Four Essential Skills for Academic Success

Want to Take a Guess According the ACR ( AVID College Readiness ), there are four essential skills students need for success. Discuss with the students sitting at your table what you think these might be. As a table, come up with at least two that you think may be on this list. Be prepared to share.

Essential Skill #1 • Analyzing the prompt or academic task.

• Students need the ability to analyze their notes in order to better ask the professor more appropriate questions as to what is expected of given assignments or readings.

Essential Skill #2 • Selective and purpose-driven reading, especially for expository (non-fiction) texts.

• Students need the ability to correctly approach an assigned reading and initiate the appropriate reading strategies.

Essential Skill #3 • Focused note-taking, designed around a prompt or academic task.

• Students need the ability to refine their note-taking skills to allow them to come up with useful, relevant and detailed questions on their Cornell notes.

Essential Skill #4 • Integrating sources into texts, using direct quotes, paraphrase, summary, or synthesis.

• Students need the ability to synthesize information and correctly incorporate it into their writings. This is probably one of the most challenging essentials for students.

A Writing Process • What is the writing process that you are taught in your English classes?

• There are actually many

academic writing processes

that may differ in the way they: – Begin with a prompt – Rely on sources – Integrate resources

Research Log Contents • • • • • In-Class Notes Research Notes Works Cited Quickwrites and journaling Relevant Vocabulary List

Homework • Designate an area in your binder for your Research Log, which can be sub-divided as noted in the power point. Be prepared to show it on Wednesday.