Program Syllabus – A
The summaries bellow indicate the basic educational and job training requirements that are essential for learning high-end technological skills to complete with other workers in today’s economy. This component of participants’ training will developed with advice and assistance of experts in apprenticeship training from one or more of the State of Illinois’s workforce development programs.
Community Housing and Training (CHT) Modules
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
9:00 A.M. English, Reading/Analytical Thinking, Speech, Reading/Analytical Thinking, Writing, Speech, Mathematics.
10:00 A.M. Writing, Math, Leadership Counseling.
11:00 A.M. Math, Reading/Analytical Thinking, Speech, Leadership Counseling.
12:00 P.M. LUNCH
English as a Second Language I
This course will provide English language instruction to those Community Housing and Training (CHT) participants who require rudimentary instruction in English. It will cover the same time as ESL II (English as a second Language) and will share the same cultural events such as field training and guest speakers. Topics to be studied include basic grammar; simple sentence structure; speaking; reading comprehension; and writing.
English as a Second Language II
This course will provide English language instruction to those Community Housing and Training (CHT) participants who require more advanced instruction in English. It will cover the same time as ESL I and will share the same cultural events such as field training and guest speakers. Topics to be studied include grammar and syntax; simple and complex sentence structures; idiomatic expressions and humor; speaking, reading comprehension; and writing.
The instructors who teach ESL, Reading/Analytical Thinking, and Writing should make every effort to coordinate as much City urban and ethnic history and culture as possible into lectures and basic skills teaching. Where feasible, they should also coordinate group field trips during the block of time scheduled for Counseling and Leadership Development.
Reading/Analytical Thinking
This course provides practice in logical thinking, reading comprehension, fluency, and articulation. Materials used in the course range from instructions for operating construction equipment to advertisements, stories, newspaper articles, driver education books, and compositions written by students. The course will also include practice in reading or analyzing “problematic situations” aloud.
Writing
Students in this course will improve their writing fluency, skills, and speaking. Taught in conjunction with ESL I and II, Reading, Speech, students will formulate sentence structure, paragraph development, and the presentation of a written argument. Subject matter can range from job experiences and personal entries in a journal to current events. Participants will encouraged to share their own written work with others as they improve their fluency and diction.
As described above, these courses are closely connected to the teaching of English as a Second Language. Classes are to be focused on teaching the skills necessary to work successfully in construction and to achieving a passing score on the City and State General Educational Development examination leading to a high school equivalency diploma. During the last quater of the three-year program, instructors will develop and use test-taking exercises to help students become familiar with taking standarized tests. As in most GED programs, Community and Housing Training participants will have the unique opportunity to take practice tests, both under exam conditions in class and on their computer during their Computer Lab time or after hours. Two hours each week will be dedicated to instruction in Reading and another two hours in Writing. Points of grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentnece strucutre, and the formulation of a logical argument will all receive attention in these sessions that will dovetail with the participant’s English language and structure in their ELS classes.
Speech
This course provides practice in a variety of forms of oral communication: reading of prepared text, conversation, group discussion, argumentation, and extemporary speaking. Participants will build on their learning, from prepared and improvised conversations, to reading aloud, extemporaneous discussion of lectures, trips or recent classes. The speech component of the CHT curriculum is closely tied to the Reading, Writing, and Leadership Counseling components in that it seeks to improve the participants’ self-image and self-confidence as well as specific cognitive skills.
Mathematics
Participants (students) will become familiar with basic mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multipication, division, number placement, decimals, percents, basic algebra, and introduction to statistics. The participants also become familiar with basic geometry. Learning Materials introduce mathematical skills required in construction as well as everyday activities such as shopping or reading a chart or graph in a newspaper.
Practical mathematics in occupational and consumer settings will form an important component of the mathematical curriculum. However, it will be necessary to insure that participants have a solid grounding in basic mathematical concepts and computational skills.
