What does someone have to do to be a good reader?

Are you a good reader?

13%
27%
13%

14%

14%
19%
14%
Understand what is being read...
Enjoy reading...
Read a lot...
Concentrate on reading
Know the meaning of most words...
Read with expression...

86%
Yes
No

How often do you read, OTHER than for school assignments?

What is your favorite subject in school?

24%

23%

28%

17%
17%

31%
English
Math

17%

Everyday
Frequently
Once in a while, not often
Never

43%

Social Studies
Science

What do you read outside of school? Check all that apply.

14

Number of Tallies

12
10
8
6
4
2
0

News.

Info. Books

Novels

Poetry

Cookbooks Letters/Email Song Lyrics

Mags.

Web Pages Comic Bks.

Curriculum: English 11A

Course Outcomes:

The student will successfully read a variety

of texts and be able to evaluate, discuss, and
assimilate this literature through class
discussions, class projects, tests, and creative
interpretations. The student will write in a
variety of forms (paragraphs, essays, creative
writing, research papers). The students will
listen to peers and the teacher when
appropriate and provide feedback, especially
during class presentations. The student will
successfully speak and communicate
appropriately in a variety of forms (group
discussions and individual speaking
situations).

Demographics: Williamston, Michigan

Population: 3,844


Race: 94.4% White, 0.9% African American, 0.5% Native


American, 1.1% Asian, 2.3% other


Employment: Professionals (who generally commute to Lansing,


East Lansing, Okemos), trades, retail/service, agriculture
Demographics: Williamston High School


Population: 684


Race/ethnicity: the school has to report all of their test scores as


White because
there are few students of other races. In all five


of my classes there are two African
Americans, one student of


Indian descent, and one girl who is half white, half Chinese.
Demographics: Focus Class - English 11a - 2nd Hour


29 students




14 males, 15 females; the class is entirely caucasian




except for one student of Indian descent and one girl who




is half white, half African American.


Teachers estimate that roughly 10% of the student population


does not have access to computers or internet at home.

Required Texts:
- a 150+ page classic novel, chosen by
the students individually
- a 200+ page choice book (this one doesnt have to be a classic)
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
- poems and short stories

Units:
- The Individual and Society: classic novel reading, personal narrative writing
- The Truth and the Abstract: choice book reading, poetry
- Heroes: Novel reading (i.e. A Tale of Two Cities)
- vocabulary, grammar, and MME preparation throughout all units


I believe that the term literacy, in addition to being ones ability to decode the words of a
language, written, spoken, or read, also encompasses a given persons ability to read the world
around them. Reading the world can mean interpreting mathematical equations, visual literacy,
music literacy, and so on; literacy is all-encompassing and representative of a variety of skill
sets. During my internship year, I plan to bring my students literacies into the classroom
whenever possible, in hope of increasing their confidence and ability in reading, writing,
listening, and speaking. After reviewing the results of my reading survey, it seems that many
students listed music, art, most commonly as things they like to participate in outside of school.
Whenever possible, I would like to bring these hobbies--themselves literacies--into our ELA
classroom to help bridge the gap between these student literacies and ELA standards.