Student Success 115: Reading Skills for College

Curriculum guideline

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Course
STSU 1115
Discontinued
No
Course code
STSU 1115
Descriptive
Student Success 115: Reading Skills for College
Department
Student Success
Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Credits
1.50
Start date
End term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
20
Contact hours
4 hours
Method(s) of instruction
Seminar
Learning activities

Course content will be presented through a combined lecture/demonstration/discussion process during the weekly sessions.

Course description
A half-semester course emphasizing improvement of reading comprehension and rate. Skills introduced include previewing, skimming, scanning, information analysis, critical reading skills, flexibility of reading rate. Students are encouraged to develop skills in special study/interest areas (academic, business, technical).
Course content

Week 1:  Assessment and Diagnosis

  • Planning of individual programs based on assessment profile and individual interviews with the instructor.

Week 2:  The Reading Process

  • Reading is examined from a physiological and neurological basis.

Week 3:  Improving Reading Rate

  • Increasing eye span (span of recognition)
  • Reading in “idea groups”
  • Mechanical devices to develop more regular eye movement and to eliminate regressions

Weeks 4/5:  Pre-reading Techniques

  • Previewing
  • Skimming
  • Concept relationships

Week 5/6:  Information Analysis

  • Organized approaches to study reading, emphasizing the POPRAD (pre-paid, organization pattern, read, add detail) process.  

Week 5/6:  Flexibility, Versatility

  • Adjusting method and rate of reading to suit purpose and type.

Week 7:  Assessment and Evaluation

  • Based on post-assessment results and interview with instructor.
Learning outcomes

To improve the student’s skills and pleasure in reading in relation to academic, career and personal goals:

  • the student, through a variety of both formal and informal assessment, and in consultation with the instructor, will determine areas of specific concentration in the course (e.g., pre-reading skills; reading rate; information analysis; reading flexibility).
  • the student, in consultation with the instructor, will develop an individualized program which focuses on the selected areas of concentration;

Aside from areas of specific concentration, the student will, in relation to the general core content:

  1. be able to describe the reading process in both physiological and neurological terms;
  2. develop an increased span of recognition, develop more regular eye movements, and eliminate habitual regressive movements;
  3. learn to read in logical thought units;
  4. be able to anticipate the general idea and organizational framework of a reading selection (paragraph, unit, article, chapter, etc.) by previewing selections before reading them;
  5. be able to articulate his purpose(s) in reading a selection to indicate that he realizes why he is reading a selection and what he expects to find;
  6. be able to summarize the author’s main ideas as a result of skimming a selection;
  7. be able to relate the relevant details of a selection to the major ideas being developed by the writer;
  8. be able to adjust both his/her method and rate of reading to suit his/her purpose for reading.
Means of assessment

Because of the nature of the course, evaluation of student progress will be individualized and frequent. Students will be required to complete at least:

  • One substantial take-home reading assignment,
  • Two review exams.

Students will also be graded on attendance and active participation in group and class discussions and activities. 

Textbook materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students

Students may be required to purchase a textbook to be determined by the instructor.