Freshman English Reading
BEN10802, BEN10805, NEN10803
103b Syllabus
Click here for printable pdf version of the syllabus for each of the three classes
Required texts:
- American Ways. 4th Edition, by Maryanne Kearny Datesman
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon (BEN10802, BEN10805)
- Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson (NEN10803)
Class Objectives
The purpose of this class is to help students become comfortable reading intensively and extensively in English without relying on translation. Students should be able to read in English as a primary means to gain knowledge as well as for personal pleasure. Students should become comfortable expressing personal ideas about how they read and the things they read orally and in writing.
- Improve fluency in reading (read rapidly with few pauses with improving comprehension)
- Increase skills for reading (understand purposes for reading and use appropriate strategies in particular reading situations).
After completing this course, students should be able to
- Speak in English comfortably about what they have read.
- Read at length in English without using a dictionary (Extensive reading).
- Analyze difficult texts with the use of aids, such as dictionaries (Intensive reading).
- Consciously apply reading skills appropriate for a wide variety of texts and purposes.
- Format papers in English correctly and clearly.
- Write papers in English that clearly and accurately communicate personal ideas.
Practice and Feature of the Class
- The class is organized according to reading skills. Each week, students will read articles and short stories in English while focusing on particular reading skills and strategies.
- Students will spend time discussing ideas about reading and ideas from their reading in small groups and with the whole class.
- Students will do their own extensive reading outside of class each week. This is facilitated by the graded reader library managed by the Teaching Assistant. Students will write weekly entries in the learning journals about their reading.
- Each class will begin with a short quiz related to the reading to be done for that class
- Midterm and final exams will cover the content of articles and stories students have read, the reading skills and strategies students have learned, and reading a new article or short story.
Grading
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Participation |
20% |
Extensive reading, Class involvement, Presentations, Reading journal |
| |
Quizzes |
10% |
About the reading assigned for that day |
| |
2 short papers |
20% |
Ideas about reading and responses to reading |
| |
Midterm Exam |
20% |
Reading skills, Assigned reading, New article or story |
| |
Final exam |
30% |
Reading skills, Assigned reading, New article and story |
- Missing more than two classes will lower grade.
- Missing four or more classes will probably lead to a failing grade.
Weekly Schedule
A week by week schedule of reading, assignments, tests, and due dates can be found on the class website accessible through the teacher's website. Students are responsible to check the website frequently and to know when all assignments are due whether or not the teacher reminds them.
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