Praxis PLT: K-6 Practice Questions

Are you prepping for the Praxis so you can become an elementary school teacher? Once you’re familiar with the PLT portion of the test, try your hand at a few Praxis PLT practice questions!


Question 1
Choose the effective strategy given the following scenario.
Ms. Ngo, a first-grade teacher, is teaching comparison word problems during math time in a classroom that includes several English language learners (ELLs). She uses several practices proven effective to help the ELLs, one of which is below.
A. Exempt ELLs from word problems, having them focus instead on number comparisons.
B. Have ELLs work on addition with pictures while the rest of the class does word problems.
C. Have ELLs read the problems aloud to the class to make sure they understand the words.
D. Make sure the comparison word problems incorporate multicultural references.


D: English language learners (ELLs) can be expected to perform the same work as other students so long as they have sufficient scaffolding to understand the concepts on which they are working. This includes preteaching essential vocabulary and making connections to concepts with which ELLs are already familiar, as in choice (D). Multicultural references can help students understand concepts and feel more at home during the lesson. Allowing ELLs to skip the more complex work the class is doing (A) or work on addition (B) ensures that these students will fall farther behind the class in math without advancing in the development of their English language skills. Asking these students to read problems aloud (C) not only does not reveal whether the students understand what is being asked, as there may be no correlation between their pronunciation and comprehension, but also may make them feel uncomfortable if they encounter unfamiliar words.


Question 2
Which support personnel would most likely be responsible for coordinating services for a child who felt unsafe at home?
A. Guidance counselor
B. Assistant principal
C. IEP team leader
D. Occupational therapist


A: A school guidance counselor has extensive training in responding to allegations or concerns about abuse or neglect in students’ homes; (A) is the right answer. (B) is incorrect; while an assistant principal is someone with whom a teacher might share concerns about a student’s welfare, it is the guidance counselor who, by training and job description, is primarily responsible for coordinating a response to those kinds of concerns. The IEP team leader’s job is to tailor curricula and the school environment to the special needs of particular students; a person with this role would likely report abuse allegations to a counselor rather than coordinate the school’s response, so (C) is incorrect. An occupational therapist is there to help students with special needs navigate and adapt to the challenges of the school environment, not to coordinate services for a student in an unsafe home environment; (D) is incorrect.


Question 3
Based on the following scenario, which of the following choices would be the most appropriate and productive next step for the teachers to take?
A number of teachers at a certain public school have noticed an increase in classroom distractions and honor code infractions, and they have concluded that these incidents are related to students’ inappropriate dress choices. In addition, the teachers have become convinced that the wide disparity in the value of clothing worn by students is contributing to class divisions among students at the school. After informal discussion, and with the blessing of district administrators, these teachers have decided to advocate for the implementation of a district-wide school uniform program.
A. Share their concerns and proposal with parents of the district’s students and solicit and listen to the parents’ ideas.
B. Jointly sign a petition requesting that the school board institute a program mandating school uniforms.
C. Begin to lead students by example by more carefully coordinating their own clothing choices.
D. Notify parents by email that they may soon be required to purchase uniforms for students in the district.


A: The issue of clothing choices is one that affects students, parents, and teachers. Because any change in the dress code will impact these families, choice (A) is the best response. Going straight to the school board with a petition (B) is likely to alienate people who were not given a chance to have a voice in the process. Leading “by example” (C) is not likely to change what students choose to wear for themselves. To notify parents with an email that sounds as if a decision has already been made without their feedback (D) may create confusion and resentment if they have not been aware of prior discussions.


Question 4
Which of the following lesson plan excerpts includes observable and measurable educational objectives?
A. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to describe the difference between a whole note and a half note and demonstrate the difference through rhythmic clapping.
B. By the end of the lesson, students will grasp the fundamentals of badminton and develop an appreciation of the importance of fair play and good ethics on the court.
C. By the end of the lesson, students will understand literary symbolism.
D. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to pass a multiple-choice test on the makeup of plant cells.


A: Educational objectives are explicit statements that clearly express what students will be able to do at the conclusion of a lesson. Choice (A) requires students to describe and demonstrate knowledge of full and half notes. Because this objective includes tasks that the teacher can observe and thus use to clearly measure whether learning has taken place, (A) is the correct answer. While it is important for lessons to allow students to “grasp the fundamentals” and “develop an appreciation,” as in choice (B), or “understand,” as in choice (C), such goals can be difficult to observe and measure. Because neither (B) nor (C) includes any method of observing whether students have met those goals, both are incorrect. Finally, taking a multiple-choice test, choice (D), is one way of measuring educational objectives, but the ability to pass a test is not in and of itself an educational objective.


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