Institute/Session Summary:

Purpose of the Presentation:

The purpose of this presentation is to present several teaching strategies with assignments and activities that this presenter uses to help college reading students develop the ability to think critically as they read. College students must be able to think beyond literal meanings, beyond getting just enough information to pass a test, beyond regurgitating what the instructor expects them to answer, to think of more subtle implications the author makes in an article or essay, and to think for themselves by evaluating what they read. Students who need reading instruction at the college level generally have had very little reading practice where they must think for themselves. Helping these students to become “turned on” to thinking on their own begins to foster in them, I believe, the desire to read further, a desire they seldom have had previously. Developing these skills helps students become successful in their current classes, and to persist throughout college. I plan to sh are several of the teaching strategies and assignments I have used to help students develop that desire as well as to learn the strategies necessary for thinking and reading critically.

Learning Objectives:

The participants will be afforded the opportunity to

• Appreciate/Understand students’ lack of understanding, yet necessity to read critically
• Learn various strategies, steps, and ideas for teaching and encouraging students to develop critical reading strategies
• Be encouraged to instill in students the desire to think and read critically

Outline of Content of Presentation:

1. Introduce self, my position, type of course
2. Briefly discuss the ACT Report, its findings and implications for college reading courses, as well as other recent findings on this subject
3. Briefly discuss students’ beliefs about reading and their lack of understanding what reading skills are needed for success in college courses. Briefly refer to findings from recent literature about self efficacy and self regulation as they relate to college success
4. Briefly discuss sequence of basic and critical reading skills students need
5. *Present strategies I use to develop both student interest and skill by reading and reacting to magazine articles of interest, Internet sites, Campus newspaper editorials, and others
6. Provide time for questions and idea generation

*Note: the majority of the presentation (about 25-30 minutes) will focus on #5, the teaching strategies I use.

Significance to the Field:

Reading ability, of course, is of the utmost importance in academic pursuits. The 2006 ACT report “Reading Between the Lines” reemphasizes the vital importance of being able to read critically. The report concludes that incoming college students have not been taught how to read critically, and that students’ performance in college is greatly hindered by the lack of that skill. This session provides strategies for college reading instructors to use in helping students develop more than the basics of finding the topic, main idea, and details, and to develop the ability and desire to read critically—an essential skill for successful college students.

Relevance to CRLA Members and Other Conference Attendees:

The importance of having both the skills and the desire to read critically cannot be overstated as it relates to students of many conference attendees. Professionals in learning assistance programs, tutor management, study skills, and writing can all gain from this presentation since the ability of students to read and think critically is necessary in all of those areas. This session will provide practical ideas that can immediately be used in the classroom. As a professional educator myself, I know how helpful and encouraging it can be to learn what others are doing, then to be able to use or adapt that idea for myself. This session will provide that opportunity for the participants.

Specific Plans to Engage the Audience:

The audience will be able to ask questions about my program and methods. Additionally, some time at the end will be allotted to allow others to offer their own ideas, comments, and questions. Practical sessions such as this often spark ideas which others, including myself, may be able to use. I will also provide for each participant, several handouts I use in my classes.

Media Used and Instructional Materials for Participants:

I will use PowerPoint slides (with overhead backup) for my presentation. In them, I will include information, methods, and actual slides I use as I teach students the critical reading skills. I will also provide handouts of materials I use with the learning activities in my classes. For example, one learning activity leads students through various steps in learning to read critically as they read an article of interest. I also plan to use the Internet for access to various sites.

Presenter’s Experience:

My interest in reading began over thirty years ago as I earned a reading endorsement in graduate school. I have worked in higher education for seventeen years. All of that has been with beginning students, most of whom had academic challenges (developmental or at-risk), so I am fully aware of the academic needs of college reading students. For the past four years, I have been teaching five sections of reading within the academic year, and so have been hit head-on with students’ inability to read critically or to comprehend much of what they read. My practical suggestions and advice come from those experiences.

Bibliography

Note: This is a small working bibliography, which I know will expand throughout the intervening time until the CRLA conference.

ACT. “Reading Between the Lines: What the ACT Reveals About College Readiness in Reading.” Iowa City, Iowa. 2006.

Banks, Joy. “African American College Students’ Perceptions of Their High School Literacy Preparation.” Journal of College Reading and Learning 35:2. Spring, 2005. 22-37.

Elder, Linda, and Richard Paul. "Critical Thinking... and the Art of Close Reading (Part II)." Journal of Developmental Education 27.3 (2004): 36. ERIC. 29 March 2007. http://search.ebscohost.com.

Ivey, Gay and Douglas Fisher. “When Thinking Skills Trump Reading Skills.” Educational Leadership 64.2 (2006): 16-21. Academic Search Premier. 29 March 2007. http://search.ebscohost.com.

Van Blerkom, Dianna L., Malcolm L. Van Blerkom, Sharon Bertsch. “Study Strategies and Generative Learning: What Works?.” Journal of College Reading and Learning 37:1. Fall, 2006. 7-18.

Presenter1 Name: Julia Bickel
Presenter1 Institution: Indiana Wesleyan University
Presenter1 Bio: Julia Bickel is currently an associate professor of English and Reading at Indiana Wesleyan University.  She teaches a college-level reading and study skills course and is the academic advisor for at-risk students who have been conditionally admitted.  Dr. Bickel's background in education spans over thirty-five years, with the last seventeen of those being in higher education working with freshmen students.