Information for Reading Students

 Biley, P.

 Lay, N

 Davis, L

 McCormick, M. 

 Dorantes, K

 McNeece, B.

Why Go to the Lab

• Each reading class is worth 3.5 units of credit. The Reading Lab work for each class constitutes the .5 units, which equals 15% of the grade for the class. If you don’t keep up with the Lab work, your grade will be affected; if you miss too much Lab work, you will be dropped from the class.

• Reading Lab assignments are carefully selected to support classroom instruction at a level that is appropriate for the class.

• These activities provide you with important practice in reading and comprehension.

Lab Attendance and the Grade for a Class

• The Lab does not assign grades, but provides teachers with bi-weekly reports of Lab attendance and Lab work for each student. The teacher uses those reports as he/she calculates grades for the class.
• Completion of Lab work is an issue between the student and teacher. If you have problems keeping up with Lab work, talk to your teacher.

Assignments

• Lab assignments are arranged in two-week blocks.

• There are six blocks per semester.

• Assignment blocks, beginning dates, and due dates are printed on the assignment calendar for each class.

Reading Plus

• Reading Plus is an Internet-based reading program designed to help students improve reading speed, comprehension, and vocabulary. The first exercise must be completed in the Lab so that we are sure that you understand the program procedures.

• Once a student understands the program, he/she can complete a contract to work on the program at home. The contract is an agreement that covers the at-home procedures, reminds the student of the deadlines for each assignment, and reminds the student that spending more than 30 minutes on one story disqualifies the student from doing the exercises at home.

• If a student spends more than 30 minutes on a story, the student’s password will be disabled, and he/she will have to do the rest of the assignments in the Lab.

• We allow students to do Reading Plus at home as a convenience, but if the student indicates that he/she is not following the rules of the contract and so is not learning from the exercises, then the privilege of doing the work at home will be rescinded.

Reading Exercises

• Carefully selected stories and non-fiction selections provide extended practice in comprehension, vocabulary, and literary concepts.

• Students learn by reading, answering questions, reviewing wrong answers, and receiving individualized help by trained tutors.

Phonics

• Diagnostic tests identify specific English pronunciation problems that students may have.
  

• Listening to and practicing correct pronunciation helps students overcome these difficulties.
  

• Trained tutors help students make progress, and students complete mastery tests to show improvement.

Assignment Deadlines

• Assignment blocks begin on Saturdays at 9:00 A.M. and end two weeks later on Fridays at 1:45 P.M. when the Lab closes.

• The Lab is closed on some Saturdays because of holidays that fall on Fridays or Mondays. If you want to do Lab work on a Saturday, check your calendar to be sure that the Lab will be open that day.

• Once a deadline for a block has passed, students cannot work on assignments for that block.

Compass Tests

• The Compass Test is given at the end of each semester to test a student’s improvement and readiness for the next class in the reading sequence.

• Students who score above the requirements for a particular class may skip to the class indicated by their scores.

• The Compass Test is not required but may be to the student’s advantage since it may allow him/her to make more rapid progress through the reading sequence.

How to Check In and Out of the Lab

To check in:

• Bring your calendar, Reading Plus sheet, and IVC ID card to the Lab.

• Present your card and papers to the person at the Check-In/Out counter and indicate what assignment you want to work on.

• The person at the counter will check you in on the computer, give you any necessary papers, and direct you to the room where you will do the assignments.

• Tutors in each room will show you how to do the assignments and evaluate your progress.

To check out:

• Students must check out of the Lab whenever they change assignments, leave the Lab temporarily (take a break, etc.), or leave for the day.

• Bring your papers and ID back to the Check-In/Out counter and indicate that you want to change assignments or check out of the Lab. The person at the counter will file the answer sheets you have been working on, make the change in assignment, or check you out of the lab and return your ID and papers.

How to Get the Most out of the Lab

• Complete every assignment. You will have two weeks to complete a just few hours of work, so schedule your Lab work carefully and stick to the schedule so that you can finish the work before the deadline.

• When working with the books, follow every step in the process, from reading the introduction, studying explanations, answering questions carefully, and checking your work. Each step prepares you for the next one so that you can do well on the assignment and learn the skills the assignments are designed to teach.

• Think about each question, what information is required to answer it, and where in the story that information is likely to be found. For example, if the question asks for the main idea, you need to look for ideas that cover the whole story, not for specific details.

• After your work has been corrected, review the questions that you missed, looking back at the story to find the correct answer and understand your error and why you made it. You may need to do this more than once.

• The goal is to achieve 80% mastery in Lab assignments, which shows that you are learning the skills you are being taught in your reading class.

• Challenge yourself to do your best. Keep your mind focused on your work; don’t daydream, and don’t rush through your work. The goal is to learn, not just complete assignments.