Teacher Contact: 703-784-0303 or QMHS Webmaster

COURSE TITLE: Language Arts Lab 9, 10, 11 or 12

COURSE LENGTH: 36 weeks

Major Concept/Content: To improve reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills of students not achieving at grade level.

Students will read to learn by:

• Connecting text to prior knowledge.
• Understanding text structure to analyze and respond to literature.
• Using text processing strategies "before", "during", and "after" reading to build a foundation for a text, make sense of reading as it occurs, and to synthesize, apply, evaluate, or bridge understanding.

Students will increase skill and confidence in writing by:

• Using the Writing Process.prewriting, drafting, revision, editing, and publishing.
• Practicing timed writing.
• Taking notes on literature.
• Reflecting, discussing, and evaluating writing assignments.

Students will increase confidence and ability to articulate and support ideas by:

• Engaging in both formal and informal presentations.
• Learning how to be active listeners.

Major Instructional Activities: A planned progression of skills and content knowledge in narrative and informational text will be provided in a classroom setting using writing, inquiry, collaboration, and reading strategies in:

• Content area text.
• Trade books Lexile leveled to match students' instructional levels.
• Supplementary and reference materials.

Major Evaluative Techniques: Assessment instruments used will illustrate strengths as well as needs of students and will include:

• Oral and written feedback on class assignments, written work, oral discussions, and class participation.
• Performance tasks to demonstrate understanding of course-related reading and writing skills using specific strategies.
• Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) Lexile level
• Self and peer analysis of skills and comprehension.
• Weekly conferences with teacher to identify goals and assess progress.

Essential Objectives: Upon completion of the Language Arts Lab course, students should be able to use strategies to be:

• A more effective reader.
• A more confident writer.
• A more articulate speaker.
• An active listener.