Description:

Prepares native English-speaking adults and, in some cases, high-level English-as-a second language students for credit courses or GED preparation courses by improving basic reading, writing, grammar, and math skills. Substantial and sustained progress required for continued enrollment. Prerequisite: Placement by assessment.

Outcomes:

After completing this class, students should be able to:

• Read with understanding expository writing, a variety of periodicals and non-technical journals on common topics, common legal forms, and library reference materials.
• Identify a purpose to independently use library, Internet, etc. and select the most appropriate materials to meet that purpose as demonstrated by self-report.
• Apply reading strategies to increasingly difficult materials and persevere to read text of limited interest for long-term goals as demonstrated through classroom activities such as GED practice tests in reading comprehension skills areas.
• Make use of appropriate reading strategies to retrieve information quickly and accurately.• Articulate the unstated main idea of a selection and identify transition words, sentences, and paragraphs that indicate a new main idea.
• Convey ideas in writing in a multiple paragraph composition in an organized and cohesive format using complex sentence structures and correct verb tense, adjective/adverb forms, and pronoun references.Apply the writing process of first draft, revision, peer and self-editing, and final draft to expository composition.
• Organize personal information to compose a resume and write a formal cover letter.
• Demonstrate the ability to use fractions, decimals, and percents interchangeably; calculate simple interest; apply formulas for perimeter, area, and volume appropriately; write a ratio of two quantities and solve proportional equations.
• Apply appropriate math operations mentioned above to solve reality based word problems.
• Use information and communications technology to explore topics and materials on the Internet.
• Use word processing to compose a resume, cover letter, and paragraphs and edit own writing using spell check and other functions.