I trust you've had coursework in teaching reading. Here's where you get to apply it - yes, on paper, but it makes sense to pretend that you're actually in the classroom with this kid and for whatever reason you have to justify to the principal or the district what approach to take with this kid/these kids and why. You've got till June: treat your classes (whether you're taking or teaching) and your kids as opportunities to practice the concepts.
I agree with what TeacherGroupie said. I also recommend purchasing a RICA study book and taking the practice tests in it, as well as the practice tests on the RICA website. I used the Zarillo book and I passed my first try. This book was especially helpful not only for the prep material, but it gave me a lot of strategies for the actual test taking.
There's now a Cliffs RICA Test Prep book. You can read reviews on Amazon and check it out at your local bookstore to see if it's any good.
I need to go have another look at the Cliffs. Some people like Rossi & Schipper's Case Studies book, ISBN 0205360157 - it may be a little stronger with the constructed response questions than Zarrillo's book. Zarrillo plus Rossi & Schipper works really well, though. You may need to go to the library for Rossi & Schipper - there's a new edition coming out, and it was SUPPOSED to be out in April but I see that Barnes & Noble is now giving May as the publication date. The ISBN above is for the second edition.
For the constructed response, I would definitely respond the question as it asks you to, with the number of examples it asks for, and be very specific. Bullets, numbers, and headings helped me. I passed it my first time around.
To all... You have all been so wonderful! Thank you for your responses and suggestions. I am really listening and taking everything to heart ( and mind!). Keep passing the ideas this way... I would imagine others are reading and taking note of everyone's suggestions! Mom of 4
Mom of 4, when you were taking CSET I told you your children were your study buddies. For RICA they're less your study buddies than your mnemonic objects: as you think about the theories and the assessments and the stages and the techniques and all, try to attach each to a particular child. This gives you a use for the information and an anchor to attach it to - or, if you prefer, a designated spot in your mental cupboards, and having the designated spot makes the item easier to retrieve when needed. Those of you who haven't got four children, either (a) remember or look for children in your student teaching that help flesh out the concepts, or (b) make up children - for example, little Travis is in the Transitional spelling stage because he has most of the regular spellings and a certain number of the sight words but isn't always quite there with the more esoteric spellings...
