NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title: Reading Techniques II
Course Prefix & Number: READ 0305	Section Number: 401	Semester: 161s
Semester Credit Hours: 3	Lecture Hours: 3	Lab Hours: 0
Course Description (NCTC Catalog): Development of reading and higher order thinking skills necessary for college readiness. Reading Techniques II is a course intended to continue the improvement of reading skills with particular emphasis on critical and analytical reading strategies. The course begins with a review of active reading strategies for informational text and ends with an emphasis on critical reading of persuasive texts. Critical reading skills covered include identifying an author’s purpose, tone, bias, and logic. This course does not count toward graduation at NCTC.
Course Prerequisite(s): Pass READ 0300 with a “C” or better, or earn satisfactory TSI Assessment placement score, or earn satisfactory placement score on another approved assessment.
Required or Recommended Course Materials: Flemming, Laraine, Reading for Thinking (8th ed.), 2015, Cengage Learning MyReadingLab access code (MyLabsPlus format) A college dictionary is recommended.

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Sara Foltermann
Campus/Office Location:	Corinth, Room 312
Office Hours:	By appointment only
Telephone Number:
E-mail Address:	sfoltermann@nctc.edu

 

 

Class Rules:

1. Be courteous and respectful to everyone in the classroom at all times. Maintain a positive and professional attitude. All students are expected to remain respectfully engaged with the instructor and the learning materials throughout each class period. Students who break this rule will receive disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.
2. Students are not permitted to use or to appear to be using earbuds or earphones/headphones of any type while in class. Students who break this rule will be dismissed from class, will be counted absent for the class period, and will receive further disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.

1. A seating chart will be assigned in this section of READ 0305. Students are required to sit where they are assigned according to the seating chart. Also, the seating chart may change throughout the duration of the semester.       Students who do not sit in assigned seats as directed by the instructor will receive disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.
2. Students are expected to arrive to class on time for the start of each class period. Students who consistently arrive after class begins will be counted tardy, and will receive disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.
3. Students are expected to remain seated in class for the duration of each class period. Students are expected to use the restroom, make or receive telephone calls, and take care of any personal matters before or after class.       Students who consistently leave the classroom (more than two times throughout the semester) during the class period will receive disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.
4. Students are not permitted to sleep in class. Sleeping students will be dismissed from class, will be counted absent for the class period, and will receive further disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the course.

 

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Point Values
8	Vocabulary Homework (8 x 15 pts)	120 pts (12% of total grade)
4	Vocabulary Tests (4 x 20 pts)	80 pts (8% of total grade)
10	Quizzes (10 x 20 pts)	200 pts (20% of total grade)
10	Practice Readings (10 x 20 pts)	200 pts (20% of total grade)
1	My Reading Lab Lexile Level (1 x 100 pts)	100 pts (10% of total grade)
1	Project (1 x 200 pts)	200 pts (20% of total grade)
1	Final Exam (1 x 100 pts)	100 pts (10% of total grade)

Grade Scale:

90-100%= A                900-1000 pts= A

80-89%= B                  800-899 pts= B

70-79%=C                    700-799 pts= C

Below 70%= F              699-0 pts= F

 

 

 

 

Detailed Grading Procedures:

Your grades are divided into the following categories:

 

1. Vocabulary Study (200 pts): Each week students will be assigned a list of 12 new words to study and a homework assignment to help review those words.   Vocabulary homework will consist of matching, fill‐in‐the‐blank, and writing your own sentences. You will be given a vocabulary test over each chapter at three-week intervals. Tests will include matching and fill-in-the-blank items. There are 8 vocabulary homework assignments worth 15 points each and

4 tests worth 20 points each.

 

2. My Reading Lab (100 pts): Your My Reading Lab grade is determined by improvement in your reading (Lexile) level. You will receive your lexile level when you take your pretest. Each student is expected to improve his score significantly by the end of the semester. A student’s grade for this aspect of MRL will be determined by how much a student improves his/her lexile score. An improved lexile score of 100 points or more will earn a score of 100. Each lexile point of improvement is worth 1 point. A student who improves his/her score by 86 points will earn an 86% in this category. Any student who improves his/her lexile level above 100 points will be awarded 1 point extra credit for every 5 lexile points over 100. For example, a student who raises his/her lexile score by 107 points would earn a 101%.

 

3. Quizzes (200 pts): Students will have 10 quizzes covering the content and skills taught each week. Each quiz is worth 20 points.

 

4. Practice Readings (200 pts): Students will complete 10 practice readings throughout the course of the semester. These readings will cover the skills taught in the week the practice reading is assigned. Each practice reading is worth 20 points.

 

5. Project (200 pts): Students will complete a midterm project around Week 8 of the semester. More detailed instructions about this project will be provided during the course of the semester.

 

6. Final (100 pts): The final will be given the last week of class.

 

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

	At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
1.	Locate explicit textual information, draw complex inferences, and describe, analyze, and evaluate the information within and across multiple texts of varying lengths.
2.	Comprehend and use vocabulary effectively in oral communication, reading, and writing.
3.	Describe, analyze, and evaluate information within and across a range of texts.
4.	Identify and analyze the audience, purpose, and message across a variety of texts.
5.	Describe and apply insights gained from reading a variety of texts.

 

TSI COMPLIANCE

At North Central Texas College, students who test but do not meet the passing scores in ALL sections of the TSI Assessment or any other THECB approved testing measurements are required by state law to obtain TSI advising and continuously enroll in a formal college preparatory studies (developmental) program every semester until all TSI requirements are satisfied. TSI program attendance is MANDATORY. Non-compliance with the rules of attendance will result in a student being WITHDRAWN from the college preparatory course and possibly from North Central Texas College. Withdrawals are subject to college policies as set forth in the college catalog.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all College Prep classes for which they have registered. There are NO excused absences. The Department of College Preparatory Studies will notify students of absences reported by instructors and one courtesy warning e-mail notification (Lion Pride email) will be sent to the students’ current NCTC student e-mail address (Lion Pride) when the student accrues 1 week absence (not necessarily consecutive days) in a course. Failure to read and/or receive NCTC e-mail (Lion Pride) is no excuse for not complying with the Attendance Policy. It is the student's responsibility to maintain correct and current e-mail and local and permanent addresses with the college.

After a student has been absent from class 2 weeks (not necessarily consecutive days), the student may be dropped. If the student is dropped from the only College Prep class in which he/she is enrolled and is TSI liable, the student may be DROPPED from all remaining courses for that semester.

Inform the instructor in writing during the first week of class of any religious holidays observed this semester. Documentation must be given to the instructor at the class following the holiday.

Also, since punctuality has become a problem in recent semesters, three tardies will be considered one absence. Coming in late disrupts the class. Occasions do occur that you will need to be tardy, but not on a consistent basis.

 

 

LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is Thursday, April 7, 2016.

DISABILITY SERVICES (OSD)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 or call 940-668-4209.  Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209.

North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112).   http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices.aspx

 

 

 

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook. http://nctc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2014-2015/Catalog/North-Central-Texas-College-Student-Handbook

 

 

Name of Chair/Coordinator:	Elizabeth Howell
Office Location:	Corinth 324
Telephone Number:	940.498.6209
E-mail Address:	ehowell@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean:	Sara Alford
Office Location:	Flower Mound Suite 200
Telephone Number:	972.899.8401
E-mail Address:	salford@nctc.edu

 

Tobacco-Free Campus

NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco, on campus property.