Award-Winning FRT - Foundations of Reading Test Courses & Classes in Hoffman Estates, IL

Varsity Tutors provides live, online FRT exam classes to help you study for your certification test. The FRT (or Foundations of Reading Test) is a high-stakes exam that certain states require to obtain licensure as a K-5 elementary school teacher, special education teacher, reading teacher, or reading specialist. It covers a variety of topics that can be challenging to study on your own, so formal FRT exam training can prove to be a wise investment in your professional future. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of taking a class provided by Varsity Tutors.

What is the FRT certification?

The FRT is a standardized exam developed to ensure that teachers are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to help young children learn how to read. This can be more challenging than it sounds, as most adults read intuitively without really thinking about how to do so. The FRT's content is aligned with federal Common Core standards and is required to earn teaching certification in states such as North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Connecticut. You must generally be enrolled as an undergraduate elementary education major at an accredited institution of higher learning in order to sit for the test.

The exam itself is administered electronically in testing centers located throughout the country. It contains 100 multiple-choice questions plus two open-response items in a single four-hour testing session. The multiple-choice questions account for 80 percent of your score and are divided into three content areas: Foundations of Reading Development, Development of Reading Comprehension, and Reading Assessment and Instruction. The open-response items form their own section entitled Integration of Knowledge and Understanding, which represents 20 percent of your total score. They may include information covered on any of the other sections of the exam. The minimum passing score varies from state to state.

It costs $139 to take the FRT exam, so it's important to take your test prep seriously. If you aren't sure you're up to the task of studying for the exam on your own, taking an FRT prep class can be a great way to get the expert assistance you're looking for.

What is the best way to study for the FRT exam?

If standardized test prep has never really been your thing, there's no reason to panic. You can enroll in one of our FRT exam prep courses to work with an expert instructor who can help you with both the academic content and test-taking strategies you'll want to know on exam day.

If you're thinking about going with another prep company, it’s important to know that some of them advertise FRT exam classes that are actually just a bunch of recordings cobbled together. That means that if you have a question about phonemic awareness or the application of reading comprehension strategies, you're on your own. And if the recordings emphasize material that you already understand, you're out of luck.

In contrast, all of our classes involve live instruction from an expert who knows what they are talking about. If you and your classmates already understand how to teach phonics or when to use informal methods to assess reading development, your instructor can concentrate on other topics to keep your classes as engaging as possible. Your teacher can also share a humorous story to make boring concepts more engaging, or demonstrate mnemonic devices to help you remember what young minds are capable of.

Since all instruction happens live, any questions you have can be addressed promptly. In fact, many teachers encourage students to ask questions to help guide the learning process. You can also ask your instructor to recommend independent study materials or even arrange private study sessions outside of your FRT exam class if you could benefit from extra support with a particular topic.

Alternatively, you can turn to your classmates for help whenever you're feeling stuck. Somebody in your class may have more practical teaching experience than you do, making them a wellspring of knowledge you can draw upon. Hearing word analysis skills or vocabulary development techniques explained in a different voice can also help the information stick. Taking a class allows you to work in a collaborative learning environment where everybody works together toward their academic goals.

While academic knowledge is obviously important on the FRT exam, your instructor can also help you apply what you know within the context of the test. The majority of the test is comprised of multiple-choice questions, so your teacher can show you how to eliminate some of the incorrect answer choices to raise the efficacy of any guesses you make. You can also review time-saving tips if you're worried about finishing your examination on time. Similarly, your instructor can teach you how to work from an outline if you have a hard time organizing your thoughts on open-response questions.

Many students also take practice tests under realistic conditions during their FRT exam course to get a sense of what to expect. If you're unaccustomed to taking exams on a computer, practicing with the test's interface could mitigate any test anxiety you're experiencing. Similarly, your FRT prep course instructor can provide a list of dos and don'ts if you've never taken an exam in a controlled setting. Best of all, you can review your answers with your instructor to develop a better understanding of where you are improving and any content areas you might need to review again.

Where can I find an FRT prep class that suits my needs?

We understand that you don't have the time to sit in traffic trying to get to an in-person FRT exam course, so all of our courses take place online via our exclusive virtual classroom. Our virtual classroom includes a host of features to provide a face-to-face study experience anywhere with a stable internet connection, including the privacy of your home, your favorite coffee place, or a local library. For instance, video chat functionality allows you to communicate with your instructor and classmates in real-time.

We also provide several FRT exam classes concurrently to help you find something that meets your scheduling needs. For example, we offer both two- and four-week classes to give you some choices to consider. If you'd like to finish your FRT exam refresher as quickly as possible, taking a two-week class aligns with your goals. If you'd prefer to mitigate your class's impact on your day-to-day life, spreading meetings over four weeks could be a better fit for you. You get the same top-notch instruction and number of contact hours either way, so choose whichever option makes the most sense for you.

How can I get started in an FRT prep course?

You could try your luck and attempt to find an online FRT exam course on your own, but why go through the hassle when Varsity Tutors can make the process so easy? We have friendly educational consultants standing by to answer any questions you have about our Foundations of Reading Test courses and help you determine which course would be the best choice for you, so contact us by phone or online today to get the process started. We look forward to working with you!