Getting Started
It is probably pretty safe to say that most of us who have completed post-secondary education have become to a great extent expert readers. There are certain things that we do when we encounter texts that we just take for granted.
But we weren’t born with those skills – they were built (maybe unconsciously) over the years through the academic tasks we completed.
Academic reading is a very sophisticated, multi-layered skill, requiring practice and fine tuning.
What can we do to help our students acquire the necessary skills in order to read effectively and efficiently in college?
Use this web site to explore various aspects of reading skill development. Select a topic on the left margin of the page to learn more about it. You can either follow sequentially down the list, or skip around according to your interest and background. When completed, you should have acquired a broad background into the rigors of academic reading, including:
- motivating students to read
- strategies to support student reading skill development in your classes
- gap between high school and college
- connection between reading skill development and intellectual development
Lack of Motivation or Skills?
When we say that students aren't reading in our classes, do we know why?
Is it because they haven't figured out yet that college is different from high school - that your expectations for their reading assignments may differ vastly from what they've experienced in high school?
Or is it because they aren't really motivated to do the reading, thinking you'll cover it in class anyway, or worse yet, if you haven't covered it, then that means it won't be on the test. Perhaps they just aren't interested in the subject matter.
Or is it because they haven't yet acquired the skills they need to tackle the sheer amount of reading required or to approach the texts in the critical and analytical ways we expect?
You are invited to explore this important topic which lies at the heart of student success!!!
Read on about motivation...
Suzanne C. Shaffer, M.Ed., MS.Ed.