Peninsula School District continually engages in team planning to provide a consistent and deep understanding of how to help students succeed at their current and future studies. This happens during Collaboration Wednesdays and ongoing team meeting either by grade-level, building, or as a vertical-grade (HS/MS/Elem) planning session. As part of this process, the list below are suggestions that both Peninsula and Gig Harbor High School English teachers recommend an understanding of before students step into the high school environment.

WRITING:

*Analysis- understand what literary devices are (elements and techniques) in order to connect them to meaning, construct thesis statements

*Synthesis- apply concepts by developing a theme, gather numerous researched sources for different types of writing and elaborate on evidence

*Research- support writing with evidence from credible sources, integrate sources and cite properly in writing, utilize MLA format, incorporate non-fiction

READING:

*Active Reading- this includes a highlighting system, coded symbols for understanding

*Note Taking- Cornell Notes, T-Notes, Traditional Outlines, Graphic Organizers, Unstructured Outlines

*Non-Fiction- textbooks, biographies, newspapers, atlases, magazines

SPEAKING:

*Group Presentations- delegating responsibilities, problem solving, cohesive communication, sharing resources, time management

*Individual Presentations- time management, voice projection, enunciating, conscious of physical presence

LISTENING:

*Active Listening- is a communication technique that is used in counseling, training, and conflict resolution. It requires that the listener fully concentrate, understand, respond and then remember. This is opposed to reflective listening where the listener repeats back to the speaker what they have just heard to confirm understanding of both parties. Reflective listening is a communication strategy involving two key steps: seeking to understand a speaker's idea, then offering the idea back to the speaker, to confirm the idea has understood correctly.