How am I graded in this course?

EVALUATION SYSTEM

The evaluation system of the Advanced Reading and Writing (ARW) course is based on in-class continuous
assessment, portfolio preparation, and two written exams: one midterm and one final, which will help your
teacher assess your performance during the course.

Below, you will find a detailed description of each component.

I. IN-CLASS CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT:

The in-class continuous assessment consists of four (4) mandatory learning outcomes: 2 writing outcomes
and 2 reading quizzes. All of them aim to measure both your ability to write texts of different rhetorical
patterns or genres in order to comply with a specific communicative purpose and your ability to use
different reading skills or strategies to understand a message in a reading passage.

A. Writing outcomes: There are two (2) writing outcomes to be assessed along the course.The score
scale goes from 0 to 3.

The teacher can select an activity in the Final writing task section of each unit to assess the
achievement of the learning outcome properly considering the following criteria:

SCORE CRITERIA TASK DESCRIPTION

Topic and task The student effectively addresses topic and task.
The student’s response to the task is well organized and well developed
Organization
with appropriate explanations, exemplifications, and/or details.
3 Flow of ideas
The student’s ideas flow cohesively and coherently and in progression.
Grammar and The student consistently uses vocabulary and grammar structures for
vocabulary the level with a high degree of accuracy.
The student addresses topic and task, though some points may not
Topic and task
be fully elaborated.
Organization The student’s response to the task is well organized and well
2 developed with sufficient support.
The student’s ideas flow cohesively and coherently sometimes and
Flow of ideas
at others may not.
Grammar and The student has some errors in vocabulary and grammar structures for
vocabulary the level with a high degree of accuracy in more basic structures.

ARW1_ES_JDDA_Sep16 Page 1 of 5
 Topic and task The student addresses topic and task superficially.
The student’s response to the task is inadequately organized
Organization
and developed with insufficient support.
1 Flow of ideas The student’s ideas often do not flow cohesively and coherently.
Grammar and The student uses easier vocabulary and grammar structures
vocabulary accurately but errors are significant in more advanced structures.
Topic and task The student does not address topic and task at all.

0 Organization
Flow of ideas
The student’s response to the task is not organized or developed.
The student’s ideas do not flow cohesively or coherently.
Grammar and The student uses vocabulary and grammar structures with serious
vocabulary and frequent errors.

B. Reading quizzes: Using quizzes will not only benefit you, but also the teacher. It will provide the
teacher with opportunities for feedback and for monitoring your progress developing your reading
skills and strategies in a concrete manner. The total score range goes from 0 to 2 point.

Reading tasks come in a multiple choice format. Reading quizzes are designed to test a particular
combination of reading skills or strategies: reading for main ideas, details, writer’s opinion,
reading for details and specific information, and making linguistic inferences.

The first quiz is to be scheduled before the midterm exam and after completing the first unit of the
course (around Day 5). The second quiz is to be scheduled after the midterm exam and after
completing the next two units of the book (around Day14).

Quiz sample:

READING COMPREHENSION: MAIN IDEA, DETAILS, REFERENTS

Read the article and choose the correct answer below.

WHY IT’S OK TO HAVE JUST ONE CHILD

1 Let the guilt go, parents of only kids. They're not more likely to grow up spoiled or lonely.
"Is he your only?" Everyone from supermarket cashiers to my parents' friends asks me that
question. When I answer "yes," I often get a pitying look -- or worse, "Aren't you afraid he'll be
lonely?"

5 I always intended to have two children, but when my son turned out to be more challenging than
my husband and I envisioned, our plans changed. Although my husband has made peace with
our decision, I've lost sleep worrying my son will grow up spoiled or lonely. I fear he'll have to
shoulder the caregiving burden when my husband and I get older.

Although our culture perpetuates the idea that the perfect family includes at least two children,

ARW1_ES_JDDA_Sep16 Page 2 of 5
 10 the number of one-child families is higher now, from just under 10% in 1976 to 18% today. And 58% of
U.S. adults believe the ideal family includes two children or fewer. Susan Newman, PhD, a social
psychologist, parenting expert, and author of The Case for the Only Child: Your Essential Guide, says
the reasons for this include infertility issues (we're waiting longer to get pregnant) and financial
pressures, thanks to a sluggish economy coupled with the high cost of raising a child (nearly
15 $227,000 from birth to college). Still, some of us can't shake the feeling we've done something
wrong.

There's no reason for guilt, Newman says. She's reviewed dozens of single-child family studies and
finds that only children aren't any worse off than their peers with siblings. "The studies all show that
only children are not spoiled. They're no more lonely than other children, and they actually
20 make as many friends as children with siblings," she says.

After being asked the only-child question too many times now, I've come up with a response.
"We stopped at perfection," I say. And leave it at that.

1. What is the main idea of the reading?

a) Parents with only one child shouldn’t be afraid to be lonely.
b) One-child parents shouldn’t feel guilty.
c) Most adults in the U.S. believe that a one-child family is ideal.

2. According to the passage, which statement is correct about people’s opinions about
one-child families?
a) Many people think it’s not good for the children.
b) Almost nobody agrees to have more than two children.
c) Many people worry that only children will be lonely.

3. Which of the following is NOT true about the writer and her husband?
a) They feel there is something wrong with their decision.
b) They didn’t want to have a second child because of the expenses.
c) Raising their son is more demanding than they thought it would be.

4. According to some studies, the main reasons for American families to get smaller are:
a) Infertility issues and financial situation.
b) Shopping and college studies.
c) Cultural and psychological.

5. The word “this” in line 13 refers to….

a) … the high cost of raising a child
b) … infertility problems
c) … the increase in the number of one-child families

The grade will be awarded according to the following chart:

5 or 4 correct answers = 2 points

3 or 2 correct answers = 1 point
1 or 0 correct answers = 0 points

ARW1_ES_JDDA_Sep16 Page 3 of 5
 I. Portfolio or ALP:

You may prepare a Portfolio which will reflect both the quantity and quality of your work along
the course. This will also help you to analyze your progress and monitor your growth as
learner.

Samples in portfolio should document level of achievement and attainment of writing

and reading outcomes. Some components of the Portfolio might be:

1. Outcomes reflection
2. Outlines, graphic organizers, brainstorming lists.
3. Vocabulary Log
4. Writing tasks and assignments: essays, rough drafts, writings that had been
corrected by the teacher.
5. Reading quizzes
6. Research on selected topics

The score scale goes from 0 to 3 based on the following:

SCORE CRITERIA
The portfolio is neat and eye appealing. All contents evidence students’ adequate
performance for the level in both reading and writing skills. Organization lets the
3 reading run smoothly. It contains all required pieces and shows extra effort with
additional pieces. It demonstrates self-reflection.
It is neat and attractive. Most contents evidence students’ adequate performance for
2 the level in both reading and writing skills. It is organized. It contains most required
pieces. It contains adequate self-reflection.
It is not neat. Few contents show evidence of students’ performance in both reading
1 and writing skills. It is not organized. It does not contain any evidence of reflection
0 Portfolio was not submitted.

*If your teacher decides to assign an ALP, he will share specific guidelines as indicated in
the syllabus for the corresponding course.

II. EXAMS:

The exams test your reading and writing skills and your ability to classify ideas,
organize and plan the content of your paragraph or your essay.

Your grades will depend on how many points you obtain in the exam. The conversion will be
done as follows:

Midterm Written Exam:

It examines reading subskills, organizing ideas using graphic organizers and writing
paragraph types practiced during the first half of the course.

It consists of 3 sections.

Section 1: Reading comprehension (multiple choice format)

Section 2: Organizing information (graphic organizer
completion) Section 3: Writing (well-organized paragraph or
essay writing)
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The scoring scale goes from 0 to 3 points.

100 – 80 = 3
79 – 70 = 2
69 – 60 = 1
59 or under = 0

Final Written Exam:

It evaluates reading skills, organizing ideas using graphic organizers and writing
paragraphs/essays practiced during the second half of the course.

It consists of 3 sections:

Section 1: Reading comprehension (multiple choice format)

Section 2: Organizing information (graphic organizer completion)
Section 3: Writing (well-organized paragraph or essay writing)

The scoring scale goes from 0 to 4 points.

100 – 90 = 4
89 – 80 = 3
79 – 70 = 2
69 – 60 = 1
59 or under = 0
Nature or Nurture
1.Making inferences
To Inference means to…
2. Distinguishing voice
in quotations
We can distinguish voice in
quotations by…
Grammar
Modals and semi- Modals

Necessity
Writing Strategies/Writing
Process
Brainstorming
Example:

Graphic Organizer
Summary Paragraph
Sample:
In “Here’s to Your Health,” Joan Dunayer describes how
advertisers spend big money promoting lies about
alcohol. To begin with, they suggest that alcohol is an
indication of professional success. However, the fact is
that heavy drinkers actually perform worse at work and
in school. Another lie is that drinking makes you sexy. The
truth is that alcohol use can lead to infertility and
impotence. Then there is the myth that alcohol and
athletics are a great combination. Certainly we observe
this connection on every sports broadcast. However, any
athlete can tell you that alcohol hinders coordination and
slows you down. Finally, the alcohol industry wants us to
believe that drinking promotes family togetherness and
happiness. What they don’t tell you is that it is the
leading cause of domestic violence, crime, suicide, and
abuse. How ironic it is that we toast one another, “To
Your Health!”
First draf

Final draf
 savant
noun

sæˈvɑnt/

1. a person with great knowledge and ability

2. a person who is less intelligent than others
but who has particular unusual abilities that
other people do not have
Example
Daniel Tammet is considered an autistic
savant.
Listening 1
Listen to Daniel
Tammet in Ted and
write a report