UIC College of Education Content Test Prep

Subarea 2 of the ECE content test is one of the larger sections of the test.  There are 31 questions pertaining to young children’s acquisition of language and best practices for supporting the development of foundational reading, comprehension, and writing skills. 

This section of the test will also address the unique needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) and specific strategies for supporting their learning in the classroom as well as at home.  

Being familiar with the terminology of language and literacy development is crucial. Some terms in this section can be easily confused with other related yet separate terms. For example, you’ll want to be clear on the differences between phonological and phonemic awareness; phonemes and morphemes; syntax, semantics and pragmatics; homographs, homonyms and synonyms.

Build your Subarea 2 competence and confidence by reviewing the following resources: 

• From Reading Rockets:
  • A glossary of language and literacy focused terminology
    https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/glossary 
  • Stages of writing development https://www.readingrockets.org/classroom/looking-writing/stages-writing

• From NAEYC:
  • Promoting Preschoolers’ Emergent Writing
    https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2017/emergent-writing  
  • Everyday Steps to Reading and Writing (family connections) https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/everyday-steps-reading-and-writing 
  • Leveraging the Environment to Ignite Children’s Literacy Learning https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/winter2024/leveraging-environment-for-literacy-learning 

• From the Annenberg Learner:
  • Key Terms in Teaching Reading K-2
    https://www.learner.org/series/teaching-reading-k-2-workshop/key-terms-teaching-reading-k-2-workshop/