Reading Strategies

Burlington Central High School

Course Syllabus 2014-2015 4th Quarter
Ms. Katie Sheahan
Room 132

Email
ksheahan@burlington.k12.il.us

Website
http://readingquarter4.weebly.com

Course Description
This course was designed to give students the opportunity to raise PARCC and ACT reading scores along
with becoming more successful readers. In this class you will learn effective strategies to becoming a better
reader as well as raising your reading scores to boost your ACT and PARCC scores.

Course Goals
The goal of the reading strategies class is to learn different techniques and methods to implement during
reading.

Expected Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completing the reading strategies course, students should be able to:
o Correctly and effectively annotate a text
o Be able to summarize articles, short stories, and poetry
o Find the main point of various forms of written works
o Identify the beginning, middle, and end of a short story
o Raise test scores by 1-3 points

Required Supplies
o Something to read for each class period
o Notebook
o Pen or Pencil
o Highlighters
o Post-it Notes
o Any additional annotation flagging items (optional)

Types of Assignments and Lessons to be Expected This Quarter

o Annotation
o Fluency
o Connecting
o Inference
o Summarizing
o Finding the main point
o Drawing conclusions
o Questioning
o Visualizing
o Rephrasing
o Using graphic organizers
o Practice testing

Guidelines for Course Grade

Note: The content of this syllabus is subject to change in accordance with the needs of the class and/or instructor.

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This course is pass/fail

A grade of pass will be achieved by receiving a 60% or higher in the class
A grade of fail will be achieved by receiving a 59% or lower in the class
Grade will be determined by:
In-class work (30%)
Homework (25%)
Quizzes and Tests (25%)
Participation (20%)

Attendance Policy
It is important to attend every class meeting. Important skills will be taught each day and missing those skills
will ultimately affect your overall performance. If you are going to be absent please check the class website
to see what you missed and ask a classmate for notes. Most assignments will be done in-class. Please be
aware that, if you are absent, the in-class assignment for that day will become homework for you. It will be
due the next class meeting. Any late work will be docked 10% per day.

Reading Strategies Quarter 4

Calendar
2015
This is a TENTATIVE schedule for the quarter. Below you will find a list of our class meetings
and itinerary for each day. I will do my best to notify you of any changes ahead of time. Make
sure to check the website for the most up-to-date class information.
Date
3/24 Late Start

Day of the Week

Week One
Tuesday

3/26

Thursday

Tentative Schedule

Silent Reading
Introductions and
reading opinionnaire

Practice test
(assessment)

Silent Reading
Go over syllabus
PowerPoint on
effective reading
strategies & What it
means to be a
reader
Read and annotate
an article individually

Week Two

Spring Break
4/6

Week Three
Monday

Note: The content of this syllabus is subject to change in accordance with the needs of the class and/or instructor.

4/8

Wednesday

4/10 Half Day

Friday

4/14 Late Start

Week Four
Tuesday

(assessment)
Silent Reading
Marking the text
how to do it and why
Read-aloud of article
by Ms. Sheahan
Sleep article &
discussion
Silent Reading
PowerPoint on how to
find the main idea
and key points in a
text
QUIZ: 7 reading
strategies, marking
text, finding main
idea, and
summarizing

4/16

Thursday

4/20

Week Five
Monday

4/22

Wednesday

Silent Reading
PowerPoint on how to
read fiction &
Discuss reading
strategies specific to
fiction
Begin short science
fiction story
Silent Reading
Continue short story,
answer questions in
small group, and
discuss as a class
Silent Reading
Discuss Blooms
Taxonomy and how to
develop thinking
questions
Write your own
questions
Short story reading
Silent Reading
Socratic seminar
Answer questions on

Note: The content of this syllabus is subject to change in accordance with the needs of the class and/or instructor.

4/24

Friday

4/28 Late Start

Week Six
Tuesday

4/30

Thursday

5/4

Week Seven
Monday

5/6

Wednesday

5/8

Friday

5/12

Week Eight
Tuesday

5/14

Thursday

5/18

Week Nine
Monday

5/20

Wednesday

story individually
(assessment)
Silent Reading
Student-led
discussion of short
story
Written follow-up to
discussion and story
(assessment)
Silent Reading
What it means to
infer
Inference practice
sheet
Sherlock BBC Clip
David Sedaris story
(if time)
Silent Reading
Inference through
poetry
Silent Reading
Memoirs and
Autobiographies
Excerpt from The
Color of Water
Silent Reading
TBD
Silent Reading
TBD
Silent Reading
Lesson: Tone and
Mood
Tone in poetry
Silent Reading
Roald Dahls
Revolting Rhymes
Silent Reading
TBD
Silent Reading

Note: The content of this syllabus is subject to change in accordance with the needs of the class and/or instructor.

5/22

Friday

5/25 No School

Week Ten
Monday

5/27 Last Day

Wednesday

TBD
Silent Reading
TBD

Silent Reading

6/1 Final Exam

Monday

Silent Reading
Review lessons from
quarter
Study guide
(assessment)
Final

Note: The content of this syllabus is subject to change in accordance with the needs of the class and/or instructor.