LiteracyWorkshop

Springfield High School English Department Course Expectations Joanna Coleman Literacy Workshop 802-885-7900 ext. 3301    jcoleman@ssdvt.org 2011-2012

**Description** Students enrolled in the Literacy Workshop will work over the course of the year to dramatically improve their skills with respect to reading and writing. Students should recognize that reading and writing are essential components of communication. As students work toward more effective communication, they will also be striving to become successful and contributing members of their community. Students will achieve their success by greatly increasing their time spent reading, learning strategies to improve reading, and through challenges presented to them. Students are enrolled in the Literacy Workshop based on NECAP scores, NWEA scores, as well as teacher and parent recommendation. Students will take Literacy Workshop for credit but must still meet their other English department requirements. Literacy Workshop is a class designed to increase students’ confidence in their reading and writing skills. A student enrolled in this section will build knowledge and skills in the following areas:

Reading strategies for poetry, literature and non-fiction reading Basic writing. Grammar and spelling Summarizing, paraphrasing, predicting, and finding main ideas. Vocabulary expansion through an ongoing study of prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Classroom discussion and public speaking Because all work will be completed in class, students are expected to attend regularly and fully participate in all required activities.

All formal assignments have equal importance in my English classes, and therefore have equivalent weight. Formal assessments include in-class essays, written reading responses journal writing, art projects, and class participation. Reading in class falls under class participation. The SHS Writing Rubric is used to guide the grading process, however effort and growth are also considered.
 * Grading Policy**

The cumulative grade for the semester is worth 80% of the overall grade.

Midterm and final exams will be a comprehensive assessment of student knowledge for the semester. Each exam is worth 10% of the final grade.

All work is due on the assigned date. If work is submitted on any day after the due date students will lose partial credit, however the assignment will still be accepted. All essay and writing assignments can be revised and re-graded. Students are encouraged to take advantage of revision opportunities.

When a student is absent from class it is their responsibility to obtain the makeup work and complete it within 4 days of their return to school, unless other arrangements have been made.