TExES STR Reading Pedagogy

Domain I: Reading Pedagogy of the Science of Teaching Reading (293), about 13% of the exam. The competencies TEA lists, how they are tested and practice questions with explanations.

Take a full timed TExES STR practice test

90 questions and the written assignment on the real 4-hour-45-minute clock, with a score by domain, an explanation for every answer and a model constructed response.

Or start the free Reading Pedagogy drill

What the TEA framework lists

  • Competency 001: foundations of the science of teaching reading: research-based components, the TEKS and Prekindergarten Guidelines, stages of reading development and differentiated, assessment-informed instruction
  • Competency 002: foundations of reading assessment: purposes and types of assessment, code-based and meaning-based measures, validity and reliability, and using results to plan

Summarized from the TExES Science of Teaching Reading (293) preparation manual, Section 3: exam framework, Domain I: Reading Pedagogy.

Line drawing of a clipboard with a blank assessment grid, a stopwatch and a stack of short booklets on a teacher table

How Reading Pedagogy is tested

Questions ask which assessment answers a given question about a student (screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring), what makes an assessment valid and reliable, and how to plan explicit, systematic instruction from the data.

Start the free Reading Pedagogy drill

TExES STR Reading Pedagogy practice questions

Answer each question, then open the explanation.

Question 1

Which practice best supports reading development for a student whose home language is Spanish?

  1. A.Waiting until the student speaks English fluently before teaching reading
  2. B.Avoiding any comparison between Spanish and English
  3. C.Pointing out cognates and the sounds the two languages share
  4. D.Asking the family to stop speaking Spanish at home
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C: Pointing out cognates and the sounds the two languages share

Building on the home language through cognates and shared sound-letter knowledge supports transfer to English. Families should be encouraged to keep using the home language.

Question 2

A teacher reviews a student’s fluency data: 42 words correct per minute in fall, 44 in winter, while the grade-level target rose. What should the teacher conclude?

  1. A.The student should be retained in the current grade immediately.
  2. B.The student is not responding enough to current instruction; adjust the intervention.
  3. C.The student is making excellent progress and can leave intervention.
  4. D.The data are meaningless because fluency does not relate to reading.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B: The student is not responding enough to current instruction; adjust the intervention.

Minimal growth while the benchmark rises means the gap is widening. The teacher should look at diagnostic data and intensify or change the intervention.

Question 3

Which statement best describes orthographic mapping?

  1. A.Linking a word’s letters to its sounds and meaning so it is stored for instant recognition
  2. B.Copying words repeatedly until they look correct
  3. C.Memorizing the visual shape of a word as a whole
  4. D.Drawing maps of the setting of a story
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A: Linking a word’s letters to its sounds and meaning so it is stored for instant recognition

Orthographic mapping is the process of forming connections between a word’s spelling, pronunciation and meaning, which lets readers recognize words instantly. It depends on phonemic awareness and letter-sound knowledge, not visual shape.

Question 4

A pre-kindergarten teacher wants to align instruction with state expectations for young children. Which document should guide planning?

  1. A.A commercial reading program’s advertising brochure
  2. B.The Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines
  3. C.The grade 5 English Language Arts TEKS
  4. D.The high school English I course standards
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B: The Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines

The Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines describe what four-year-olds should know and be able to do and align with the kindergarten TEKS.

Take the full test under the real clock

Take a full timed TExES STR practice test

90 questions and the written assignment on the real 4-hour-45-minute clock, with a score by domain, an explanation for every answer and a model constructed response.

Or start the free Reading Pedagogy drill

Common questions

How many Reading Pedagogy questions are on the TExES STR?

TEA’s framework puts Reading Pedagogy (Domain I: Reading Pedagogy) at about 13% of the exam. TEA publishes percentages, not question counts; our 90-question practice test gives it 15 questions.

What does Reading Pedagogy cover on the TExES STR?

Competency 001: foundations of the science of teaching reading: research-based components, the TEKS and Prekindergarten Guidelines, stages of reading development and differentiated, assessment-informed instruction; Competency 002: foundations of reading assessment: purposes and types of assessment, code-based and meaning-based measures, validity and reliability, and using results to plan.

How should I study Reading Pedagogy for the TExES STR?

Questions ask which assessment answers a given question about a student (screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring), what makes an assessment valid and reliable, and how to plan explicit, systematic instruction from the data.

TExES is a trademark of the Texas Education Agency. Original independent practice questions written to the published TExES exam frameworks; not affiliated with or endorsed by the Texas Education Agency or Pearson.