• This is a one trimester reading class designed to help you improve your reading skills and to progress towards the College and Career Readiness Skills that are needed to be successful beyond high school. All students will participate in reading through small group instruction, whole group instruction, independent reading, and individualized computer reading activities.

     Required Materials and Supplies: 

    ·         Pen and/or pencil (BLUE OR BLACK ink, please)

    ·         A folder or binder to keep your materials in and a notebook (these will stay in the classroom)

    ·         Independent reading material

     

    Behavioral Expectations:

    ·         Be prepared.  Make sure you have a pen or pencil, your folder, and something to read with you EVERY DAY.  

    ·         Be respectful.  Speak positively to your peers, listen when others are speaking (including me) and treat materials (books, desks, hand-outs) appropriately. 

    ·         Be kind.  With your words and your actions. 

    ·         Be responsible.  You are responsible for your learning.  Make sure you do everything you can to take control!

    ·         Be on time. All tardies will be documented.  After two, you will call home. After three, a referral will be given.

    ·         Be in class. Use your time wisely and you will have plenty of time to complete all of your work in class. Hall passes will not be given:

    ·         without a planner

    ·         during the first or last five minutes of class

    ·         if you were tardy.

     Technology Policy: All portable electronic devices may be used in the classroom only with teacher or administrator approval. If there is unapproved use, the device may be confiscated by a staff person.  (Please refer to page 99 of the student planner for a complete description of school policy).

     Late Work/Make-up Work Policy: 

    ·         If you have an excused absence, please check to see what you missed and contact me about any make-up work.  If you miss more than three consecutive days, please see me to make arrangements. 

    ·         The deadline for all work is the last Friday before the end of the trimester.

     

    Assignments: 

    • Independent reading
      • Reading responses (reading log). Students will be contributing to a small group discussion as part of their reading log points.
      • Completion of two books 
    • Formative work
      • Townsend Press – chapter practice, review tests, online exercises
      • Article of the Week (AoW)
      • The Reading Minute
      • Vocabulary
    • Assessments
      • Book presentations
      • AoW summatives
      • Townsend Press chapter mastery test
      • Vocabulary unit tests
    • CSA – Cumulative Summative Assessment
      • Townsend 

     Grading:

    Grades will be posted in Synergy every 2–3 weeks.  Grades are weighted as follows:

      

    • CSA 10%
    •  
      Formative 10%
    •  
      IR summative  25%
    •  
      Informational Text 30%
    •  
      Vocabulary Summative 25%   Grading Scale:                 

                      A   =   93 - 100          C+ =  77 - 79          D-  =   60 - 62         

                     A-  =   90 - 92           C   =   73 - 76          F    =   Below 60

                      B+ =   87 - 89           C-  =   70 – 72       

                      B   =    83 – 86           D+ =   67 - 69

                      B-  =    80 – 82           D   =   63 - 66         

        

    Academic Support:

    I am available most days after school.  I can also be available before school if you let me know.  I will make every effort to be available if you would like to come in for additional help and/or to make up work. 

     

    Parent/Guardian:  If you have concerns about your student’s progress or behavior, please do not hesitate to call or email me.  I am happy to work with you and your student to ensure they have a successful school year.

    Learning Targets: Each day we will be working to meet specific learning targets.  Each target is a reading objective we want students to master by the end of the year to help answer two essential questions:

    1.     What do I need to do to become a stronger reader?

    2.    What do I do when I don’t understand what I am reading? 

    These targets will be posted on the board and on assignments.  Some key learning targets for this trimester are:

     

    Comprehension:

    • I can use strategies such as - activating prior knowledge, making connections, making predictions, asking questions, making an inference and drawing conclusions in order to deepen my understanding of a text.
    • I can identify the central (main) idea of a text.
    • I can distinguish between the central (main) idea and supporting details in a text.
    • I can identify important and relevant details in a text.
    • I can summarize a text.

    Vocabulary:

    • I can determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases in a text by using context clues and/or word parts.

     Independent Reading:

    • I can select text at my appropriate independent reading level.
    • I can read various texts to increase my background knowledge.
    • I can change my reading speed depending on the purpose for reading.
    • I can recognize when my fluency is interfering with my understanding and I know how to fix it.