The overall objective of this course is to equip the student with active reading strategies that will enable him or her to effectively and efficiently comprehend college level reading material.

At the conclusion of the course the student should be able to successfully and consistently demonstrate the following competencies in application to college level reading material:

1. Demonstrate prereading for main idea and critical prereading

2. Apply SQ3R and PRESP to the studying of college textbook chapters

3. Comprehend and express the main idea of both long and short passages

4. Demonstrate through written tests and index card assignment the receptive and expressive acquisition of no fewer than 210 new words

5. Detect flaws and weaknesses in printed arguments (logical fallacies, bogus claims, insubstantial evidence, loaded terms, misrepresentation)

6. Identify sound argumentative strategy and design (sound logic, substantial and documented evidence, honesty, inclusion of counterarguments) in printed arguments

7. Infer messages intentionally implied by the author

8. Draw conclusions beyond the text

9. Detect emotionally toned words and images in texts representing a wide range of genres

10. Comprehend metaphoric expressions in poetry, short fiction as well as in essays, textbook material and other expository text

11. Apply metaphoric thinking to intertextual and cross-genre reading

12. Identify elements of both classical and Rogerian arguments in argumentative essays

13. Develop metacognitive awareness of the reading process

14. Successfully complete 28 journal entries

15. Successfully complete two book critiques

16. Successfully complete 210 vocabulary cards

17. Apply critical reading strategies to intertextual reading of two or more texts of the same genre

18. Apply critical intertextual reading strategies to two or more texts of mixed genres (e.g. a short story and an essay)

19. Apply rapid reading strategies Skimming and Scanning

20. Improve reading flexibility and increase reading speed

21. Develop appreciation of reading as a function of the reader's active imagination

22. Apply TCDR critical reading strategy to content area textbooks

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Critical Reading

Placement Exam Requirements