ACADEMIC SUPPORT CENTER

Staples Academic Support Centers provide academic support in reading, writing and other disciplines to all students.

 

READING CENTER WORKSHOP (337,338)                                                                                                                                    1/2 credit

(Maximum enrollment of 12)                                                                                                                                                Either semester

 

The Reading Center Workshop, offered to all students, aims to improve reading strategies and skills using a variety of activities and materials. Student and teacher input are used to plan an individualized course of instruction. Instruction will focus on comprehension, vocabulary, word attack skills, as well as writing activities.

 

Additionally, content area-reading strategies such as note taking, reading a textbook effectively, and study skills will be addressed. Students may take this course during either semester, on a Pass/Fail basis.

 

WRITING CENTER WORKSHOP (341,342)                                                                                                                                    1/2 credit

(Maximum enrollment of 12)                                                                                                                                                Either semester

 

This course focuses upon building fundamental composition and essay-writing techniques. Students review the basics of good essay writing, including interpreting writing assignments, pre-writing, planning, organization, idea development, thesis statements, topic sentences, sentence combining, voice, peer response, conclusions, and grammar for writing. The small size of the class allows for some individualized instruction.

 

INTENSIVE READING & WRITING (345,346)                                                                                                                                  1/2 credit

Open to selected 9^th graders                                                                                                                                               Either semester

 

This course will be an intensive introduction to the academic skills necessary at Staples. Students will learn reading and writing strategies by discipline and by theme. The semester will follow a three-week rotation of subject field practice including skill applications of English, Social Studies, Math and Science. Within each rotation, students will be immersed in both fiction and nonfiction texts. Literature and writing practice will be linked thematically.

 

This course will be a required course for targeted entering freshmen who will most benefit from this intensive workshop. The course will not have an open enrollment policy. Students will be chosen according to the learning needs identified by CMT and DRP scores.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

PERSONALIZED STUDY SKILLS  (349,350)                                                                                                                                 1/2  credit

(Title 1 Program)                                                                                                                                                    Either or both semesters

Personalized Study Skills is a program designed to help individual students in the areas where they need attention the most. Working one-on-one with a student or in a small group, a certified teacher will meet four times a week with a pupil to help with and assess the development of his or her study skills. If a student is struggling with a particular subject, the teacher will recommend strategies to help the student attain a firmer grasp of the material at hand. A strong emphasis will be placed on the development of critical reading and writing skills across the student’s curriculum.