FREE Online Resources & Independent Study Ideas

There are TONS of online resources provided by reputable educational organizations. Before you spend money on a printed book of practice tests or access to an online flashcard quiz site, check out the information that is already available to you.

Benefits:

• more likely to contain up-to-date information than print resources

• more credible when it comes from an organization that is responsible for providing guidance to educators as opposed to a 3rd party publisher

The TExES site provides a list of journals, textbooks, and websites that the testing folks recommend and most likely referenced as they were writing test questions and practice questions. Use these websites to brush up on content knowledge or look up information about unfamiliar topics that you encounter in practice questions or in the Educator Competencies.

• Go to www.tx.nesinc.com

• Click on Prepare

• Choose your exam from the drop down menu

• Find the Test Content and Sample Questions Menu

• Click Preparation Resources

• Websites are given at the bottom of the list. If there is a topic that you would like to learn more about, start with these websites.

Are you taking a Core Subjects test and need to brush up on your verb tenses? Can't remember the timeline of events in Colonial America? Use free online resources designed for STUDENTS for a quick and simple review of content.

• Ellii (ESL Library) YouTube Channel

  • short grammar and vocabulary videos

• Khan Academy

  • Content lessons across all content areas

• Released STAAR exams 

  • Work through the questions our students are given about the same content areas you will be tested over

If you need a clear and simple explanation about special program services or developmental stages of children, then I suggest using resources designed to inform parents and the community. These resources will contain most if not all of what you need to know about the topic for the test while being much more straight-forward than the teacher-y language of TEKS and Texas Administrative Codes.

• Early Childhood Education and Developmental Milestones

  • TEA Family Resources, "Why Does Prekindergarten Matter?" - https://tea.texas.gov/academics/early-childhood-education/family-resources

    • • What A Kindergartener Will Learn And Should Know How To Do - https://tea.texas.gov/academics/early-childhood-education/kinderfamilyteksguide.pdf  

• Bilingual/ESL Program Services

  • Texas EL Portal for Parents and Families - https://www.txel.org/Parents-And-Families 

• Special Education Program Services

  • TEA Family Resources - https://tea.texas.gov/academics/special-student-populations/special-education/overview-of-special-education-for-parents.pdf 

• Student Instructional Materials

  • If you are already working on a campus, ask your administrator if you can borrow student textbooks or get a teacher login for online instructional materials for the content areas you need to review. 

• Observe A Colleague

  • If possible, observe a teacher's lesson when they are teaching a topic you need to review. 

  • You will get content knowledge and examples of good instructional strategies that could show up on your exam.