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Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills, 5th Edition
Great book for educators!
628 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1992
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251 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 30, 2010
The Langan series of textbooks, which include Ten Steps to Building College Reading Skills, Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills, and Ten Steps to Advancing College Reading Skills is a solid approach for developmental students in need of improving their college-level reading skills. I used various levels in this series in ESL reading classes I taught a number of times over the past decade.
The formula is simple: in order to improve, students need targeted work on ten key skills such as learning vocabulary from context or making inferences. Each chapter provides guided readings and copious exercises so that students can learn while reading.
The main criticism I have of this series is it's too neat -- a "training wheels" approach to reading. Many of the exercises are rather formulaic, reducing a complex task to a misleadingly simple multiple-choice format. However, I can also admit that this approach gives developmental students a feeling of accomplishment. Another problem, though, is that students weary of the endless procession of guided exercise, then practice tests, and then mastery tests. Many begin to simply skim for the answer rather than read, which, I suppose, might also be working on a valuable reading skill, but it is not really the point of some of the exercises at all.
The formula is simple: in order to improve, students need targeted work on ten key skills such as learning vocabulary from context or making inferences. Each chapter provides guided readings and copious exercises so that students can learn while reading.
The main criticism I have of this series is it's too neat -- a "training wheels" approach to reading. Many of the exercises are rather formulaic, reducing a complex task to a misleadingly simple multiple-choice format. However, I can also admit that this approach gives developmental students a feeling of accomplishment. Another problem, though, is that students weary of the endless procession of guided exercise, then practice tests, and then mastery tests. Many begin to simply skim for the answer rather than read, which, I suppose, might also be working on a valuable reading skill, but it is not really the point of some of the exercises at all.
August 6, 2019
This is a really good book, and it is quite comprehensive. This text really got me ready for more challenging texts. I knew about categories, and precontextual readiness, but this text goes into the importance of primary and secondary ideas, as well as definitions, and even making inferences. There is a lot to reading well, and this book lays it all out.
Jeff (Author of Modicum).
Jeff (Author of Modicum).
May 25, 2019
Good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2025
Wasn't my favorite but I had to read it for school.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews