A study of college developmental readers: Their history, practices, and perspectives

Many high school graduates begin college and quickly realize that there is a discrepancy between their high school reading experiences and the expectations of reading for college classes. These students are often placed into developmental reading courses, often based on standardized test scores, to improve their vocabulary, reading comprehension, and disciplinary literacies. There are a multitude of reasons that these students may not possess the reading skills that they need for college. This qualitative case study examines the influence of factors such as engagement, metacognition, and disciplinary literacies among four college students in developmental reading at a university in North Texas. The purpose was to analyze their literacy experiences, reading processes and strategies, and attitudes toward reading. Based on findings from this study, I provide suggestions for K-12 and college literacy education to promote success as students transition from high school reading to college reading.