Product Description

A preparation guide for the Texas Elementary Comprehensive ExCET exam, this concise manual offers an organized view of all content areas tested, extensive content coverage, practice questions, ideas for teaching, and study skills and hints.

Customer Reviews (18)

Fast shipping
The book was arrived fast but the middle part seemed falling apart. After a little glue push, it works just fine now.

Worth it
This book explained everything on the test in detail and was easy to understand. I recommend getting the Cliff's Test Prep too because of the practice tests (this one did not have any but was definetly worth the money). Passed the test my first try.

Great Resource for Success

I would just let anyone that is intrested know that this book is an excellent resource to succeed on the Certification Exam. My only negative would be the need for more practice questions. One suggestion would be to acompany the above book with a workbook comprised of just practice questions.

Great study guide!
I do not have a degree in education and it has been 14 years since graduating college. This book was fantastic for getting reaquainted with the elementary curriculum and material long since forgotten.The sample questions are great.I also highly recommend getting the CliffsTestPrep for the Generalist Ec-4.It has 2 full length practice tests and is also GREAT! I passed my test the first time with a 280!!

Preparing for the Texas PreK-4
This is a very good book for reviewing for the EC-4 Generalist exam. I graduated with a B.S. in Elementary Ed. 15 years ago and am Lifetime certified 1-8. I have taught K in private and 1st in public and am seeking early childhood certification so that I can teach K again in public. I feel confident that this book will be all that I need in order to study for the EC-4 Generalist exam. ... Read more

Product Description

This study guide is an excellent tool for anyone taking the English Language Arts (ELA) TExES exam with the ultimate objective of passing the exam on the first try.

The author's straightforward approach promotes and reinforces learning on many levels through a wide variety of written exercises to help reduce the anxiety typically felt when attempting this high-stakes exam. Along with its review of Test Field 117 (English Language Arts and Reading 4-8) and Test Field 131 (English Language Arts/Reading 8-12), this study guide also includes practical activities that address a broad area of English language. This book shows readers how to connect state-mandated certification requirements to the content of English and reading courses. The material is highly selective and is aimed at showing readers how to prepare effectively, efficiently, and pragmatically for the 4-8 and 8-12 ELA/Reading TExES exams and for the language arts components of the other exams.

Product Description

Product Description
Opening with a comprehensive tutorial on study skills, this text then guides the student through each of the eight content areas: language arts and reading, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, health and physical education, and theatre arts. Illuminated through sample lesson plans, lesson plan prompts, classroom observation forms, and practice questions, each content area is concretely applied to classroom practice.  This concise guide also helps students understand many of the basic theories and methodologies behind best practices for each content area. The book concludes with preparatory information on ESL supplemental certification. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Really good condition for an amazing price
I could not( and none of my classmates, even my proffesor) could belive that I got this book this cheap and in perfect condition, brand new. Thank you so much! ... Read more

Product Description

Opening with a comprehensive tutorial on study skills, this text then guides the student through each of the eight content areas: language arts and reading, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, health and physical education, and theatre arts. Illuminated through sample lesson plans, lesson plan prompts, classroom observation forms, and practice questions, each content area is concretely applied to classroom practice.  This concise guide also helps students understand many of the basic theories and methodologies behind best practices for each content area. The book concludes with preparatory information on ESL supplemental certification.

Customer Reviews (10)

Worth every penny
I purchased this book exclusively for the ESL portion. The authors did a very good job covering the competencies in detail but not to overwhelming. However, I did have to purchase additional material just so I can have practice exams. Overall, I do give this book an A. After all, it did help my pass my ESL supplemental exam.

Not very helpful
Apparently anyone can write a book these days, and editors must have gone on strike. This book had one or two helpful things in it, but it had SO MANY ERRORS.It was definitely not worth it. A lot of the answers were wrong. I was planing on putting all of the wrong answers and typos here, but there are just too many. Just don't buy this book. I studied and memorized the book front to back, but when I took my test, NOTHING that I studied was there. I passed the test with flying colors, but I don't think I needed the book for that. All you need to do is think the way Texas wants you to, and go over the free online study guide. There are plenty of websites that give you helpful tips. What I got out of those sites was that you have to answer the questions like Texas thinks you should, not the way a rational, real-world person would. Don't buy the book, and don't worry too much about memorizing terms. Just know the basics and study the free manual. If you got your degree in education, you should have NO problem. I took and passed the test before ever taking any education classes. Don't spend money on this worthless book.

Very helpful book
I though this book was great.It really went in to detail and explained what I needed to know for the exam!I recommend it.

Great preparation book!
This book provided a good review for the TExES exam. I only needed the ESL section; so I had more information than I needed. However, I read through other parts of the book just for review. It is well-written, has good examples and test questions, and covers much of the information on the tests. This was the only book that I could find that contained ESL review material.

Very helpful and very broad!
I took the Generalist EC-4 Exam in May 09' and it was probably one of the hardest exams I have taken and I have my bachelor's degree already. (I did pass though!) This book was extrememly helpful in getting your mindset prepared for the test, especially if you have no experience in teaching or have not taken any pedagogy courses.
The book overall is a great BROAD review, which is great because the test is set up the same way. Some of the questions on the test completely took me off guard. I studied for 2 months or so and I definitely needed all of that time. Study all you can and this book is a great resource to passing! ... Read more

Product Description
This is the only introduction to teaching text that is specifically built around the new Texas standards for teacher certification. It is also the only Texas-specific book that combines practice with a solid grounding in theory (unlike available practice TExES books that provide only limited theoretical information). With Nath and Cohen's text as their guide, students will pass the Texas certification test--and also learn a great deal about effective teaching techniques. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the only introduction to teaching text that is specifically built around the new Texas standards for teacher certification. Although there are many excellent introductory teaching texts, none of these are matched precisely to the Texas teacher certification standard. There are several practice TExES books, but they are short on theory. Nath and Cohen combine both, so not only will students pass the Texas certification text, they will also learn a great deal about good teaching practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Primer for Taking the Teacher's Test in Texas...
Hate to say I knew it all, but this title didn't help me. But, it's not to say that it wouldn't help someone else trying to be a teacher in Texas.

BEST EC-4 PPR BOOK EVER!!
I took that EC-4 PPR on 4/4/2009 and passed with a 279!I am by no means a "test taker" (meaning, that test taking does NOT come naturally for me, I am one of those people that absolutely have to do A LOT of studying to pass a test). This book had a lot of great practice questions. It is 400 pages which is a lot to read because the pages are a little bigger than regular pages. It took me about 1 1/2 months to go through the whole book, I am pretty sure that it may take others less, but 1 month is the average study time frame you should take when studying for the PPR, especially with this book (since its 400 pages).But let's not forget that I studied every single day...no seriously, every day!Another tool that I used, that also helped was a EC-4 PPR software by Certify Teacher (go to www.certifyteacher.com) I used this software along with reading the book "Becoming and EC-4 Teacher in Texas" and it really helped!Good luck!

Top Rate preparations
Amazon sent my product to me within two days!I was glad to receive this item.This book was suggested by the University of Texas at Arlington as a tool in preparing for the PPR's.This is a test taken in preparation for becoming an EC-4 teacher.The questions are very close to what is on the exam and helped me reduce my anxieties of taking this test.
Thank you!

A must have!
I strongly recommend and encourage anyone taking the TeXes teaching certification exam to purchase this book!~

An ExcellentBook
If you want to pass the PPR for the state of Texas, this is the book for you!The book is extremely easy to read. ... Read more

Product Description
Your guide to a higher score on the TExES: Generalist EC-4

Why CliffsTestPrep Guides?

Go with the name you know and trust

Get the information you need - fast!

Written by test specialists

About the contents:
* Evaluations of different learning styles
* Description of the test so you know what to expect
* Tips on using the book productively


Subject Review
* Review of each of the 5 domains tested: English/Language Arts and Reading: Mathematics; Social Studies; Science; and Arts, Music, Health, and Physical Education
* Sample questions with complete answers and explanations for each of the competencies within the domains
* Teaching goals identified for each competency


2 Full-Length Practice Examinations
* Complete with answers and explanations
* Answers are coded by domain and competency so you can pinpoint weak areas for further review ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

don't think this is all you need
I took a quick alternative cert. route to getting my teacher certificate and unfortunately the school I went to did not do much to prepare me for the test at all.I had to figure out some things on my own.First off, I took the ec-6 since the ec-4 is going away.There is only one study guide out for ec-6 since it is so new, so it makes it difficult to prepare. I didn't purchase it because the review it has gotten said it had a ton of errors in it. Anyway... I failed the test TWICE both times by just three points. The first time I took it I bought the Preparing to Teach by Nath first and didn't pass so I bought this for next time I took it.This guide is okay but there were was so much info on the test that was not in this guide or the other one.I don't know what the answer is, but don't expect that this is all you need and you'll be good to go.
It's not!

Great purchase
This book is great because of the two full-length practice tests. There is a lot of information in it but I highly recommend purchasing Preparing for the Texas Pre-K through 4th Certification Test as well. Yes, that one is expensive but very detailed and worth the money. I used both books and did really well on the exam my first try.

Cliff Notes For EC-4 Texes Test
CliffsTestPrep TExES: Generalist EC-4

I loved the way this book was written and formatted.The book was divided into easy-to-follow sections, and I appreciated the review questions that followed.Studying the CliffsTestPrep book gave me what I needed to get a great score on the EC-4 test.

RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!
I used this CliffsTestPrep book in combination with the Preparation for the Texas PreK-4 Teacher Certification...Guide to TExES Content Area exam by Janice L. Nath and John Ramsey.I passed the test the first time with a 280!! Great study guides, both of them. I recommend using both of them if you can.

okay
I had to choose between this and another book as I prepared for the bilingual generalist EC-4.I figured that this book would be the best source for reviewing all of the non-bilingual domains. As I studied, I really felt like some of the information presented was not really specific to the competency.I ended up ordering another study prep that included the bilingual portion and really preferred the layout and information of the other book.I haven't taken my exam yet but hopefully all of this money and time will be worth it! ... Read more

Product Description
BECOMING A MIDDLE OR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER IN TEXAS helps students master the competencies that will be tested on the new Pedagogy and Professsional Responsibilities (PPR) Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES), but it is more than just a test preparation guide: it provides a comprehensive introduction to the core topics that every Texas middle school and high school teacher must be familiar with, including adolescent development, how to meet the needs of a culturally-diverse population, planning, learning theory, technology, classroom management and assessment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent prep book for the PPR 4-8, 8-12 exam
In preparing for the TEXES PPR, I used a couple of prep books, and of all of them, this was the most comprehensive in terms of information. It is also well-organized and addresses all four domains. Under each domain, the competencies are addressed, e.g.:
Domain I (Designing Instruction and Assessment to Promote Student Learning):
Competency 1
Competency 2
Competency 3
Competency 4

Domain II (Establishing a Positive Classroom Climate)
Competency 5
Competency 6

Domain III (Implementing Effective, Responsive Instruction and Assessment)
Competency 7
Competency 8
Competency 9
Competency 10

Domain IV (Fulfilling Professional Roles and Responsibilities)
Competency 11
Competency 12
Competency 13

Each chapter provides an in-depth discussion of key terms correlating with the domains and competencies. For example, Chapter 1 discusses the theories of growth and development as relating to middle school and high school students. Each chapter also ends with a summary of main ideas, a glossary, suggested activities, practice PPR questions, web links, and references. The theories and core competencies covered are extremely detailed, making this a must-have resource in preparing for the 4-8 and 8-12 PPR exam. I would advise allocating between 1-2 months in order to gain the maximum benefit from this book and in preparing for the PPR exam. The book can also be used as an invaluable resource for beginning middle school/ high school teachers and educators in general.

Not just about the test but also teaching methods, laws etc.
If you are serious about becoming a great teacher, then you should read this book.It is not just a study prep but a great book on pedagogy, laws related to teaching, testing theories, development theories, discipline techniques....and so much more.

I just finished a Master's degree in Education and I'm still learning so much from this book.It has complete and in-depth chapters on each of the 13 competencies and also a final chapter on test taking skills for the 4-8, 8-12 PPR test.

This is the kind of reference you can use even after you pass the test!

Fantastic!!
If you are in an alternative certification program, this is a MUST have to start your career as a teacher. Wong's book is a must-have, as is this one. My first year of teaching, I used this book so frequently, it's become a bible to me.

One -stop detailed review.
This book gives the most comprehensive preparatory review that I have seen.I am getting ready for TEXES, and I bought just about everything Amazon has on the subject.Most of the books provide a very brief summary of the competencies and go straight to the practice exams.Not this one!In fact, there is no practice exam anywhere in the book, but each chapter (organized based on competencies) has review questions at the end.Each competency is explained with application to middle and high school students. The book has definitions, examples, extensive bibliography at the end of each chapter and suggested activities that you can do in order to master the concepts.I can't say enough good things about this book.I have been out of school for years, and I was looking to something that would give me a nice refresher course in Pedagogy.But I also wanted to have more in-depth, detailed explanation of terms and concepts, and I got it here.

Start with this book if you are getting ready for your TEXES, and then move on to the other study guides.This is your textbook!

Becoming a Middle School Teacher - Made a Little Easier
This book is one of a very few that gives valuable information about the PPR TExES test for middle and high school teachers.It specifically deals with each of the 13 competencies and provides lots of samples and review questions.It's definitely worth the investment, something I can't say about most test-prep books.This one actually has information about good teaching, not just test info. ... Read more

Product Description
BECOMING A TEACHER IN TEXAS is designed to offer a broad overview of the knowledge and skills required to pass the ExCET exam for Professional Development. The Professional Development portion of the ExCET exam is mandatory for all persons seeking teacher certification in the state of Texas. BECOMING A TEACHER IN TEXAS is the only textbook providing quality information in a concise and comprehensible manner to prepare soon-to-be-teachers for the ExCET exam. It can be used as a supplemental or main text for a variety of teacher education courses, such as Educational Psychology, Introduction to Education, General Teaching Methods, or the student teaching practicum. Additionally, all authors of the text are education professors from many teacher preparation programs throughout Texas, including Texas A&M University, University of Houston, and the University of Texas system. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A book that goes beyond test prep
If you're looking for a quick way to pass the ExCET, this isn't the book for you. If you're willing to put in some time and really read, analyze, and discuss the passages in this book, then you may be on the right track. "Becoming a Teaching in Texas" isn't going to pass the ExCET for you, but it will give you an excellent structure in which to think about the way you've handled classroom situations in the past and the way you will teach in the future. I received this book as part of the $3000+ Project PACE program in Region One. This book was worth more than all of the workshops and Blackboard courses combined. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Education, published by Project Innovation (Alabama) on December 22, 2003. The length of the article is 4876 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Determining the influences of traditional Texas teachers vs. teachers in the emergency teaching certification program.
Author: Madeline Justice
Publication: Education (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 2003
Publisher: Project Innovation (Alabama)
Volume: 124Issue: 2Page: 376(14)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from College Student Journal, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2007. The length of the article is 3310 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Teacher certification tests: logistic regrusing linear and ession models to predict success of secondary pre-service teachers.
Author: G. Herold Poelzer
Publication: College Student Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 41Issue: 2Page: 305(9)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This text helps examinees prepare for Texas Teacher Certification (TExES) exam #131; English Language Arts and Readinig, Grades 8-12. This text will familiarize examinees with required curriculum (11 competencies) tested on the exam. Directions for the required constructed essay response are also included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Warning: This book needs to be edited for mistakes.
You would think that a book about English certification would be edited.Not this one.There are mistakes throughout.Not only typos, but factual information as well.The book is actually just an advertisement for a website where you can pay for more questions to practice from.Unfortunately, I paid the $55.00, but most of the questions were the same as in the book and the website didn't work half the time. The book did have a good section on the literary time periods and different genres.That was helpful for the test.

Excellent Study Aid
I purchased this for the TExES ELAR 8-12 exam, and it exceeded my expectations.The book covers all of the TEKS and gives you solid, detailed information about what the exam will test you on.I cannot recommend it enough.Without this book, I would have not been nearly so well prepared.

Very Helpful For Preparation for the Exam
Although there is great irony in finding so many typos and punctuation errors in a book about the need to be precise and accurate with the English language, particularly when the book has been written and edited by supposed English gurus, this book helped me prepare to take the Certified Teacher exam in Texas.There are only a few (on average 5) chapter questions, which over simplify the chapter's objectives.I learned a great deal about the periods of world and American literature and all the "classic" authors.Most helpful.

Excellent resource!
This book definitely helped me prepare for the content test I took with the state of Texas. Great value for a great book!

Definitely worth it, despite NUMEROUS errors
If you're a future English teacher like me -- really into words, including their meanings, nuances, correct usage and even spelling -- you'll have a hard time getting over the many, many errors in this book. It's more than just typos; the book seems to have lacked an editor. Ms. Thielemann gets so many things wrong, from the names of famous authors to the conjugation of verbs and the usage of common words, that it's distracting.

But once you get past that, it really is an excellent study tool for the TExES #131 exam. I took the exam yesterday morning, so I won't find out for a few weeks how I did. But if I didn't pass, it won't be the fault of this book. There were many questions on the test that I had seen first in this book; without having studied the book, I wouldn't have been familiar with the material. (I graduated college with a degree in Literature and Creative Writing, and am now in a traditional teacher certification program, and still I wasn't familiar with all the material covered by the exam.)

The two best resources I found for studying for the exam were the practice manual available for free download off the TExES Web site and this book. ... Read more

Product Description

***Includes Practice Test Questions***

TExMaT Master Reading Teacher (085) Secrets helps you ace the Texas Examinations for Master Teachers, without weeks and months of endless studying. Our comprehensive TExMaT Master Reading Teacher (085) Secrets study guide is written by our exam experts, who painstakingly researched every topic and concept that you need to know to ace your test. Our original research reveals specific weaknesses that you can exploit to increase your exam score more than you've ever imagined. TExMaT Master Reading Teacher (085) Secrets includes: The 5 Secret Keys to TExMaT Success: Time is Your Greatest Enemy, Guessing is Not Guesswork, Practice Smarter, Not Harder, Prepare, Don't Procrastinate, Test Yourself; Introduction to the TExMaT Series including: A comprehensive General Strategy review including: Make Predictions, Answer the Question, Benchmark, Valid Information, Avoid Fact Traps, Milk the Question, The Trap of Familiarity, Eliminate Answers, Tough Questions, Brainstorm, Read Carefully, Face Value, Prefixes, Hedge Phrases, Switchback Words, New Information, Time Management, Contextual Clues, Don't Panic, Pace Yourself, Answer Selection, Check Your Work, Beware of Directly Quoted Answers, Slang, Extreme Statements, Answer Choice Families; Along with a complete, in-depth study guide for your specific TExMaT exam, and much more... ... Read more

Product Description
This is the 2007 Edition of the Excellent Scores! TExES Preparatory Manual for the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities section of the Texas Certification Examination.This manual has assisted thousands of students in maximizing their scores on this and other batteries of the TExES.It has been a #1 seller for Lulu.com twice in the last year. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

TExES Prepatory Program
This book serves the purpose of reviewing main key concepts for the TExES. A few flaws the book entails is poor verbiage and typos. It is ironic that such a book would have a problem for future educators. Despite the flaws, It is still considered a great resource on strategies for how to take the TExES. ... Read more