Praxis Teaching Reading K-12 (5206) - Digital Study Guide

What does the Praxis 5206 study guide consist of?

This study guide is aligned with the Praxis Teaching Reading 5206 blueprint and specifications and contains scenarios and practice test questions similar to what you will see on the new exam.

With over 300 practice test questions and detailed answer explanations, this study guide is all you need for the test.

This study guide includes:

• Detailed content and skills practice for all six major areas of the exam:

1. Phonological and Phonemic Awareness, Including Emergent Literacy
2. Phonics and Decoding
3. Fluency and Vocabulary
4. Comprehension of Literary and Informational Text
5. Writing
6. Assessment and Instructional Decision Making (Constructed Response)

• Specific practice questions and detailed answer explanations for each content category so you understand what types of questions go with each test section.
• Two, full practice tests so you can assess your skills and measure your readiness for test day.
• Comprehensive constructed response practice with six writing prompts with sample essays so you can practice your writing and evaluate your skills.
• A Good Words List to help you identify correct answer choices and eliminate incorrect answer choices.
• Think Like a Test Maker^TM strategies throughout the guide so you can be strategic on the exam.
• Over 300 practice test questions and detailed answer explanations throughout the study guide provide you with plenty of opportunities to practice your skills in each area.

The best way to use this study guide is to:

• Go through each subtest and each section, work through each section's practice questions, and evaluate your performance.
• Examine the answer explanations and focus on areas where you are low.
• Go back and fix up any areas in which you need more support.
• Do this for each content category.
• Go over the Good Words List at the back of the book.
• Take the full-length practice tests.
• Review your answers using detailed explanations at the end of the practice test.
• Go back and review areas in which you were low.

The Praxis 5206 focuses on the knowledge and skills a beginning teacher must have to support reading and writing development in kindergarten through sixth-grade students. Most new teachers do not have a background in reading fundamentals, so this test can be challenging.

Unfortunately, the pass rates for many Praxis exams are less than 50%, so it is important not to underestimate this exam. However, once you understand the foundational principles for reading instruction, obtaining a passing score on the exam is achievable.

There are 90 selected-response questions and three constructed-response questions, which are essays you will be required to write in response to elementary reading scenarios.

You will have a total of 150 minutes to complete the exam.

There are six sections to the Praxis 5206. The first five sections are selected-response. The final section is the constructed-response portion of the exam. The six sections include:

1. Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Including Emergent Literacy
2. Phonics and Decoding
3. Vocabulary and Fluency
4. Comprehension of Literary and Informational Text
5. Writing
6. Assessment of Instructional Decision Making (three constructed-response questions)

You shouldn't try to memorize content and recall information on test day because there are lengthy scenarios for each question. You're required to determine which answer choice outlines the best practice for that scenario.

It's a complicated test. But fear not! Our study guide covers it all.

It is difficult to predict exactly how many questions you must get correct to pass the Praxis 5206 because a scale score is used rather than a raw score. This means that your raw score–how many you got correct–is put into a formula to calculate a scale score.

To keep things simple, we recommend scoring at least a 75% on the practice tests before you go in to take the exam. Getting 75% of the questions correct when you practice indicates you are ready to take the actual test.

For the constructed-response portion of the exam, scoring gets more complicated. Constructed-response questions are scored by trained educational professionals. Two scorers will independently rate each of your written responses, and a third will weigh in if the two graders do not agree within one point. Usually, tests with a constructed-response section allocate 25% of the overall score to the constructed response.

If you would like to learn more about how Praxis exams are scored, check out this blog.

While our study guide is aligned with the test, it is against testing policy to share items on the actual exam. State tests are secure, standardized, and heavily regulated.

There are hundreds of test questions in the item banks for each exam. When you take the exam, your version of the test will be different from other versions and will have questions randomly pulled from the item banks. This ensures test security, validity, and reliability. Trying to memorize what you think will be on your test is an exercise in futility. Instead, you should study the skills and content outlined in the specifications and blueprint of the exam.

Everything in our study guide is aligned with the test specifications and blueprint for the exam. That way, you can review how the test is designed and what skills are assessed. The questions in our study guide are structured similarly to what you will encounter on test day, but they are not the same exact questions on the real exam.

Obviously, we believe our study guide is the very best resource you can purchase to prepare for the Praxis 5206. The book is sectioned out by each content category, and within those categories, we’ve aligned all of the information to the test specifications and blueprint. This ensures you are studying what you will see on test day–nothing more, nothing less.

In each section, there are practice items that align specifically with the skills you just studied, so you are familiar with the content you'll see on test day. In addition, we have detailed answer explanations for every question in our study guide. This ensures you know why you got something correct or incorrect. Finally, our study guide contains a full-length practice test with answer explanations.

We sort every practice test question by test skill. This helps you identify the skills you need to improve so you can go back and study those aspects of the study guide. Knowing what skill the questions assess is a huge benefit to your studies.

Finally, the study guide contains a comprehensive constructed-response section that will help you prepare for the writing section of the exam.

Yes. There are two full-length practice tests at the end of the study guide. There are also ten practice test questions at the end of each section of the guide. You have hundreds of practice test questions to study with.

There is also a comprehensive writing section for the constructed-response section of the exam.

People have a range of skill levels when it comes to this exam, so it is difficult for us to give you a specific number of days or hours you should spend on your studies. This exam covers expansive content for each section of the test, so we recommend short, incremental practice over time. This is much better than cramming all of your studying into one or two weekends.

We believe 20-30-minute study sessions over a 1-2 week period is ideal.

You will also need time to practice your writing for the constructed-response section. We have several writing prompts for you to practice with, and we provide the test specification, blueprint, and constructed-response scoring rubric, so you can evaluate your writing as you prepare.

The Praxis Teach Reading 5206 is one of several tests you will have to take to become a teacher. If your state uses the Praxis exams for teacher certification, a passing score on this test is required for reading teachers. In addition, some elementary teachers are required to take this exam along with other exams for certification. Every state is different regarding teacher certification, so be sure you check with your specific state’s Department of Education.

Most states that use the Praxis 5206 exam require prospective teachers to pass other tests. This will vary depending on the state you're seeking certification in.

The other exams you might be required to take include the The Praxis Core, a subject-area exam, and the Praxis principles of learning (PLT). We have study guides for many Praxis exams.

It is extremely important you check with your state’s Department of Education before you purchase test prep materials to determine exactly what tests are required.