Seventh Grade White Team
Miss Miller
CMMiller@methacton.org
Each seventh grade student will be exposed to various genres of literature while employing critical
reading skills, exploring new vocabulary, analyzing literary elements, and applying comprehension
strategies in fiction and nonfiction reading.
GENERAL CLASS REQUIREMENTS Students should:
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COME TO CLASS PREPARED. THIS INCLUDES PENCIL, PEN, AND A FREE READING BOOK (IRP BOOK) AT
ALL TIMES!!
ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF BY CONTACTING ME VIA EMAIL IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
CONCERNING ASSIGNMENTS, AND GRADES. I WILL DO MY BEST TO RESPOND WITHIN 24 HOURS.
(CMMiller@methacton.org)
FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE BOARD IMMEDIATELY UPON ENTERING THE ROOM. THIS
INCLUDES COPYING HOMEWORK, HANDING IN ALL WORK DUE, AND PARTICIPATING IN PRE-CLASS
ACTIVITIES.
DO HOMEWORK AND NIGHTLY READING. INDEPENDENT READING COUNTS FOR ABOUT 30% OF THE
TOTAL READING GRADE EACH MARKING PERIOD.
HAND IN WORK ON TIME! LATE/INCOMPLETE HOMEWORK IS A ZERO. VOCABULARY HOMEWORK
MUST BE LEGIBLE AND COMPLETE TO RECEIVE CREDIT. LATE PROJECTS LOSE 10% PER DAY.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING UP ANY WORK MISSED BECAUSE OF ABSENCES. ALL MAKE UP
WORK MUST BE COMPLETED IN THE TIME ALLOWED PER THE POLICY IN THE ARCOLA STUDENT
HANDBOOK.
ALWAYS DO ALL WRITTEN WORK USING COMPLETE SENTENCES AND PENCIL UNLESS OTHERWISE
INSTRUCTED.
WRITE YOUR NAME AND PERIOD NUMBER ON ALL PAPERS.
TAKE THE TIME TO SPELL CORRECTLY. SPELLING COUNTS ON ALL WORK THAT IS DONE OUTSIDE OF
CLASS. “NO EXCUSE” WORDS SHOULD BE CORRECT ON ALL WRITTEN WORK.
USE GRAMMAR RULES APPROPRIATELY. EACH OF THE GRAMMAR RULES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH CLASS
WILL BE ENFORCED IN THE WRITTEN WORK IN THIS CLASS.
FINALLY, KEEP AN OPEN MIND THIS YEAR. YOU WILL BE EXPOSED TO MANY DIFFERENT GENRES OF
LITERATURE FROM CLASSICS TO CONTEMPORARY FICTION AND NONFICTION. YOU WILL NOT LIKE
EVERYTHING WE READ, BUT YOU WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINION AND OFFER
YOUR CRITICISMS. THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU READ IS THE GOAL THIS YEAR! NO MORE PASSIVE
READING!
SPECIFIC CLASS REQUIREMENTS:
READING CLASS SUPPLIES:
 A SECTION OF YOUR BINDER DEDICATED TO READING WORK/ASSIGNMENTS
 1 MARBLE COPYBOOK TO STORE CLASSWORK AND POST-IT NOTES
 USB flashdrive to save electronic copies of files, projects, and typed reading assignments
 POST-IT Notes to use inside and outside of class for the purpose of reflecting and responding to in-class
and at home reading work
 Pencils, pens, highlighters
 Student ID to take out books from the school library (Should be in school every day!)
 Free Gmail account to utilize Google Docs/Google Drive for collaborative projects
INDEPENDENT READING PROGRAM (IRP)-
Independent reading is an essential component to a strong literacy program. It allows the students to practice and
apply reading skills to self-selected text. My classroom library has a selection of contemporary young adult fiction.
My hope is there will be something to connect with every student. However, not every book will be acceptable to
every family’s individual content and language standards. These are not assigned books, and students are
encouraged to return any book that their parents/guardians would not find acceptable. Students are also invited to
use the Arcola library, public library, and bookstores to access additional choices. I encourage parents and
guardians to frequently discuss with their student what he or she is reading.
Each student is required to read AT LEAST 1000 pages per marking period. I expect students to read no less than an
hour per day, which includes in-class and nightly reading. Students will be required to TAKE AN ACCELERATED
READER TEST FOR EACH BOOK THAT IS READ OVER THE COURSE OF A MARKING PERIOD. Opportunities will be
given for students to look for books in the classroom and/or the Arcola library.
********* STUDENTS MUST READ AT LEAST ONE NON-FICTION BOOK PER SEMESTER (2 OVER THE COURSE OF
THE YEAR)
IN-CLASS READING- Students will be assessed in class on the comprehension of various materials. Decoding, rate,
fluency, and application of reading and comprehension strategies will also be evaluated. Placement for 8th grade
literature or foreign language will be evaluated based on student performance in the following areas: PSSA Reading
scores, Renaissance Learning’s Standardized Test of Reading Assessment (STAR), Accelerated Reader (AR)
comprehension scores, comprehension evaluations in reading class, and first and second marking period
comprehension and assessment grades. In addition, further comprehension assessments may be administered to
obtain a comprehensive understanding of student comprehension. Additional tests that may be utilized to assess
comprehension include: Gates/MacGinitie Reading Test, Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation
(GRADE), or an Informal Reading Inventory. Academic performance, general work habits, and class participation
are important components for determining the placement that will best serve the academic abilities of each
individual student.
VOCABULARY- There are 15 vocabulary units that will be studied by the seventh graders this year. These units
were developed to help start preparing students for standardized tests, specifically the SAT’s. We will be spending
1-2 weeks on each unit. The unit tests will occur when all the work in the vocabulary book has been completed for
the unit. This program can be challenging and will require the students to utilize good study habits and thoughtful
homework completion (not just randomly filling in blanks to get done) in order to maximize the understanding and
mastery of these new vocabulary words. An orange soft-bound Vocabulary Workshop book will be provided for
each student to keep and write in. If the book is lost, the cost to replace the book will be $10.00.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS- Students will be given book order forms each month so they can order their own IRP
books if they choose. These orders do two things: they enable the students to have IRP books of their choice on
hand when they need them and the points earned by the orders allow us to order books for our classroom library as
well.
GRADE REPORTING
Most of the student tests and quizzes will not be sent home to be signed by parents. The papers will be kept in each
student’s portfolio in the classroom with grades posted on the Parent Portal for parent viewing. At any time during
the school year, parents may contact me to come in to view their student’s portfolio. If parents have specific
questions on an assessment, they may contact me and I will send that particular assessment home for parent
viewing. If parents are not able to establish a Parent Portal account, they may contact me to send graded papers
home for parent signatures. This policy is to minimize the “lost paper” problem because these graded papers are
necessary in the creation of an overall picture for each child’s level of literacy for 8th grade placement.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please detach the bottom portion and return by: September 6, 2013
By signing below, I acknowledge that my child and I have read, discussed, and understand
the expectations, homework policy, and assessment procedures of this reading class.
Student’s Printed Name:__________________________
Period:_________________
Parent Signature:___________________________________________________________