This class is designed for students needing small-group phonics and phonological awareness intervention. Teachers are trained in the intervention program Wilson Just Words and will use various other techniques to help build skills, confidence, and a love of reading. Students also learn to navigate assistive technologies that give them greater access to literature and inspire them to pursue a higher level of inquiry.

Students focus on developing active reading skills such as annotating and monitoring their comprehension. In addition, they learn strategies to help them understand new ideas, make inferences, and support their thinking with text evidence. Students increase their reading proficiency by using specific thinking skills to build a deep understanding of the texts they read. They apply those skills in the pre-reading, reading, and post-reading phases.

Students learn reading comprehension strategies like identifying the author’s viewpoint, understanding concepts, making inferences, and analyzing a text. Throughout the course, students are challenged to apply these skills to examine scholarly articles, short stories, novels, and periodicals. The goal is to have students evaluate text for more than simply what it says, but rather how and why it says it. This course requires students to apply reading comprehension strategies to examine text more critically.

Students learn research-based strategies for planning when to study, developing an understanding of the studying process, and reinforcing knowledge. Strategies such as spaced practicing, interleaving, elaboration, dual coding, and retrieval practices are taught to help students prepare for tests and quizzes in content area classes. Students also learn multiple strategies for preparing for and taking objective-style and essay-style tests to understand how to plan their time during a test, reduce anxiety, and create a proper essay for various assessments.

Students focus on a specific research topic over a multi-week period. The research the students conduct is framed around creating a culminating project that responds to an essential question or theme related to their specific topic. The metacognitive process is integrated into a design thinking framework from start to finish. By working on a multi-week project, students learn to manage their time effectively, prioritize tasks, break down large tasks into manageable parts, and organize their thoughts and ideas. Self-assessment, project management, and student-teacher conferencing are be emphasized throughout the course.

Understanding how the brain works, particularly how it grows and evolves during adolescence, underpins our inquiry in this course. This course is designed to give students details on what the brain needs and provide skills and strategies for making learning easier. In-depth research on adolescent brain development and functioning are explored. What is learning? How does it work in a neurological sense? Students explore how they can use the science of learning to inform their academic habits of mind, and understand what it takes to learn new information as well as key strategies and habits they can employ to find success.

Students gain a basic foundation in the essential concepts of Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II, or Geometry using a multi-sensory approach and including assistive technology to prepare for the next level of math in their learning journey.

Through research-based methods, assistive technology, and differentiated instruction, students discover the process of unlocking their voice. The course focuses on strengthening foundational grammar skills and improving structural organization. Students enhance their ability to express themselves through writing and learn to enjoy the process. 

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Use assistive technology to improve the writing process.

• Understand grammar and writing mechanics so as to revise and edit with a greater degree of independence.

• Organize and develop multi-paragraph essays.

• Recognize and write in different modes (i.e., narrative, expository, persuasive).

Through feedback-based individual coaching, students are guided to apply the writing strategies taught in Writing I to resolve individual issues in the standard writing process, exercise independence, and foster confidence in managing writing tasks. The process encompasses selecting an appropriate topic, finding source material, synthesizing information through organized notes, planning a detailed outline, maintaining appropriate academic tone and language, and documenting sources. 

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Craft proposals for research writing assignments.

• Navigate research databases (e.g., ProQuest, JSTOR) and select appropriate sources therefrom.

• Use the Cornell Notes system to synthesize information from source material.

• Structure and incorporate research into an outline.

• Use and maintain appropriate academic tone and language. 

• Document sources and format research writing assignments according to MLA, Chicago, and APA styles.