English Language, Literature, and Composition: Content Knowledge Study Guide (Praxis Study Guides)

I graduated college in 1987 and am hoping to teach through an alternative certification program. I took the Middle School Language Arts Praxis earlier this year and passed the first time, using the ETS Middle School Praxis Study Guide. Now I'm going to take the secondary English tests 0041 and 0042. I looked at this book at our local college library, but it was only for reference and could not be checked out. This book is a good study guide, key word being 'guide'. It gives you a list of authors to become familiar with, offers detailed explanations about types of test questions and how to best approach each, and IT DOES INCLUDE A PRACTICE TEST WITH CORRECT ANSWERS. It even gives detailed explanations on why each answer was the correct one. Praxis is a hard test. The questions are long, detailed and complicated. The practice questions in this book mirror actual test questions in style. If you're looking for a book with all the answers in it, good luck. But if you're searching for a book to help you know what areas to concentrate your studies in - then buy this one.

After going through this book and taking the practice test, I felt a lot more comfortable with the types of authors, literary movements, and literary devices the test was looking for. Only includes one practice test.

This is a great guide to show you what of the test content you do and don't know. Some reviewrs seemed upset it didn't provide straighforward answers for the test; it's not supposed to do that. The study guide is best used as just that: a guide to indicate what you need to study up on. if you buy it far enough ahead of time to be able to look at what you don't know, it's a great tool. The Praxis II tests are meant to assess potential teachers' knowledge of their subject area; frankly, if you need one book to give you the test answers, you may need to reconsider the field you're going into.

Over all: not a magic test-killing bullet, but a valuable resource if used properly.

I decided to enter a teaching program in July and learned that I would need to take PRAXIS on August 5th. I ordered this book from Amazon on July 1. Shipment kept getting delayed until the point that my order was listed as not shipping until after I took the test! I cancelled the order and tried to order directly from ETS, makers of the PRAXIS exam. After two weeks of waiting on them, I gave up. All along, I had checked out literature anthologies and literary handbooks from the library. I am so disappointed in Amazon, although the blame might lie with ETS for a lack of production. I thought this book would at least help me feel more secure, but it's not to be. Again, my recommendation is to browse literary terms, grammar books and anthologies of literature ... and know that even ordering a month in advance of the test might not be enough time to allow you to receive the study materials. Good luck!

I just took this test on Saturday, and let me tell you I was extremely let down. I thought buying this book would be the greatest thing since sliced bread and it would be so helpful in my studying, etc. Well, it fails to let you know that one third of the actual Praxis II exam has to do with diagramming sentences and syntax. I know how to write a simple sentence, but I don't remember what a gerund is and where to put the adverb in a sentence when I am under pressure. The practice test in the book focuses mostly on what you have read and how well you can recognize writing styles. I was completely unprepared for the grammar section and it left me feeling like I failed. If you're really worried about the reading list I suggest picking up the Praxis book for the composition part of the test, which was much more helpful than this waste of $20.