Praxis I Preparation

About This Course

Are you a prospective teacher who needs to pass the Praxis I Exam? Have you already attempted the Praxis I and not been successful? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then this course is for you! You'll develop all the skills you need for the test as we review and prepare for everything it includes.

You'll get familiar with the different types of questions that appear on the Reading and Writing tests. You'll master the many areas of math that you'll be tested on: number operations, negative numbers, exponents, square roots, order of operations, decimals, fractions, percentages, algebra, geometry, data analysis, graphs, probability, and measurements. To prepare for the essay, we'll discuss what constitutes a high scoring one. We'll also go through the process of writing an essay in the amount of time allotted.

You'll learn useful test-taking strategies and get plenty of practice questions that are similar to what you'll find on the exam. You'll also have the opportunity to take a full-length practice test in each subject area. Using clear explanations, numerous examples, and graphics and animation, this course will not only prepare you for the Praxis I, but do so in a way that's fun and interesting. After completing this course, you'll be totally ready to pass the Praxis I Exam!

About The Instructor

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Nicole Taylor-Buckner.

Nicole Taylor-Buckner has successfully helped prospective teachers prepare for the Praxis I Exam for many years. She received her B.A. from Syracuse University, her M.A. in Higher Education Administration from NYU, and a M.S. in Mathematics from Cleveland State University. Nicole has experience teaching at the high school and college levels, face-to-face, and online. In addition to teaching, she is currently working on her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Syllabus

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week 1

Wednesday - Lesson 01

In your first lesson, you'll meet the Praxis I exam. As you begin this course, you probably have lots of questions about the tests. For instance, how many tests make up the Praxis I exam? Where do you go to take them? Do you have to take all the tests at once, or can you take them separately? You'll get answers to all these questions! Then you'll decide whether it's better to take the paper test or the computerized version. We'll also consider how much time you're allowed for each test and how many questions you can expect. By the end of the lesson, the tests will no longer be a mystery to you. You'll be ready to start preparing for all the elements each test encompasses.

Friday - Lesson 02

In this lesson, you'll become familiar with the Reading test of the Praxis I exam. You'll learn about the different types of reading questions that you'll come across. We'll discuss useful strategies and explore examples of reading questions. Then you'll have the opportunity to take a full-length practice reading test!

Week 2

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Have you ever heard the phrase "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" and wondered how it relates to math? Today, as we begin preparing for the math portion of the Praxis I exam, you'll learn what this phrase means in the math world. You'll also discover the number line and the arithmetic of positive and negative numbers. We'll cover exponents and square roots as well, and by the end of the lesson, you'll have a solid understanding of math basics.

Friday - Lesson 04

In this lesson, we'll talk about decimals and fractions. If you're someone who has a fear of fractions, after completing this lesson you'll realize that fractions are indeed your friends! You'll learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals and fractions, as well as how to reduce and build up fractions. Finally, I'll share a shortcut to multiplying and dividing by powers of 10.

Week 3

Wednesday - Lesson 05

How much is 25% of 544? If an item that was originally priced at $175 dropped to a price of $105, what is the percentage of decrease? Today, we'll answer these questions as well as others involving percentages. You'll also learn how to convert percentages into fractions and decimals, and vice versa. You'll discover what scientific notation is, and find out about ratio and proportion. Throughout the lesson, you'll have the opportunity to reinforce what you've learned with practice problems to try along the way.

Friday - Lesson 06

Does the sight of the algebraic equation 3x - 5 + 7x = 9x - 2 scare you? If it does, by the end of this lesson it won't. You'll discover everything you need to know about algebra to be successful on the Math test. This includes what algebraic expressions are, how to combine like terms, and how to solve equations and inequalities. I'll also reveal a test-taking strategy to help you find the correct answer to a problem without actually solving the problem. This backdoor method will definitely come in handy on the test!

Week 4

Wednesday - Lesson 07

Have you ever wondered how much fencing you'll need for your backyard or how much carpet you'll need for your living room? To answer these questions, you have to know some geometry. In this lesson, you'll get a crash course in geometry, where you will learn about area, perimeter, volume, lines, angles, shapes, congruence, similarity, and the infamous Pythagorean theorem. Besides helping you with problems on the Math test, what you absorb in this lesson will help you solve problems long after you have passed the Praxis I exam.

Friday - Lesson 08

Have you ever heard the terms mean, median, mode, and range? Today we'll explore what these statistical terms mean and how to calculate them. After that, you'll learn about the many types of graphs that you'll come across on the test, including pie graphs, bar graphs, and pictographs. You'll see how to read and construct a Venn diagram. Then you'll discover a useful formula that will help you answer probability questions that you may come across on the Math

Week 5

Wednesday - Lesson 09

How many centiliters are in a liter? How many feet are in a mile? How do you convert kilograms to milligrams? If you don't know the answers to these questions, you will by the end of this lesson. In addition to measurements and their conversions, you'll find out how to make xy tables, plot points, and graph lines. We'll end this final math lesson by going over some miscellaneous problems that are likely to appear on the Math test.

Friday - Lesson 10

In this lesson, you'll start preparing you for the Writing test of the Praxis I exam with a crash course in grammar. We'll go back to the basics by reviewing parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar rules. This grammar refresher will give you a good foundation for the Writing test.

Week 6

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Is it better to say "PIN number" or "PIN"? I'll answer this question and others like it in this lesson. We'll also explore idiomatic expressions and commonly confused words. Next, you'll become familiar with the two types of questions that you'll see on the multiple-choice portion of the Writing test. You'll get some tips that will help you avoid common mistakes. These tips and what you learned in Lesson 10 will help you do well on a full-length practice test.

Friday - Lesson 12

For the last lesson of the course, you'll prepare for the essay portion of the Writing test. You'll see some sample essay prompts, and you'll learn how the essay is scored. You'll analyze examples of good essays and bad essays. Then, you'll practice the process for writing a successful essay in the allotted amount of time. After this lesson, you'll not only be all set to take the Writing test, but you'll be ready to take and pass the entire Praxis I exam!

Requirements

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).