GACE Middle Grades Reading

The Middle Grades Reading assessment, offered as part of the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators, consists of one test. The test consists of 60 selected-response questions (80% of the test score) and 2 constructed-response assignments (20% of the test score). The content areas covered by the test are reading, literature, reading across the curriculum, comprehension, and assessment. The topics covered by the reading and literature subarea are: language acquisition, reading processes, and the basic theories of reading development; the genres of literature and informational texts; the methods for understanding literary texts from various genres, cultures, and time periods; and methods for promoting literacy as a lifelong skill. The topics covered by the reading across the curriculum subarea are: strategies for promoting content area knowledge through reading and research; word identification strategies and other methods for promoting vocabulary development; and the use of diverse reading strategies for different texts and purposes. The topics covered by the comprehension subarea are: fluency and the other factors that influence reading comprehension; strategies for developing and maintaining reading comprehension skills, as they relate to literary and informational texts; the methods, activities, and techniques for applying comprehension strategies throughout the reading process; and the appropriate selection of reading materials for different purposes. The topics covered by the assessment subarea are: the formal and informal techniques for assessing reading skills; the interpretation and use of reading assessment; and the use of assessment data to adjust instruction for readers at all skill levels.

The examination must be completed within four hours. The total test score is placed on a scale of 100 to 300, with 220 as the lowest passing score. Scores are based on the number of selected-response questions answered correctly and the scores assigned by judges to the constructed responses. Test-takers will also receive performance indices indicating their success in each subarea of the examination. Scores will be available approximately a month after the date of the examination; unofficial results are posted on the internet, and an official score report is mailed to the test-taker, the Professional Standards Commission, and the institution specified by the test-taker during registration.

GACE Middle Grades Reading Practice Questions

1. When examining a short story in class, the teacher should take advantage of the opportunity to discuss:

A: topic sentences
B: irony
C: figurative language
D: thesis statements

2. When selecting materials for a seventh-grade class library, which of the following is the most important consideration?

A: All of the texts should be comprehensible to all of the students.
B: All of the books should have illustrations.
C: There should be a wide variety of ability levels and subject matter.
D: The books should be covered with dust jackets.

3. Which of the following is the most efficient kind of formative assessment for sixth-grade students?

A: independent reading
B: reading aloud
C: pop quiz
D: student-teacher conference

4. Which of the following would be the best activity for exploring the setting of a short story?

A: drawing a picture
B: free writing
C: role play
D: class discussion

5. Mr. King's sixth-grade class is predominantly Native American. What kind of literature should he be sure to include in his syllabus?

A: world literature
B: English literature
C: cross-cultural literature
D: ethnic-specific literature

Answer Key

1. C. The use of figurative language in a short story is an appropriate subject of discussion for students at this age.
2. C. Students' reading interests are unpredictable, so it is important to have a wide variety of texts in the library.
3. B. The process of reading aloud gives a good indication of student fluency and comprehension.
4. A. Students can explore the content of the story's setting by drawing a picture.
5. D. Ethnic-specific literature is literature about a specific ethnic group written by a member of that ethnic group.