Columbia-Montour AVTS
CRITICAL READING

Welcome to the "CRITICAL READING" home page. This site will be used to share information about the course, as well as to give a synopsis of what took place in class each week. Parents: Please refer to your child's syllbus which gives further details about the course, specifically, grading.

"CRITICAL READING" is a one-semester course required of all sophomores. "MATH PROBLEM SOLVING" is the partner course which is also one semester in length. Refer to the teacher page under that course title to learn about that course.

Through mini-lessons and related in-class assignments, students review specific reading skills expected of high school students as set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education Academic Standards for Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The course also provides practice with PSSA assessment anchors for reading in preparation for the tests administered in the spring of 11th grade.

All sophomores are given the 4-Sight test at the beginning of the school year, at mid point, and toward the end of the school year. The 4-Sight test mirrors the PSSA. This assessment provides important information regarding each student's progress toward meeting the goal of reading proficiency by detailing strengths and weaknesses. This information is used to drive instruction, whereby students are provided with lessons and materials to maintain present strengths and correct deficiencies based on need. The results of the Stanford Achievement Tests administered at the beginning of ninth grade, specifically looking at achievement in reading and language skills, is a second tool that is used to guide instruction.

The first end-goal of the course is that each student will improve, whether that student is presently a struggling reader, an average reader, or an advanced reader. The second-end goal is that students successfully apply their reading skills, improved as a result of this course, to the reading assignments given in other academic areas, including the types of reading that are required in their chosen career or technical areas. The final end-goal is that each student will become a successful, life-long reader.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

#2 pencil with an eraser

1-1/2 in. (or larger) three-ring binder

student passbook

Links

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