Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) Practice Test

How should students sort the sentences during a sentence sort activity?

1. By alphabetical order

2. By the length of the sentence

3. By category of word usage

4. By the date they were created

The correct answer is: By category of word usage

Sorting sentences by category of word usage is a highly effective way to engage students in understanding sentence structure and word function. This approach encourages students to analyze the sentences based on parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc., which fosters a deeper comprehension of how words interact within sentences. It helps students recognize patterns and relationships within language, promoting their critical thinking and organizational skills in literacy. In contrast, sorting by alphabetical order may not provide meaningful insights into sentence structure or word relationships. Sorting by the length of the sentence focuses on a surface-level characteristic, which does not enhance understanding of grammatical or syntactical concepts. Sorting by the date created is irrelevant to the activity's goal of analyzing language use and could distract from learning important foundational skills. Thus, categorizing sentences based on word usage directly aligns with educational objectives that promote language comprehension and syntax awareness.