Test Information Guide
Overview and Test Objectives
Field 02: Early Childhood
Test Overview
| Format | Computer-based test (CBT); 100 multiple-choice questions, 2 open-response items |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions |
|
| Time | 4 hours (does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial) |
| Passing Score | 240 |
The Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) are designed to measure a candidate's knowledge of the subject matter contained in the test objectives for each field. The MTEL are aligned with the Massachusetts educator licensure regulations and, as applicable, with the standards in the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks.
The test objectives specify the content to be covered on the test and are organized by major content subareas. The chart below shows the approximate percentage of the total test score derived from each of the subareas.
The test assesses a candidate's proficiency and depth of understanding of the subject at the level required for a baccalaureate major according to Massachusetts standards. Candidates are typically nearing completion of or have completed their undergraduate work when they take the test.
Sub area I 25%, Sub area II 15%, Sub area III 40%, and Sub area IV 20%.
Test Objectives
| Subareas | Range of Objectives | Approximate Test Weighting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple-Choice | |||
| I | Knowledge of Child Development | 01–02 | 25% |
| II | Knowledge of Children's Literature and the Writing Process | 03–04 | 15% |
| III | Core Knowledge in the Content Areas | 05–07 | 40% |
| 80% | |||
| Open-Response* | |||
| IV | Integration of Knowledge and Understanding | 08 | 20% |
*The open-response items may relate to topics covered in any of the subareas.
Subarea I–Knowledge of Child Development
Objective 0001: Understand child development from prenatal through the early elementary years.
- For example: major theories of child development and learning (e.g., Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg, Bronfenbrenner, Vygotsky, brain research); characteristics and processes of cognitive, language, physical, social, emotional, and moral development within the cultural context of the family from prenatal through the early elementary years; developmental progressions and ranges of individual variation in cognitive, language, physical, social, emotional, and moral development within the cultural context of the family; factors that may facilitate or impede a child's development in various domains; how children use play to develop understanding and acquire knowledge; and interrelationships between cognitive development and other developmental domains.
Objective 0002: Understand child development and learning in students with disabling conditions or exceptionalities.
- For example: types of disabilities, developmental delays, and exceptionalities; effects of disabling conditions on cognitive, physical, language, social, and emotional development and functioning; significance of disabling conditions and exceptionalities for aspects of development and learning; identification and evaluation of students with exceptional learning needs, including academically advanced or artistically talented students; criteria and procedures for selecting, creating, and modifying materials and equipment to provide differentiated instruction that addresses and accommodates individual students' strengths and challenges; legal requirements and responsibilities for providing education to students with special needs; purposes and procedures for developing and implementing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), 504s, and Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs); role and influence of family in development and learning; community resources to assist families; and child protection laws (e.g., mandated reporting).
Subarea II–Knowledge of Children's Literature and the Writing Process1
Objective 0003: Understand children's literature, including genres, literary elements, and literary techniques.
- For example: major works and authors of nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature for young children; genres of children's literature and the characteristics of different genres; major themes associated with literature for young children; analysis of rhetorical and literary devices (e.g., analogies, metaphors, symbolism, repetition) in literature for young children; comparison of different styles and communicative purposes in children's literature; criteria for evaluating children's literature (e.g., reading level, literary quality, cultural diversity, interesting information, vocabulary richness, appealing plot, gender preferences, variety in settings and character types); analysis of excerpts of literature for young children in relation to style, theme, or point of view; and uses of literature for young children (e.g., providing exposure to high quality literary prose, enhancing other areas of the curriculum, promoting children's understanding of themselves and others).
0004: Understand principles and concepts of writing for various purposes.
- For example: the developmental continuum of writing; knowledge and use of prewriting and drafting strategies, including techniques for generating topics and developing ideas (e.g., brainstorming, semantic mapping, outlining, reading and research); formal elements of good writing (e.g., paragraphing, topic sentences, cohesive transitions); revising written texts to improve unity, coherence, and logical organization; editing written work according to the conventions of edited American English; factors to consider in writing for various audiences and purposes (e.g., narration, expression, information, persuasion); formats and genres of writing (e.g., letter, poem, story, play); and use of various techniques to convey meaning (e.g., precise vocabulary, figurative language).
1. Knowledge of the following content will be measured on a separate Foundations of Reading test for all prospective Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education teachers: 1) reading theory, research, and practice; 2) development of an oral and reading vocabulary; 3) theories on the relationship between beginning writing and reading; 4) approaches and practices for developing skills in using writing tools; and 5) theories of first- and second-language acquisition and development.
Subarea III–Core Knowledge in the Content Areas
Objective 0005: Understand principles and concepts of mathematics.
- For example: mathematical terminology, symbols, and representations; number properties and number representations (e.g., cardinal and ordinal numbers; properties of real numbers; the base ten number system; fractions, decimals, and percents); standard arithmetical operations; number operations and computational techniques; patterns, relations, and functions (e.g., recognizing and analyzing patterns in numbers, shapes, and data, the translation of problem-solving situations into expressions and equations involving variables and unknowns); types and properties of geometric figures; basic geometric concepts (e.g., symmetry); relationship between standard algorithms and fundamental concepts of algebra and geometry; measurement instruments, units, and procedures for problems involving length, area, angles, volume, mass, and temperature; collection, organization, and analysis of data; and the application of mathematical reasoning to analyze and solve problems.
Objective 0006: Understand principles and concepts of history and social science.
- For example: basic knowledge of major developments in the history of Massachusetts, the United States, and the world; origins, fundamental concepts, and historical development of western civilization (e.g., the political, philosophic, religious, intellectual, and aesthetic values of ancient Israel, Greece, and Rome; their political and historical influence; the development and influence of science and technology in western societies); basic concepts of geography; global features (e.g., continents, hemispheres, latitude and longitude, poles); major physical features and regions of Massachusetts, the United States, and world areas; basic economic and political concepts (e.g., representative government, popular sovereignty, supply and demand, market economy); purposes of government; functions of federal, state, and local government in the United States; how laws are enacted and enforced; democratic principles and values contained in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (e.g., the rule of law, due process, equal protection of the laws, majority rule, protection of minority rights); and the responsibilities of U.S. citizens (e.g., respecting others' rights, obeying laws and rules, paying taxes, jury duty, voting).
Objective 0007: Understand principles and concepts of science and technology/engineering.
- For example: foundations of scientific thought (e.g., reliance on verifiable evidence, reasoning, and logical arguments; avoidance of bias); major scientific discoveries and technological innovations; the relationship between science and technology; basic concepts and principles of life science (e.g., as related to cells, the human body, heredity, ecosystems); basic concepts and principles of the physical and earth sciences (e.g., as related to matter and energy, the motion of objects, the forces that shape the earth, the water cycle, the atmosphere and weather, the solar system); the role of science and technology in addressing ecological issues and problems; and principles and procedures of scientific inquiry and experimentation.
Subarea IV–Integration of Knowledge and Understanding
Objective 0008: Prepare an organized, developed analysis that relates child development to two or more of the following: language arts, mathematics, history and social science, and science.
- For example: children’s literature; mathematical concepts, reasoning, and problem solving; major developments in U.S. and world history; government and citizenship in the United States; basic principles of economics; geographic concepts, phenomena, and processes; basic concepts of science and technology; principles and procedures of scientific inquiry and experimentation; and child development during the early childhood years.