Praxis PLT: Grades 5-9 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Piaget concrete operational stage

Ages 7–11; children think logically about concrete objects, master conservation and classification, but struggle with abstract or hypothetical reasoning until formal operations emerge.

Vygotsky zone of proximal development

The range of tasks a learner cannot yet do alone but can accomplish with guidance from a more capable peer or adult; instruction should target this zone.

Erikson industry vs inferiority

Psychosocial stage roughly ages 6–12; children seek to master skills and gain competence; repeated failure or criticism can produce feelings of inadequacy.

Kohlberg conventional morality

Moral reasoning focused on social approval and maintaining rules and laws; typical of older children and adolescents who want to be seen as good by others.

Maslow hierarchy of needs

Physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization needs in ascending order; lower needs generally must be satisfied before higher ones motivate behavior.

Gardner multiple intelligences

Theory proposing eight relatively independent intelligences (linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic) that offer varied entry points to learning.

IDEA least restrictive environment

Legal requirement that students with disabilities be educated alongside peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal only when supplementary aids are insufficient.

Bloom revised taxonomy

Six cognitive levels: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create; used to write objectives and questions at intended levels of cognitive demand.

Direct instruction model

Teacher-led sequence: state objective, review prior knowledge, present small steps, guide practice with high response rate, provide independent practice, give immediate corrective feedback.

Cooperative learning essentials

Positive interdependence, individual accountability, promotive interaction, explicit social skills, and group processing; without these, group work is unstructured rather than cooperative.

Differentiation elements

Teachers can modify content, process, product, or environment in response to student readiness, interest, or learning profile, based on pre-assessment evidence.

Wait time

Pause of three to five seconds after asking a question before calling on a student; increases response length, participation, and use of higher-order thinking.

Formative assessment

Assessment conducted during learning to inform instruction and provide feedback; examples include exit tickets, quick writes, and questioning. Results should change the next lesson.

Universal Design for Learning

Framework offering multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression to reduce barriers for all learners from the outset rather than retrofitting for individuals.

Validity vs reliability

Validity is whether an assessment measures the intended construct; reliability is consistency of scores. A test can be reliable but invalid, never valid but unreliable.

Norm-referenced vs criterion-referenced

Norm-referenced tests compare a student's score to a norm group; criterion-referenced tests compare performance to a defined standard or learning objective.

Rubric design

A scoring guide listing criteria and performance levels with observable descriptors; levels should use parallel language and be shared with students before the task.

Standard error of measurement

An estimate of the score band around an observed score in which the true score likely falls; differences smaller than the SEM are not meaningful.

Accommodation vs modification

An accommodation changes how a student accesses content or assessment (e.g., extended time) without changing what is measured; a modification changes content or expectations.

Effective feedback characteristics

Specific, timely, and focused on the task and process rather than the person; generic praise alone does not improve achievement.

Assessment bias

When an item systematically disadvantages a group for reasons unrelated to the construct being measured, often through cultural or linguistic load.

Professional learning communities

Collaborative teams of teachers who focus on four questions: what students should learn, how to know they learned it, how to respond if they haven't, and how to extend those who have.

Reflective practice cycle

A structured process of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting on instruction, using evidence to identify a specific change for the next lesson.

Action research

A practitioner-led cycle of identifying a problem, collecting data, implementing an intervention, and analyzing results within one's own classroom or school.

Danielson Framework domains

Four domains used in many teacher evaluation systems: planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities.

Mentoring vs supervision

Mentoring provides non-evaluative observation, feedback, and modeling for beginning teachers; supervision is an evaluative role typically held by administrators.

FERPA

Federal law protecting education records; parents may inspect records, and directory information can be shared unless the parent opts out.

Two-way family communication

Communication that invites and uses family input rather than only broadcasting information; more effective for building partnerships and supporting student learning.

Confidentiality of student information

Student information should be shared only with those who have a legitimate educational interest; avoid discussing students publicly or with unrelated colleagues.

Site-based decision-making teams

School governance groups including administrators, teachers, parents, and community members that influence local policy and resource decisions.

Cultural responsiveness

Incorporating students' home cultures into examples and communication while avoiding deficit assumptions about families and communities.

Constructed-response scenario structure

Identify the issue, cite specific scenario evidence, apply a named principle or theory, propose a concrete action, and explain the expected outcome.