CASAS study plan
CASAS · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Basic Communication (listening and speaking)
Practice listening to short spoken instructions (2-4 sentences) and repeat back the key action word to a partner or recording.
Introduce yourself in 60 seconds covering name, where you live, and one daily routine, using complete sentences.
Ask three clarifying questions when you do not understand a spoken request (e.g., 'Can you repeat that slower?', 'Do you mean today or tomorrow?').
Record a 2-minute voicemail-style message stating a problem and requesting a call back.
Identify and practice 15 common workplace and community request phrases (e.g., 'Could you help me fill this out?').
Your checkpoint
Submit an audio recording of a 2-minute self-introduction plus one clarifying-question role-play, with a written transcript.
Basic Communication (listening and speaking)
Role-play a phone call to a business to ask about hours, location, and appointment availability.
Listen to a 1-minute spoken announcement and write down the who, what, when, and where.
Practice giving step-by-step directions to a location using sequence words (first, next, then).
Hold a 5-minute conversation asking and answering follow-up questions about a recent event.
Self-correct pronunciation of 10 frequently mispronounced everyday words by recording and comparing.
Your checkpoint
Complete a 10-item listening log: each entry lists the source, the main idea, and two details captured from spoken audio.
Basic Communication (listening and speaking) & Community Resources
Simulate a call to a community center to ask about a class, including cost, schedule, and registration steps.
Read three short community flyers or notices and summarize each in two spoken sentences.
Match five common community needs (food, housing, health, transportation, childcare) to the type of office that handles each.
Practice asking for and confirming an appointment date and time, repeating it back for accuracy.
Write and rehearse a short request for help with a community service, including your name and contact details.
Your checkpoint
Produce a one-page 'community contact sheet' listing five services, what each does, and a question you would ask each by phone.
Community Resources & Government and Law
Explain the difference between a local, state, and federal government office and give one service each provides.
Complete a mock application for a community program using only the information requested, leaving nothing blank incorrectly.
Describe the steps to register to vote or update an address, in the correct order, out loud.
Identify three documents commonly required for community services and state where to obtain each.
Practice explaining a problem to a public office and asking what the next step is.
Your checkpoint
Pass a 15-question self-check on community and government services with at least 12 correct, and write a corrected note for each missed item.
Consumer Economics & Computation
Read a grocery receipt and identify unit price, subtotal, tax, and total, explaining each aloud.
Compare two product labels or price tags and state which is the better value and why.
Calculate a 15% tip and a 20% discount mentally or on paper for three different amounts.
Reconcile a simple checking account statement against a list of five transactions and flag any mismatch.
Explain in writing the difference between a need and a want for three purchase decisions.
Your checkpoint
Complete a one-page budgeting worksheet: list five expenses, compute the total, and calculate the remaining balance from a stated income.
Health & Computation
Read a medicine label and state the dose, frequency, and one warning aloud without error.
Describe symptoms to a provider in three sentences, including when they started and how severe they are.
Measure and record three health-related numbers (e.g., temperature, weight, blood pressure) and interpret each against a stated range.
Convert a prescription schedule into a weekly calendar showing each dose time.
Ask two questions at a mock pharmacy visit about side effects or refills.
Your checkpoint
Build a personal health information card (medications, allergies, emergency contact, insurance) and explain each field aloud in under 2 minutes.
Employment & Learning to Learn
Complete a mock job application with accurate personal, education, and work history fields.
Answer five common interview questions in 60-90 seconds each, using a specific example.
Write a three-sentence follow-up message after an interview that names the position and thanks the interviewer.
Identify two ways to learn a new workplace task (asking a coworker, reading a manual, watching a video) and choose the best for a given scenario.
Set one learning goal for the next 30 days and list the steps and resources to reach it.
Your checkpoint
Submit a completed one-page resume draft or application packet plus a recorded 3-minute mock interview.
Independent Living & Basic Communication (listening and speaking) & Learning to Learn
Read and explain a lease or utility bill clause, identifying the due date and the consequence of late payment.
Plan a weekly schedule that includes work, appointments, and one errand, and state the order aloud.
Resolve a mock housing or utility problem by making a phone call and requesting a specific action.
Review all missed practice items from weeks 1-7 and re-explain each correctly.
Take one full-length timed practice test and record the score by domain.
Your checkpoint
Complete a full-length timed practice test and submit a one-page review sheet listing three weak domains, the reason for each error, and a next step.
Milestones
Week 2: Can sustain a 5-minute spoken exchange and capture who/what/when/where from a 1-minute listening passage with at least 4 of 5 details correct.
Week 4: Scores at least 12 of 15 on the community and government self-check and can name one service each for local, state, and federal offices.
Week 6: Computes a tip, a discount, and a remaining balance without error, and reads a medicine label correctly on the first attempt.
Week 8: Completes the full-length timed practice test and identifies three weak domains with a written reason for each missed item.