Reading Strategies for English Language Learners leads multilingual students through the processes, tools, and skills that comprise active reading. The course introduces students to the concept of active reading as a series of practical, applicable steps and an application of critical thinking skills. Using a narrative learning structure, students are lead through what it means to actively read before, while, and after they read a college-level text. Students apply these skills and tools to a variety of focused reading strategies: identifying main and supporting ideas in a text, analyzing a text for organizational patterns, and discerning fact from opinion. Students are provided with the kinds of texts they may encounter in college courses but in a fun and engaging way.
The course contains comprehensive guided learning material, which includes interactive games, “think aloud” strategy tutorial videos, and practice spaces that encourage both writing and reading.
The course is designed as either a stand-alone course or in conjunction with our College Writing course or Writing Center. It is also designed so that faculty may request their own reading selections (for graded items) or cumulative writing assignments. Reading Strategies for English Language Learners also supports peer review activities, such as discussion boards and our interactive Writing Pad.
Module 1: Active Reading
- Identify basic active reading strategies
- Discuss existing knowledge about a given topic
- Establish a purpose for reading
- Apply active reading strategies to preview, predict, and summarize the content of a college-level text
Module 2: Vocabulary Strategies
- Identify a word’s meaning in the context of a sentence or passage
- Use word roots to discern a word’s meaning
- Apply vocabulary strategies to active reading
Module 3: Identifying Main Ideas
- Recognize the role of the main idea in a paragraph or whole text
- Explain an unstated main idea
- Choose the main idea in a given text
Module 4: Understanding Supporting Details
- Identify an adequate number of supporting details
- Connect main ideas to their supporting details
- Correlate the role of a main idea and supporting details
- Evaluate the relationship between a main idea and its supporting details
Module 5: Analyzing a Text
- Recognize different patterns of organization
- Identify signal words for different patterns of organization
- Analyze a text using its pattern of organization
Module 6: Discerning Fact from Opinion
- Recognize factual statements as different from opinions
- Explain an author’s purpose for writing
- Evaluate an author’s tone
- Choose active reading strategies that help discern fact from opinions