Syllabus

English Skills

Barry Rich

Room G-110

Block-E (45-mins.)

2009-2010

Course description and units of study: “English Skills” is a remedial course assigned to students who scored “below mastery level” on the Reading and Language Arts sections of the WESTest. The course aims to assist students to performing better on succeeding WESTests. As an intended result, the course in turn guides students to becoming better readers, writers, speakers, listeners, viewers, studiers, researchers, spellers, and critical thinkers—in order that students may enhance their academic, personal, and occupational lives. In class, students read and analyze a diverse variety of writings (employing modeled reading strategies), engage in critical-thinking puzzles/games, complete grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and word-usage exercises, and complete WESTest preparation exercises.

Course objectives (upon course completion): Throughout the course of daily units of study listed above, students should expect to score “mastery or above” on their next WESTests. Students should expect to have better reading comprehension, to become better writers and grammar users, and to become sharper critical-thinkers.

Evaluation (grade determinants): Students’ grades are numerically and objectively based upon quizzes, daily grammar worksheets, and mid-semester and end-of-term exam grades (to be calculated per county policy). Tests/exams are simulated WESTests constructed of released material (old WESTest Reading and Language Arts sections).

Attendance: One of my mottos is this: It seems that half the battle in life seems to be just a matter of showing up on time; the rest usually works itself out.

Issues regarding attendance are be remedied by referring to the student handbook/planner. 

Homework: Out of class, students need to complete work missed due to absences, etc.

Make-up work: Make-up work is the dread of teachers and students alike. Notably however, it is a student’s responsibility to retrieve all work upon the day the student returns to school (as dictated within the student handbook/planner).

Materials: All materials (excluding writing implements) are supplied by Mr. Rich.