SWA 1

Both Michael Skube and Todd Hagstette wrote essays based on their opinions of today’s students’ inability to read at an effective collegiate level. Based on my own experiences in the classroom and the evidence provided by these scholars, I find that opinion to be factual. Both men were able to provide specific examples and well thought out hypothesis of why this is true.

Skube believes that college students have not and do not read enough. He ties this fact to one thing, “kids don’t read for pleasure.” (14) Not one student in his class could name his/her favorite author; in fact, they couldn’t list any past or present authors. I find this theory to be quite true, for the simple fact that I know I myself do not read enough for pleasure, yet I have always been at the top of most of my classes. Of course, just reading more is not the only thing that helps students gain writing and reading skills.

Hagstette created a specific technique to more aggressive reading. If practiced, this method would in time help students, “read more carefully, engage with the text more thoroughly, and thus write more successfully.”(16) First, one must be uncomfortable. Reading for class is not the same as reading for pleasure. Next, one must focus on the reading. He cannot be side-tracked by outside distraction. Thirdly, read aggressively. For instance, prove that one knows the material. The last three are; challenging the opinions of the writer; redundancy, repetition and re-reading; and don’t be confused by the opportunity or advice to read passively. Always read aggresviely.