System 44 Syllabus
Riverside Middle School
Course Syllabus for Intensive Literacy Lab (System 44)
Teacher: Raigenn Rivers
Room: E109
Email: rmcmilli@greenville.k12.sc.us
Phone: (864) 355-7953
Grades: 6th
Course Description (Focus and Purpose)
System 44 is an intensive reading intervention program. It focuses on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, text comprehension, spelling, writing, and grammar. The program addresses individual needs through instructional software, high-interest literature, and direct instruction in reading and writing skills.
Teacher contact information
Raigenn Rivers
rmcmilli@greenville.k12.sc.us
864-355-7953
Textbook name(s)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 44Book
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt System 44 Decodable Digest
General Course Overview
System 44 uses whole group instruction and small group rotations to work together to improve students’ reading and writing skills.
Below is a description of the System 44 rotations:
Whole-Group Instruction: During Whole Group Instruction, students will participate in bell work, Do-Nows, journals, System 44 Book activities, vocabulary, homework, discussions, fluency practice.
Small-Group Rotation: During the Small Group Rotation, students will work both independently and with the teacher completing 44 Book activities, writing, skills tests, small projects, conferences, and completing individual skills assessments.
System 44 Software Rotation: Students will independently access the System 44 Software, on the provided chrome books. The software will provide the students with intensive, individualized skills practice. Students use topics on the computer to practice reading comprehension, spelling, proofreading and word attack skills. Each topic guides the students through a variety of activities including a video, the Reading Zone, Word Zone and Spelling Zone. Students must complete activities in each zone in order to reach the Success Zone and move to the next passage.
Independent Reading Rotation: During this time, students will read from the leveled readers provided with System 44 as well as from the classroom library. There are five independent reading accountability exercises that must be completed with each book read by the student.
Learning and Developmental Goals
● Students will learn about themselves as readers, writers, and learners;
● Students will develop and apply comprehension strategies;
● Students will integrate grammar, usage, and mechanics within the context of writing;
● Students will apply reading strategies appropriate to an academic course;
● Students will develop confidence necessary to succeed on standardized tests;
● Students will discover how to become focused life-long learners.
Instructional Units and Sequencing
Reading Skills:
● Finding Main ideas and details
● Sequence of events
● Story elements
● Summarizing
● Problem and Solution
● Cause and Effect
● Compare and Contrast
● Making inferences
● Finding textual evidence
Writing Skills:
● Expository Paragraphs
● Narrative Paragraphs
● Literature Responses
● Expository Summaries
● Persuasive Paragraphs
● Description Paragraphs
● Personal Narratives
Materials and Resources
Student 44Books
System 44 Decodable Digest
System 44 classroom library - books, audiobooks
HMH Central (website used for Instructional Software)
Assessing, Evaluating, and Recording Student Progress
Riverside Middle School uses several assessments to test students in grades 6-8 according to district and state benchmarks. Students will be required to take the SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory) and the SPI (Scholastic Phonics Inventory) 2-3 times per year, as well as complete practice tests and writing assessments. Student progress will be monitored and recorded through the System 44 Instructional Software, as well as by the teacher through the students’ reading and writing assignments.
Rules and Procedures
Rules and Procedures for each System 44 Rotation:
Computers
Students will be expected to:
Follow the Social Contract
Sit in the assigned area.
Log on as soon as you get to the computer.
Make sure you read clearly and fluently into the microphone.
Other than recording your passages and words, there should be no talking. If students have questions or problems, they should raise their hand.
Log off quickly and be ready to move
Reading Area (Audio and Paperback Books, Reading Counts Quizzes)
When a student completes a book and its writing activities, she/he takes a quiz to test knowledge of the book. Students must reread the book and re-take the quiz if they score less than 70 percent.
Students will be expected to:
Find your book (or audiobook) quickly, quietly, and sit down. No talking!
Once you start a book, you need to finish it. Don’t skip around with the books
Make sure you are actively reading. Also, you must track the words in the audiobook as you listen. This will help improve your reading.
Make sure to fill out your reading log every time you read!
Put your book back in the correct spot.
Once you finish a book, let the teacher know so you can take the quiz. If you do not pass it the first time, then reread the book and take the quiz again.
Small and Whole Group
Students are expected to:
Follow Social Contract
Have their book and pencil.
Participate in group activities
Follow directions.
Plan for Communicating with Parents
Parents will be contacted throughout the year by telephone, e-mail, notes home, progress reports, and report cards. The opportunity to talk to parents at any time is welcome.
Homework policy
All work is to be completed in class. If a student is absent, he/she is responsible for completing the missed work upon their return. Homework may be assigned on occasion. Homework that is assigned will reinforce class work.
Procedures for non-instructional duties
1. Come to class on time and prepared to learn and participate.
2. Upon entering class, you should get your supplies for class (44book, pencil, computer) and go to your seat. Then you should complete the DoNow assignment posted on the board.
3. Fill out the hallway pass in your student agenda before going to the bathroom or nurse.
4. Raise your hand before talking and wait to be called on before asking questions.
5. You will never need your phone for class.
6. When you are on the computers, you should only be on the HMH Instructional Software site.
7. Stay in your seat until I have dismissed you (even if there is a bell).
Planning time
5th period
Extra Help hours
Monday-Thursday 7:45-8:15 am (must be prearranged)