Life Skills for Writing and Organization

Syllabus and Program of Studies Guide

 

Welcome to Grafton High School!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful and restful summer, and is looking forward to the 2008-2009 school year.

 

This individualized instructional course develops, strengthens, or revises the skills which have been shown to be areas of concern through curriculum based assessment and which are outlines on the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

 

Teacher:  Mrs. Deborah S. Wright                                                        Office: Room 405

e-mail : dwright@ycsd.york.va.us                                                         Phone: 898-0530

 

 

STATE STANDARDS OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES/STATE LEARNING COMPETENCIES/YORK COUNTY OBJECTIVES.

 

 

YCO    1.0       The student will participate in activities designed to increase and enhance

                        Skills needed for academic performance.

YCO    1.1       The student will develop a plan or system for organizing work/study

                        time/materials.

YCO    1.2       The student will develop a system for approaching assignments/task using

                        his/her own strengths.

YCO    1.3       The student will practice test taking skills

YCO    1.4       The student will practice identifying significant information.

YCO    2.0       The student will participate in activities designed to increase and enhance

                        Skills needed for problem-solving skills.

YCO    2.1       The student will identify potential problems.

YCO    2.2       The student will develop solutions to identified problems.

YCO    2.3       The student will identify possible sources of assistance.

YCO    3.0       The student will develop compensatory techniques relevant to his/her

                        diagnosed learning disabilities.

YCO    3.1       The student will develop skills will enable him/her to generate written

                        assignments through the use of a computer.

YCO    4.0       The student will develop/refine skills necessary to complete assignments

                        and master content for mainstream education classes by identifying and

                        using specific learning strategies.

YCO    5.0       The student will develop/refine skills needed for functioning in school, the

                        community, and the world of work.

YCO    5.1       The student will identify post secondary education and/or career options in

                        order to determine transition services.

YCO    6.0       The student will complete any other performance objectives as outlines in

                        the IEP.

 

Content Outline

 

Part I:   Study Skills

1.     Evaluating study habits

      Setting goals

      Managing time

2.      Organization

Organizing notebooks

Agenda books

 

 Part II: Effective Studying

1.      Listening Skills

2.      Learning styles

3.      Note-taking

Writing down important ideas

Write short sentence, phrases, abbreviations, and symbols

Leaving space

High-lighting and circling

Copying notes from board

Revising notes

4.      Test taking skills

Preparing for tests

Learning about multiple choice tests

Learning about True/False tests

Learning about matching tests

Test stress

5.      Strategies fro remembering information

Repetition strategy

Categorize

Acronym

Graphic Organizing

Rhyme

Mnemonics

 

Part III: Writing a research paper

1.      Researching a topic

2.      Taking notes/note cards

3.      Outlining

4.      Writing a rough draft

5.      Proof reading and correcting

6.      Quotes

7.      Documentation

8.      Works Cited

 

 

Classroom Rules: Respect and Responsibility

 

Students need to be aware of themselves and others in the classroom using appropriate behavior.  They must also respect the equipment and materials that will be provided for their education.  Students have a responsibility in making sure they have the necessary materials to learn, do the necessary items to learn and ask for help when they need it. Students have very important choices thy need to make and hopefully they will make the wise ones.  However, student infractions will be dealt with as follows:

 

1. Warning
2. Call home to the parent
3. Referral
4. Conference with parent
5. Detention/ATS

 

Academic success is key to Grafton High School!  Students can expect a significant change from Middle school to High School.  We are on a block schedule.  This simply translates to odd and even days.  Bells 1, 7, 3 and 5 and 2, 7, 4 and 6.  As you will notice, 7^th period is a shortened period.  This is the only period that the students will see their teacher each day.  Students are given 5 minutes to pass between classes.  This is so they can take care of any matter of necessity, change books in their lockers, go to the office, etc.  When the bell rings, any student not in their seat is considered tardy.  Please impress to your student to be prompt to class.  Excessive tardiness leads to unexcused absences.

 

I am looking forward to a very positive and successful school year.  Please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions or concerns.  I look forward to meeting everyone at Back to School Night on September 27, 2005 at 6:30 p.m.

 

Deborah S. Wright