Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Writing and Reading Center?
What do we do?
Why do we do it?
How do we do it?
Who can visit the Writing and Reading Center?
How can a visit to the Writing and Reading Center help me?
What is a visit like?
What should I bring with me?
How do I schedule an appointment?
Do I have to make an appointment or can I walk in?
When should I make an appointment?
How often can I make an appointment?
What is the Writing and Reading Center?
The Writing and Reading Center offers services free of charge to College of DuPage students, faculty and staff, as well as community members. The Writing and Reading Center is staffed by both peer coaches and part-time faculty from the Liberal Arts department and is open all year long.
Our writing coaches work with writers on a one-to-one basis on a variety of activities and projects, such as narrowing a topic, bringing focus to a thesis, deciding on strategies, and revising. Assistance is available on projects from all disciplines, which can range from writing a research paper to developing a lab report to crafting an essay for college applications.
In addition, our reading coaches help students develop individualized strategies for improving reading speed, accuracy, and overall comprehension.
Some students are referred to the Writing and Reading Center, while others seek assistance on their own. In some cases, instructors may require their students to attend a specified number of sessions.
Learning Resources Division
Location
Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 3040
Phone
(630) 942-3355
E-mail:
sommers@cod.edu
We help students discover and learn methods and strategies to help them become better writers and readers.
We can help writers:
• Get started with writing assignments by brainstorming, free writing, mapping, and cubing.
• Discover their ideas.
• Develop their papers with details, examples, and other rhetorical devices.
• Organize their ideas logically and coherently so their paper is unified.
• Identify grammatical error patterns and offer ways to self-correct them.
• Self-identify methods and strategies for revising their writing.
• By providing constructive feedback on their writing.We can help readers:
• Develop individualized strategies to increase the ease and speed at which they read
• Develop and implement strategies for improving comprehension for all types of reading materials, from class-required texts to novels and non-fiction works read purely for enjoyment.
Active learning in a collaborative, student-centered writing and reading center empowers students and enhances learning.
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How do we do it?
We do this dialogically. We ask, and we listen. They talk, they write, they read, and they learn.
Students learn:
• What they want to say.
• Why they want to say it.
• How they can say it in the most effective way for their writing purpose and their readers.
• How to read more quickly and effectively, while increasing their overall comprehension and enjoyment.
Who can visit the Writing and Reading Center?
Students, faculty, staff, and community members can come to the center for assistance with their writing and reading. We assist with assignments in all subject areas and disciplines, not just English. We can assist developmental writers and Honors writers, too. We can also assist with MLA, CMS, APA, and CBE documentation for research papers. In addition, our coaches can help with personal or professional writing, such as resumes, cover letters, and grant applications. Likewise, we assist students at all reading levels – from advanced students who want to learn to improve their comprehension to readers who need to learn or re-learn the basics.
How can a visit to the Writing and Reading Center help me?
Our coaches will help you in all stages of the writing process. In addition, our coaches will work with you to develop strategies for improving your reading comprehension for both academic and personal purposes. After several visits, your confidence as a writer and reader will be much stronger, and you will be able to work more independently.
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You should arrive on time for your appointment. Please bring your assignment with you, if you have one, and any other materials you need for the session.
A coach will greet you and ask you to fill out the top portion of the Student Focus Sheet and circle in the middle of the sheet what you would like to work on. Then, the coach will ask you some questions about what you plan to accomplish.
A writing coach might begin the session by asking you a series of questions while jotting down your answers on a pad of paper. He or she might ask you to begin reading a portion of your paper so you can hear what you've written. Together, both of you will discuss your work as well as choices you have for improving it. The coach might ask you to jot down your ideas, or you'll brainstorm together to develop some new ones. Our coaches offer many strategies and solutions, whether you are just getting started or are polishing your final draft.
A reading coach might begin the session by asking you to read to determine the level of assistance you require. Then, you will work together to develop personalized strategies for improving your reading speed, accuracy, and overall comprehension. You will work together to complete exercises that will improve this important skill.
At the close of your session, the coach will ask you to complete the Student Focus Sheet. You will receive the white copy, and we will keep the yellow copy in our file. This way, you have a record of the session, including what you worked on and accomplished. In addition, the Focus Sheet is an excellent source of information for you to share with your instructor to verify that you came in for assistance. We will use the yellow copy as a reference for your next visit.
Our goal during each session is for you to tell us what you would like to work on, so you can gain a better sense of yourself as a writer and reader. Please remember that, in terms of writing assistance, we are not copy editors looking for errors. We won’t write on your paper, either. Any writing on the paper is done by you.
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Bring your assignment (if any), brainstorming ideas, free writing or drafts, textbooks, and any other materials that pertain to your writing or reading. Also, come prepared with any questions you'd like to ask.
How do I schedule an appointment?
You can schedule your appointments online at www.cod/write, or call (630) 942-3355 for appointments at the main campus. In addition, you can contact the Addison, Naperville or Westmont centers for Saturday and evening appointments. [Hours and Locations]
Do I have to make an appointment or can I walk in?
When you schedule an appointment, you are guaranteed that a coach will be available to work with you. If all of our coaches are working with a scheduled appointment, you can have a seat and fill in the waiting list sheet. When a coach is free, he or she will be happy to work with you.
When should I make an appointment?
You should make an appointment as soon as you have a writing assignment or are having difficulty with a reading assignment. Don’t wait until the last minute to get started. It is a good idea to see us at the beginning, middle and end stages of your project. This way, in terms of writing assignments, we can help you develop ideas, discover your thesis, decide what details you need, organize the paper, develop it with examples and other details, and polish it. Well-written papers require several revised drafts, so the earlier you make an appointment, the more opportunities you will have to compose a polished piece of writing. Likewise, by contacting us sooner than later, we can help you develop strategies that lead to improved reading comprehension, which is an essential skill for success on all types of academic assignments, from writing projects to studying for exams.
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How often can I make an appointment?
You may make two appointments per week. Special needs students can schedule additional sessions, as needed. You can make a weekly standing appointment, too; however, if you don’t show up for these sessions, your standing appointment will be cancelled.
