In AVID, one of the areas that we focus on is writing. We do this to provide all of our scholars with the supports they need to achieve writing success in all of their classes, not just AVID. This can look like teaching writing strategies such as organization for timed writing prompts, proof reading activities, writing sprints to build the skill of writing on demand, and the skill of focused-notetaking. 

Inquiry is an area of focus in the AVID classroom, and Socratic Seminars and Tutorials are a place where students actively engage in Socratic questioning to reflect on their thinking and encourage others to dive deeper into their own thoughts. Lively debates and accountability during tutorials make building inquiry skills a fun and enjoyable process. 

Working with others is a necessary skills for college and career readiness, and in AVID, we take the time to build interpersonal skills. Through group activities, Fun Fridays, and Tutorials, students learn how to work with each other and work through tough situations, too. 

Organization is not a skill that everyone person just has, it must be explicitly taught. In AVID, we take the time to teach binder organization and time management skills to help students be successful in not just AVID (which has many working parts), but all of their academics and personal interests as well. Our scholars are not just students, but athletes and participate in extracurricular activities as well. Their schedules fill up quickly, and learning to balance and manage their time is a life skill that will serve them long beyond high school. 

Lastly, reading is a skill that students use every day, in every single class that they are in. To build their literacy skills, we use AVID Weekly articles, study vocabulary, explicitly teach deep reading strategies, and how to summarize key points. This is a skill that not only helps them with reading, but synthesizing their class notes as well!