Reading for Success at Auburn University

February 3-5, 2012
Auburn University

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Are you a university or high school student and...

you are finding it increasingly difficult to understand what your instructor wants?
you are finding it a challenge to keep up with the amount of reading you are being assigned?
the reading assignments you are given are becoming increasingly more difficult?
what your instructors are assigning you to do with your required reading (write summaries or course papers) is turning out to be an obstacle to your success at Auburn?

Without strategies that are university and high school level, it can be difficult to learn the content of required reading.

Reading for Success at Auburn University is a one-weekend boot camp designed to increase your ability to read difficult college and high school texts with greater understanding—and succeed in the core courses.

At the university level, students may find that they do not remember what they read and that they have trouble using the information from assigned readings to complete papers that involve source texts, "pop" quizzes, and possibly even multiple-choice tests.

At the high school level, students may find that they take "too long" to complete assigned readings and that they have trouble remembering what they read.

Reading for Success will provide university and high school students with strategies needed to read complex texts and successfully complete assignments.

Program Details

Each workshop session is offered in a "boot camp" format of 16 hours.

The program will begin on Friday afternoon, run all day Saturday, and conclude Sunday afternoon.

The Reading for Success boot camp will stress how to focus on and relate to central ideas in difficult required readings.

You will sharpen your ability to connect what you already know to ideas you are required to learn through assigned reading.
You will learn and practice how to ask yourself the questions successful students already know to ask.
You will learn tools for navigating unfamiliar vocabulary and increasing your word-consciousness.
Finally, you will learn tools for demonstrating your understanding of assigned reading not only on right-answer tests but in required written work, which is how assigned reading is often graded at the university—especially as you progress from the AU core to the courses in your academic major.

Upon completion of the Reading for Success at Auburn University program, students will be able to…

Read and remember details contained in the texts you encounter in university and high school-level courses
Write summaries of the information found in the books you read in school, especially as appropriate for "essay" answers on tests or quizzes.
Learn where to go for help if you get stuck or confused when reading texts at the university or high school level
Practice asking for help when you are stuck or confused when reading texts at the university or high school level

Program Materials

Each participant will receive a workbook and reference materials for use during the boot camp. This workbook will be for participants to keep and will serve as a valuable resource for future reference and review.

Instructor Bios

The Reading for Success at Auburn University has been developed by Dr. Alyson Whyte and Dr. Sara Wolf.

Dr. Whyte teaches in the College of Education in the English Education program. She has taught a variety of students in four states how to be expert readers and users of information from a variety of text-based sources including high school, college, and professional sources. She is excited to begin exploring the connection between the written word and the mental images that result from interacting with text.

Dr. Wolf teaches in the College of Education in the School Library Media Program. She is not your stereotypical librarian, though. She has taught students in three states how to access, evaluate, and use information from a variety of sources, both print and non-print. She is particularly interested in helping students use the appropriate technological tool to support their academic efforts.

Registration Information

Those interested in participating in the Reading for Success at Auburn University boot camp are encouraged to register early, as there will be limited seating in each session. (30 max.)

If you have questions about the program, please feel free to e-mail your questions to opce@auburn.edu (please put Reading for Success in the subject line). Your questions will be forwarded to the instructors and answered as quickly as possible.

Dates & Online Registration:

Reading for Success: February 3—5 | Registration Fee $295 ($325 when registering after January 18, 2012)

Location: Auburn University

Schedule: Friday 4pm-8pm; Saturday 9am-6pm; Sunday 1pm-5pm.

Discount: To receive the discounted registration rate, registrations must be received on or before January 18, 2012.

Cancellation Policy: If a registration is canceled for any reason, the individual or organization making the original payment will receive:

A full refund, less an administrative fee of $25, if the cancellation request is received in writing on or before January 18, 2012.
A refund of 50% if the cancellation request is received in writing after January 18, 2012.
No refund for "no shows" or cancellations received after the start of the program.

A registration may be transferred to another person at any time for a $25 transfer fee.

Last Updated: December 15, 2011