Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, & Basic Grammar
Instructor: Alyssa Cothran
Office Hours: Mon & Wed 1pm – 4pm
Email: acothran@rangercollege.edu
Office #: (210) 213-6498 (Cell)
Office Location: Erath County Campus
Holistic Placement : Student has been holistically placed in DIRW 0313 using prior coursework, high school GPA, and TSI scores.
Course Description as defined by Ranger College:
This course includes strategies for building vocabulary, increasing reading rates, and improving comprehension. Further, this course will include instruction on active reading strategies using text structure to improve comprehension, interpreting, and evaluating reading materials. Basic grammar concepts of standard American usage, mechanics, writing in diverse sentence structure and paragraphs, and an evaluation of problem areas common to college students will be analyzed and improved upon for adequate application toward college-level writing. This course involves a required lab.
Course Goal:
The goal of this course is to develop students as active readers, thinkers, and evolving writers prepared for college success in introductory courses across disciplines.
Student Learning Outcomes and Learning Objectives:
Upon the successful completion of this course, students will:
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.
Identify and analyze the audience, purpose, and message across a variety of texts.
4.
Describe and apply insights gained from reading a variety of texts.
5.
Compose a variety of texts that demonstrate reading comprehension, clear focus, logical development of ideas, and use of appropriate language that advance the writer’s purpose.
6.
Determine and use effective approaches and rhetorical strategies for given reading and writing situations.
7.
Generate ideas and gather information relevant to the topic and purpose, incorporating the ideas and words of other writers in students writing using established strategies.
8.
Evaluate relevance and quality of ideas and information in recognizing, formulating, and developing a claim.

9.
Develop and use effective reading and revision strategies to strengthen the writer’s ability to compose college-level writing assignments.
10.
Recognize and apply the conventions of standard English in reading and writing.
Required Textbook(s):

Lowry, L. (1993). The giver .
New York, NY: Laurel Leaf Books.

[ e-book + LaunchPad access code ] Green, K., & Lawlor, A. (2014). Read, write, connect . Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin.
Calendar of DIRW 0313 + Homework
All class meetings are subject to change dependent upon the instructor’s assessment of student needs. Furthermore, EACH class will include a variety of collaborative group assignments, lecture, computer literacy skills, brief presentation of ideas [by student/group(s)], and ACTIVE
READING AND WRITING TO EXPAND VOCABULARY, COMPREHENSION, AND
WRITING SKILLS for academic success on the TSI Assessment.
Dates
WK 1
WK 2
WK 3
WK 4
WK 5
WK 6
WK 7
WK 8
Content Units
Why is College
Important?
Reading Strategies for
Students & Expanding
Vocabulary using the
Right Tools
Sentence and Paragraph
Structure
“The Giver” HMWK
(Active Reading)
Read chapter 1 with graphic organizer
Read chapter 2 w/graphic organizer
Read chapters 3 & 4 with graphic organizer
Basics of Grammar +
Writing a Paragraph
Reflection
Target Audience, Tone, and Purpose /
Locating Topics, Main
Ideas, and Supporting
Details
Patterns of Organization when Reading
5-paragraph Essay
Structure + Essay #1
Revising & Editing with a
Purpose
Read chapters 5 & 6 with graphic organizer +
#1 (chapters 1-4)
Pop Quiz
Read chapters 7 & 8 with graphic organizer
Read chapters 9 & 10 with graphic organizer + Pop Quiz
#2 (chapters 5-8)
Read chapters 11 & 12 with graphic organizer
Read chapters 13 & 14 with graphic organizer + Pop Quiz
#3 (chapters 9-12)
DIRW 0313 Lab Work
Introduction to 0313 Lab +
LaunchPad access code
Vocabulary LearningCurve +
Post-Test
Topic Sentences & Supporting
Details LearningCurve + Post-
Test
Overview: Parts of Speech
LearningCurve + Post-Test
Audience, Tone, & Purpose
LearningCurve + Post-Test
Patterns of Organization
LearningCurve + Post-Test
Writing tutoring in lab with
Lab Facilitator + Instructor
Revising & Editing Post-Test

WK 9
WK 10
WK 11
WK 12
WK 13
WK 14
WK 15
Basic Critical Reading
Skills: Fact, Opinion, when Reading
Read chapters 15 & 16 with graphic organizer
Parallelism LearningCurve +
Post-Test
5-paragraph Essay
Structure + Essay #2
Basic Critical Reading
Skills: Writer’s
Perspective
Read chapters 17 & 18 with graphic organizer + Pop Quiz
#4 (chapters 13-16)
Read chapters 19 & 20 with graphic organizer
Writing tutoring in lab with
Lab Facilitator + Instructor
Critical Reading Skills
LearningCurve + Post-Test
Intermediate Critical
Reading Skills: Making
Inferences of Short Story
Literature
Read chapters 21, 22, & 23 with graphic organizer + Pop Quiz
#5 (chapters 17-20)
TSI Testing during WK 12
No readings left for “The
Giver”
Intermediate Critical
Reading Skills:
Comparing Author’s Point of View (POV)
11-21-14 to 11-29-14 Thanksgiving Week
None Academic Advising +
Career Counseling
Study Guide + Final
Exam
Making Inferences
LearningCurve + Post-Test
Course / Classroom Policies:
1.
Attendance is mandatory – a student having the equivalent of 1 week of unexcused absences (class and lab) per developmental course will be reported to the Retention
Director for counseling. Students who miss the equivalent of 2 weeks of unexcused absences per developmental course will be dropped from the class by the instructor. i.
Should this be the only developmental course that the student is taking, the student will also be required to drop from school.
This class uses the Early Alert Report service. By week 6 of the semester, I will notify the
Retention Coordinator if you have struggled with excessive absences, incomplete work, or difficulty with the course content. This warning is not an official grade, yet it indicates concerns about your progress that need to be addressed immediately. If you are contacted about an Early Alert Report, please respond to the Retention Coordinator and respective campus personnel (i.e., athletic coach, Dean of Students, instructor, campus administrator) to discuss action strategies and resources for academic improvement and, ultimately, success.

2.
“5 minute” tardy policy – roll will be taken/if you are not in class, you will receive an automatic absence.
3.
Adult behavior is expected from all students.
4.
Missed exams and class assignments are not encouraged and make-up work is only allowed for excused absences, which the student will have 1 week [from missed class date] to turn in.
5.
Cheating [including plagiarism] is not tolerated and will result in a zero.
6.
Class participation is expected. The more the student participates, the more the class will assist the student in passing the TSI Assessment.
7.
Support Services are in the Library where computers are available to students.
8.
Students are expected to bring appropriate supplies to each class.
Final Exam and Grading Policy:

Class / Lab Assignments – 35% (e.g., graphic organizers, practice exercises, group discussions, reflections)

Pop quizzes – 15%

Essays (cumulative) – 25%

Final Exam – 25%
I.
II.
III.
The objective of this course is to EXPAND VOCABULARY, COMPREHENSION, and
WRITING SKILLS. Students are required to achieve an academic performance of no less than a 70% in the course OR pass the TSI Writing and Reading Assessments
[otherwise student will repeat DIRW 0313].
Students will take the Ranger College DIRW 0313 final exam, which accounts for 25% of the overall course grade ; students cannot be exempt from the final exam.
NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
Admissions, employment, and program policies of Ranger College are nondiscriminatory in regard to race, creed, color, sex, age, disability, and national origin.
ADA STATEMENT
Ranger College provides a variety of services for students with learning and/or physical disabilities. The student is responsible for making the initial contact with the Ranger
College Counselor. It is advisable to make this contact before or immediately after the semester begins.
RECEIPT OF SYLLABUS
Student must sign the attached ‘receipt of syllabus’ for accountability of the terms of this course.
____________________________________
Signature
___________________
Date