
When analyzing informal writing samples, a CALT should examine which of the following?
Answer: Multiple dimensions including mechanics, syntax, organization, and idea development
Informal writing sample analysis should be multidimensional, examining mechanics, sentence-level features, text organization, and the quality and development of ideas.
A student who consistently writes very short sentences and avoids subordinate clauses likely has difficulty with:
Answer: Syntactic maturity and sentence-level language production
Avoidance of complex sentence structures and reliance on simple sentences indicates difficulties with syntactic maturity and production of elaborated sentence structures in written language.
Which error pattern in student writing most directly suggests a phonological processing weakness?
Answer: Spelling words phonetically but incorrectly (e.g., 'fone' for 'phone')
Phonetically plausible but incorrect spellings reflect reliance on phonological strategy without mastery of orthographic conventions, pointing to underlying phonological processing difficulties.
In written expression assessment, the term 'T-unit' refers to:
Answer: An independent clause plus all subordinate clauses attached to it, used to measure syntactic complexity
A T-unit (minimal terminable unit) consists of one main clause plus any attached subordinate clauses and is used as a research-based measure of syntactic complexity and maturity in writing samples.
When setting written language intervention goals for a student, which approach best reflects evidence-based practice?
Answer: Using standardized and informal assessment data to set measurable, individualized goals addressing specific areas of need
Evidence-based practice requires using comprehensive assessment data to identify a student's specific strengths and weaknesses, then setting individualized, measurable goals that directly address those needs.