The focus of this course provides basic instruction in the skills and strategies needed for success in high school. The course emphasizes fundamental reading, writing, and study skills to help students learn more effectively in their core academic classes. Development of reading skills includes explicit instruction in self-monitoring strategies, cognitive strategies and text analysis. Improvement of writing skills includes explicit instruction in development of ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice, conventions, and presentation. Improvement of study skills includes explicit instruction in note taking and test preparation. Placement for the course is determined by teacher and counselor approval, along with test results.