Course Syllabus
ENG 094 01 Foundations of Reading
Spring semester 2025
Tuesday 6 – 9pm PP 320
3 Credits
Course Syllabus
Instructor: Lee Kathryn Hodge
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1-2pm
Instructor Email: Lee.hodge@quincycollege.edu
Mailbox Location: Faculty suite, 4th floor
Dean’s Office Phone: Liberal Arts & Professional Programs: 617-405-5920
Course Description
This course is specifically designed to assess and improve a student’s reading efficiency, vocabulary proficiency, and overall study skills. Students monitor their progress in key reading and study skills. Skills stressed are pre-reading, finding the main idea, recognizing patterns of organization, using outlines and study maps. Class time is divided between lectures and discussions and the practical application of these skills.
Prerequisites and Co-requisites: placement testing
Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)
Upon completion of the course, each student will demonstrate competency to
- utilize context clues to define vocabulary words (CLO 1).
- utilize various strategies to determine contextual meaning in passages (CLO 2).
- identify main ideas, supporting details, and implied main ideas (CLO 3).
- differentiate between major and minor details in reading passages (CLO 4).
- identify relationships among sentences (CLO 5).
- understand author’s inferences, purpose, and tone (CLO 6).
- read critically and distinguish between fact and opinion (CLO 7).
Course Materials and Resources
Langan, John. Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills, 7th edition. Townsend Press, 2020.
ISBN 978-1-59194-566-6. Note: a print copy of the textbook is also available for use in the QC Library only.
Supplementary handouts will be provided, along with the ENG 094 digital bookshelf.
Optional Texts:
No Fear Shakespeare Macbeth, William Shakespeare
The Importance of Being Ernest, Oscar Wilde
Course Delivery Format
On Campus (C): This course meets on campus according to the schedule posted above. Most of the course content will be delivered through lectures and other activities conducted during class meetings. Additional course resources are available via the Canvas Learning Management System to supplement the textbook or provide interaction with the content and/or assessment.
A notebook-journal, portfolio folder/binder/file, and dictionary source are suggested for on campus organization of assignments.
Communication and Feedback
The best means of communication on matters of writing is by email. You must use your college-issued email only. It is important for you to keep up to date with all College communications, including announcements, notices of concern, and course evaluations. Please refer to the Student Handbook for information about using your QC email.
Attendance/Participation
Attendance and participation will affect academic performance. Participation in the course, including engagement for the respective lesson, is key to success. Upon enrollment in the course, students are expected to have computer access and to be pro-active and timely toward the course expectations.
QC Attendance Guidelines for On-Campus Classes: On-campus course policies on attendance for this on-campus course include the following:
- There are no excused absences.
- All work is due as indicated on the syllabus.
- Students are expected to be fully present and have notes for exercises in a material notebook-journal for sharing, as assigned. Please place away technology unless allowed in a workshop setting.
Class Cancellation Policy
Any course class cancellation will be posted by the College. The instructor will inform you on any subsequent syllabus revision, as appropriate.
Grading Policy
Please refer to the syllabus, module/s, and any announcements to be up to date on readings, notetaking, and assignments. Responsive participation accumulates over the span of the course (30 class meetings at 1 point each, including a final conference). Reading assessment involves assigned exercises for class work, as noted by an asterisk (7 at 3 points each, as evaluated based in quality of assessment). A Mid-term examination is an assignment related to your reading portfolio of skills. A Reading project is assigned at a later stage of the course as a skills review; and the Final reading portfolio is your file that will exemplify achieving the course outcomes and is presented.
Responsive participation 30%
Final Portfolio 20%
Weekly reading responses 40%
Tests and quizzes 10%
|
Letter Grade |
Percentage (%) |
Grade Point Average (GPA) |
|
A |
93 and above |
4.0 |
|
A- |
90-92 |
3.7 |
|
B+ |
87-89 |
3.3 |
|
B |
83-86 |
3.0 |
|
B- |
80-82 |
2.7 |
|
C+ |
77-79 |
2.3 |
|
C |
73-76 |
2.0 |
|
C- |
70-72 |
1.7 |
|
D |
60-69 |
1.0 |
|
F |
59 and below |
0.0 |
|
I |
Incomplete |
0.0 |
|
W |
Withdrawal |
0.0 |
|
AUD |
Audit |
0.0 |
Make-Up Policy
All on campus work is due as assigned on the syllabus for the class period. Please reference the Policy Manual for information about make-up work and exams.
Additional Information
Canvas Learning Management System (LMS):
If you have questions about Canvas login, please submit a help desk ticket to IT support.
Quincy College recommends you use the Firefox or Google Chrome web browser to access and participate in its online and hybrid courses. Internet Explorer is not recommended.
Academic Integrity:
To promote the best environment for learning, the professor may utilize Turnitin, similarity/plagiarism software to maintain integrity of select coursework. Evidence of plagiarism determines a zero for an assignment. Turnitin generates a similarity report of your writing by comparing it with a database of journals, books, websites, student papers and other work. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, via website, app, or any other access, is not permitted in this class. Any attempt to represent AI output inappropriately as your own work will be treated as plagiarism and thus a zero for the assignment, respectively. Please refer to the Student Handbook for more information on our Academic Integrity Policy.
Course Accessibility Statement:
Quincy College is committed to providing access and inclusion for all persons with disabilities. Students with disabilities who need access to course content due to course design limitations should contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) sas@quincycollege.edu or by phone (617) 984-1682. Please refer to our Student Handbook for more information about Student Accessibility Services.
Title IX Policy:
Title IX prohibits discrimination, including sexual misconduct, sexual violence, sexual harassment, and retaliation. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, click here for more information about QC’s Title IX Policies and Procedures.
Course Schedule
1/21 Introduction to the course
Reading for pleasure and power (Langan 10-14)
Reading assessment: diagnostic*
Introduction to Genre
Part One, Ten Steps, Ch. 1
Vocabulary in Context (21-35)
Review Test 4 (40-46)
Mastery Test 6 (57-58)
Article bank building- discussion thread on Canvas
In-Class Interactive Reading
1/28 Reading Response Due
Ch. 2, Main Ideas (59-82)
Review Test 3 (85-86)
Review Test 4 (87-90)
Article bank building- discussion thread on Canvas
In-Class Interactive Reading
2/4 Reading Response Due
Ch. 3, Supporting Details (105-121)
Review Test 1 (122)
Review Test 3 (124-126)
Review Test 4 (126-130)*
Papalia and Olds, “Child-Rearing Styles”
Mastery Test 6 (141-142)
In-Class Interactive Reading
2/11 Reading Response Due
Ch. 4, Implied Main Ideas (143-157)
Review Test 1 (158)
Review Test 3C (161-162)
Mastery Test 2 (173-174)
Mastery Test 6 (181-182)
In-Class Interactive Reading
2/18 Reading Response Due
Ch. 5, Relationships I {transitions and organization} (183-200)
Review Test 1 and 2 (201-202)
Mastery Test 6 (223-224)
In-Class Interactive Reading
2/25 Reading Response Due
Ch. 6, Relationships II {illustration, comparison, cause-effect} (225-245)
Review Test 1 and 2 (246-247)
Review Test 4 (250-256)*
Kellmayer and Wyden, “Students in Shock”
Mastery Test 5 (265-266)
In-Class Interactive Reading
3/4 Reading Response Due
Ch. 7, Inferences (277-298)
Review Test 1 (298)
Review Test 3A (301)
Review Test 4 (303-309)
Mastery Test 6A (321)
Reading workshop
In-Class Interactive Reading
3/18 Reading Response Due
Ch. 8, Purpose and Tone (323-340)
Review Test 1 (341)
Mastery Test 6B and 6D (365-366)
In-Class Interactive Reading
3/25 Reading Response Due
Ch. 9, Argument (367-380)
Review Test 1 and 2 (381-382)
Review Test 4 (385-389)*
Mellow, “The Biggest Misconception about College Students”
Mastery Test 4 (397-398)
In-Class Interactive Reading
4/1 Reading Response Due
Ch. 10, Critical reading (403-422)
Review Test 1 and 2 (423-424)
Review Test 4 (427-432)*
Agus, “The 2,000 Year-Old Wonder Drug”
Mastery Test 2 (435-436)
In-Class Interactive Reading
4/8 Reading Response Due
Part Two – Reading Selections
Verderber, “Coping with Nervousness” (505-512)*
Discussion questions 1-4 (513)
Langan, “The Power Within” (546-560)*
Discussion questions 1-4 (560)
In-Class Interactive Reading
4/15 Reading Response Due
Part Three – Combined-Skills Tests
Test 12 (598-599) reading gender studies and economics
Test 14 (602-603) ancient culture, health
In-Class Interactive Reading
4/22 Reading Response Due
Test 18 (610-611) environmental studies
Test 20 (614-615) education
Test 24 (623-624) health and human services
Test 25 (624-625) exercise science
In-Class Interactive Reading
4/29 Reading Response Due
Reading to Write
Kaufmann, “The Four Pillars of Meaning” (534-538)
Reading portfolio workshop
5/6 Reading portfolio presentation
This syllabus is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|