college reading skills Archives - Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

May 3

Literacy Levels Among College Students

When I confront “problems of practice” in my teaching, I like to turn to my smart friends for advice. About a year ago, I was really confounded by my students’ trouble with reading for deep understanding. While I could see that the students were completing assigned readings, they weren’t always able to process the information deeply to analyze the concepts or apply the content to new situations. Since I don’t have much experience teaching reading, I turned to my colleague, Dr. Jennifer Shettel. Jen is a literacy professor and has run several tremendously successful close-reading workshops in our area. I figured she could give some advice. Our conversations prompted some pedagogical experimentation with different literacy-based strategies which Jen and I will be sharing in a preconference workshop at The Teaching Professor Conference this June.

November 17, 2014

Why You Read Like an Expert – and Why Your Students Probably Don’t

By: Pete Burkholder, PhD

A recent experience in class left me a bit rattled, and made me wonder if I’ve long been trying to teach an impossible skill. It confronted me with a fundamental question: What’s teachable, and what do students simply have to figure out on their own with the passage of time?

July 23, 2010

11 Strategies for Getting Students to Read What’s Assigned

By: Mary Bart

Despite the correlation between reading and course success, many students try to do as little reading as possible. Whether your students struggle with the material or simply lack the motivation to read what’s assigned, this report will help ensure your students read and understand important course material.

May 14, 2010

Is There a Place for Reading Lists in Today’s Curriculum?

By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD

Given the difficulty most faculty have getting students to read for courses, even assigned reading in required textbooks, reading lists may not be used as extensively now as they were 20 years ago. Nonetheless, they still figure prominently in the delivery of independent studies, special topics courses, and senior and graduate seminars.

April 13, 2010

Helping Students Understand What They Read

By: Lydia Conca PhD

Many college students struggle with their reading assignments. As a teacher educator with expertise in reading development and disability, I find it useful to model effective reading strategies and provide immediate feedback on those strategies frequently used by students. One versatile method I use with undergraduates involves examination of what they underline (or highlight). Throughout the semester, I ask students to refer to their assigned readings and share with the class passages they underlined and reasons for their selection. In this way, the types of thinking that accompanies purposeful, active reading become more apparent.

Literacy Levels Among College Students

Why You Read Like an Expert – and Why Your Students Probably Don’t

11 Strategies for Getting Students to Read What’s Assigned

Is There a Place for Reading Lists in Today’s Curriculum?

Helping Students Understand What They Read

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