Eric J . Paulson Self - Selected Reading for Enjoyment as a College Developmental Reading Approach

The field of college developmental reading does not have a unified, agreedupon approach to creating effective and efficient readers at the college level, as Reynolds and Werner (2003) have pointed out. For example, Keefe and Meyer (1991) assert the appropriateness of a holistic, whole-language approach for adult readers, while Bohr (2003) maintained that a constructivist approach can confuse college readers. Despite college developmental educators calling for learner-centered approaches like reader response (e.g., Chamblee, 2003), a direct instruction, skills-based approach has a solid foothold in college developmental reading programs. The influence of the latter is evident in even the most cursory glance at many college reading textbooks, which show a focus on word-level skill building, with exercises that emphasize analyzing the roots of words and defining and memorizing vocabulary items. When text excerpts longer than a paragraph are provided in these textbooks, they are often followed by discrete point questions about factual, objective aspects of the text. If we accept that to an extent, textbooks reflect the type of teaching going on in the classroom (Wood, 2003), then college developmental reading practice is often typified by a focus on word-attack strategies and discreteskill building. In addition, college developmental reading is often seen as consisting of content-area textbook reading and study assistance—a way to “get students through” their other college courses. In some contexts, a focus on skill building can be beneficial for many aspects of students’ academic lives given an appropriate metacognitive, strategy-construction approach. However, I propose that if we identify an important goal of developmental reading programs for college readers as providing a foundation for life-long