Praxis PLT: Grades 5-9 Practice Questions

Are you preparing to be a teacher of 5-9th graders? Once you’re familiar with the PLT portion of the Praxis, check out these Praxis PLT practice questions:


Question 1
Based on the following scenario, which of the following is most likely a variable that is affecting how Sarah is learning and performing?
Central Middle School is located in a metropolitan, middle-class suburb where families have similar incomes and cultural backgrounds. A fifth-grade class is studying government. The teacher uses videos, lectures, and worksheets to cover the material. 
One child in this class, Sarah, is an outgoing student who is well-liked by her peers. She is not doing well on this unit. She is doing well in her math and English classes, where the teacher uses hands-on activities to teach concepts.
A. Learning disability
B. Self-confidence
C. Learning style
D. Maturity


C: Sarah’s success in math and English shows that she is likely not affected by a learning disability. Likewise maturity and self-confidence do not factor into her educational abilities in a negative manner. Given her success with hands-on manipulatives, Sarah is most likely experiencing a learning style issue.


Question 2
Which of the following describes an appropriate time and reason for a teacher to use a summative assessment?
A. At the beginning of an educational unit, to assess preexisting knowledge of the material
B. At the beginning of an educational unit, to encourage creative thinking about the material coming up
C. In the middle of an educational unit, to aid in student comprehension of the material
D. At the end of an educational unit, to judge how much students learned


D: Summative assessments are appropriate for the final, or summary, portion of a unit. They belong at the end of the instructional unit. Choice (D) is correct.


Question 3
Which of the following instructional processes is embodied in the lesson plans described below?
This week, the seventh graders at Chavez Middle School will be learning about Egyptian history, geography, and culture in their social studies classes. In their language arts classes, they will read and discuss The Secret of the Pharaoh, a contemporary young adult novel set in ancient Egypt. During their math classes, they will learn about Egyptian numerals as part of a broader lesson on nonstandard units of measurement.
A. Creating lesson plans that reflect the major contributions of a variety of educational theorists
B. Creating practical opportunities for students to apply acquired knowledge outside of the classroom
C. Accommodating differences in students’ learning styles and creating a comfortable environment for English language learners
D. Developing lesson plans within the framework of a thematic, interdisciplinary unit


D: When thematic units of study from one subject can be implemented across multiple subjects, then teaching is considered thematic and interdisciplinary. This approach requires careful planning and, when more than one teacher is involved, thoughtful collaboration.


Question 4
Which of these strategies is most beneficial to a teacher in improving cross-cultural communication in the classroom?
A. Maintaining universally applied rules about what kinds of communication are welcome in the classroom
B. Communicating regularly with parents and treating them as collaborators in a program of instruction
C. Grouping students homogeneously by culture and language to improve the clarity of intragroup communication
D. Learning the basic grammar of every language spoken by a student in the class


B: Garnering parent participation is a challenge for most educators. The first step in achieving this goal is to make sure parents know what is going on with their child. The means of communication needs to be adjusted based on the available methods of the parents. For example, the teacher should not rely solely on email for families who lack the technological resources to access it reasonably often.


Looking for more prep? Kaplan has the Praxis Test Prep & Practice Resources for you.