Prepare for college, improve your writing, and learn many other skills in just one English class. 

Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC) is offered at Godinez Fundamental High School and is taught by Lynette Keeling and Joyce Feuerborn. 

ERWC was created by Cal State universities and high school faculty to prepare students for writing in college as explained by Keeling.

“It’s a course that prepares students for college…  students improve tremendously over the year,” said Keeling. 

By taking this course, students learn to improve their writing skills.  The course helps students to meet the requirements of the California English-Language Art Content Standards and to achieve the expectations of college and university faculty, referred to from the stancoe.org website.   

“I feel like my work has expanded, my terminology, and vocabulary have all expanded, ” said senior, Jaylene Garcia.

 “I’ve learned how to analyze more of my essays, and to work more with others even when you can be shy,” Garcia added. 

Seniors Stephanie Alvidrez and Gary Ebat both say they took the class so they can get the feel of what a college or university English class will be like, and they can be prepared.  

“I learned how to properly put my thoughts on paper, how to analyze wording, and be able to explain, connect the dots, and how to make inferences,” said Ebat.

According to Feuerborn, “there’s reading but it’s on topics that are current and that students can discuss in class.”

Students read multiple articles, some short, some longer, to get a comprehensive look at topics that are learned and discussed in class. Then, students form an opinion and write to that topic. Only two novels are assigned during the year. One book for each semester.

But if students want to write about a topic they are passionate about, that can happen with permission.

“At times, if students are passionate about a subject and have done the research, I’ll let them write about it during the Opinion-Editorial part of the course,” added Feuerborn.

At the end of the day, if a student wants to improve their writing then ERWC may be the class to take senior year. Talk to your counselor about taking ERWC.  You will not regret taking it.