English 9 Comprehensive
Syllabus
Mrs. Smith

Welcome to my class! For your freshman English class, you will be participating in a program called Read 180. In this program, you will be focusing primarily on reading. Okay, so you hate to read, huh? Don’t worry. Read 180 offers paperbacks and audiotapes that will keep your interest. Are you interested in romance, murder mysteries, war, sports, etc? Well, Read 180 offers books on all of those topics. All I ask is that you come in with an open mind and you WILL succeed.

So what is Read 180, and what will I be expected to do in this class?

First of all, we will have no more than 15 students in a class. The class will be split in 3 groups of 5 students. We will do this today, and it is your responsibility to remember what group you’re in. I like to switch up the groups a few times during the year, so be prepared for this.

The Read 180 class day looks like this:

1st 20 minutes: Whole Group Instruction : At the beginning of the period, you will write down your daily lesson in your Agenda book (required). The rest of the time is teacher’s choice. We might do DOLS, reading drills, grammar, journal entries, read a class novel, etc… After the 20 minutes, we move to group time.

Each group will go to their designated area and will rotate to three separate stations every 20 minutes. Don’t know where to start? Look on the bulletin board that says Read 180. You will find a schedule that will tell you where your group is supposed to start. Now, let’s discuss the rotations.

Rotation 1:Computer time. During this 20 minute rotation, you will work on Read 180 software that is specifically tailored to your reading level. You will work on vocabulary, spelling, reading comprehension, fluency, etc… The computer work is worth 100 points at the end of the six weeks. So, you want to try your best. After we establish your reading level, you can pick any topic CD you want to get started. Look at the poster above the computers. It will give you info on the contents of each CD. The topic CDs offer three zones: the Spelling Zone, the Word Zone and the Reading Zone. Once you master these zones, the Success Zone will pop up on your screen. This is your test. Once you complete the success zone, you will start a new segment of the CD.

Rotation 2:Independent Reading. During this 20 minute rotation, you will choose one book of 100 pages or more to read for six weeks. The book must be on YOUR reading level, which we will determine this week. You will be given 20 minutes a class period to read your book. You must also complete a reading log, three worksheets, a project, and take a test over your book. This is a major grade for the grading period. I will give you the due date for your work at the beginning of each six weeks. Once you are finished with your work, you will place it in your class’s homework box (on top of the filing cabinet). Once you finish your work, you Must choose a smaller book to read, such as a comic book, and take the test over the book. If you pass the test, I will give you 15 bonus points for the six weeks. The main concept is that you MUST read during this 20 minute time frame. If you finish your book early, you have to choose another book.

NOTE : Failure to complete your bookwork, project, and test will result in an F for the grading period. We don’t want that! Keep in mind, this requires a lot of responsibility on your part to read your book, do the assignments, and turn them in.

Rotation 3 : Small Group: Small group is teacher’s choice. What I usually do is continue with what we were doing in whole group. See whole group information for possible topics.

The last eight minutes of class you will fill out your reading log and show it to me. In the comments section, you will write a summary of what you read for the day. You will then place all of your worksheets in your folder in the file cabinet. The last group in each area must tidy their area before they leave. I’ll specifically talk to you about what you need to do.

Other things you need to know:

Grading Scale for Major Assignments:

• CD work: 100 points
• Bookwork (Reading Log, Quickwrite, Comp. Support, and WrapUp worksheets): 55 points
• Test over your Book: 100 points
• Project over your book: 30 points
• Participation grade: up to 10 points daily
• You will also be graded on small group and whole group activities

So how do I get started?

First, you have to take the SRI exam so that I can find your reading level. Every student must take this test before we start the program. Please do your best! After you take the SRI, I will give you a number called a Lexile. It tells me what Reading Level you need to be on. You will take this test again during the middle of the year and at the end of the year to assess your growth. You must read books out of this level, unless I give you permission to do otherwise.

I know it sounds like a lot, but once you get the hang of it, it is quite simple. I look forward to working with you this year. We’re going to have a great year!

Student Name_____________

I have read and understand that the above rules and policies are to be followed during English class.

___________________________________ Date_________

Student Signature

I have read and understand that my child is responsible for adhering to the above rules and policies during English class.

___________________________________ Date_________

Parent Signature