Many students believe that they already have a firm grasp on how to read when they get to college. Why then, are students often discouraged by their attempts to read college texts? Anne Cudd (2003) of the Women’s Studies department at KU proposes that much of this frustration stems from the fact that they do not understand that the type of reading approach used should vary based on the type of text that is being read. “You don’t read a novel the same way you read a philosophical essay or a mathematical proof or a poem.  Students have to be helped to realize this and then to develop the new eyes they need to see the kinds of texts you assign them,” she states.

Robert Magnan (1990) believes that it is best to help students achieve critical thinking skills before they read, in order to aid their analysis and evaluation of texts. He suggests:

• Use a review as a preview: Review facts your students already know that relate to the reading.  By connecting new information with already-learned concepts, students will be in a better position to understand and remember what they read.

• Give them a bird’s eye view: Discuss the topic covered in the reading in general terms, but avoid specifics. Students will think the reading is essential, not repetitive.

• Work with the words: Explain essential vocabulary used in the readings.

• Put questions in their heads: Ask them a mix of general and specific questions that require students to find the facts as well as analyze and interpret. Avoid putting questions in the order of the text, or students may just skim for words instead of read for meaning.

• Put questions in their hands: Give them a guide to follow as they read.

Engaging Ideas by John C. Bean addresses several problems that students show when trying to read college textbooks, and he provides suggestions for how teachers can help students develop their reading skills.  If students have difficulty with the reading process, teachers can demonstrate their own reading processes and provide materials to help students practice reading.  If students have difficulty reconstructing arguments, create writing assignments that ask students to summarize the readings, have students make outlines or flowcharts, or go through an example text, providing summarizing statements.

If students are having difficulty processing unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or disorienting views, draw students’ attention to these instances, provide examples of when they had to assimilate unfamiliar material in the past, and contrast various ways of looking at the class material.  If the problem is student understanding of rhetorical context, create guides for the readings, explain the connections between the lectures and the reading assignments, and ask questions that require students to explain the context of the writing. Bean also addresses how to increase reading skills in individuals who have trouble with complex syntax. He recommends asking students to rephrase dense passages into their own words, and have the students rewrite complex sentences into several shorter ones. 

Resources:
Bean, J.C.  (1996).  Engaging Ideas: The professor’s guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Cudd, A.  (2003).  The eyes of a reader. Teaching Matters, 6 (4), 5.
Magnan, R.  (1990).  147 Practical tips for teaching professors.  Madison: Magna.