Developing Metacognitive Reading Strategies with College Students

Abstract

As an instructor of a college-level reading course entitled "Seminar in Interactive Reading," 1 am often faced with these comments each semester. Despite resistance, this class is mandatory for some ofthe freshmen students enrolling in college through an alternative admissions program. The students are admitted into the university through an alternative admissions program because they do not meet the traditional admission requirements at the university. More specifically, the students have been placed into a developmental writing course based on a writing sample submitted as a part of the admissions process. The writing evaluations determine placement into one of three courses at the university: Developmental Reading and Writing, Basic Writing, or Introductory College Writing. Students whose test results indicate they should begin their college writing course sequence at the Developmental Reading and Writing level are also mandated to take a reading class. The Developmental Reading and Writing course is a three-credit, one-semester course (IS-week semester). Time limitations do not permit exhaustive instruction in both developmental reading and writing. Therefore, a two-credit co-requisite course was established: Seminar in Interactive Reading.