Reading 42
Course Syllabus

Course Description:  This course is designed for students who are determined to improve their English reading skills.  Work with phonics, vocabulary building, comprehension and writing skills, meaning through context, dictionary skills, and the completion of an assigned reading text will be emphasized.

Course Objectives: Through lecture, small group discussion, collaborative learning, text exercises, and outside readings students will learn how to:

1. Use phonetic skills for effective reading and verbalization of text.
2. Develop a consistent, smooth reading style with correct pronunciation and accent of words.
3. Use skills to increase proficiency in decoding, spelling, and word retrieval.
4. Develop vocabulary skills for long term vocabulary building.
5. Efficiently utilize all features of an American English dictionary.
6. Write simple sentences using proper grammatical structures.
7. Discover word meanings through the use of context clues.
8. Use the 5 W+H question frame in summary writing.

Text:  Groundwork for College Reading, 3rd edition, by B. Broderick
           Groundwork for a Better Vocabulary, by Smith, Johnson, & Mohr
           American Heritage Dictionary, (paperback edition)

Telephone: You can reach me at (562) 860-2451, Ext. 2840.

Office Hours: My office is located in the Santa Barbara Bldg.  Office hours will be given to you the first session of class and are posted outside my office.

Attendance: Attendance in class is very important. Make-up tests are not allowed, except for absences due to unusual circumstances. If there is a legitimate reason for your absence, please see me to arrange a time to make up any missed assignments.

Grading: The grade distribution will be as follows:

Important: It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw himself/herself from any class that he/she decides not to complete.

Nota Bene: The instructor reserves the right to amend, adjust, or otherwise modify this syllabus at any time during the semester.

Reading 42