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• Overview
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Course Outline
• Dates/Times, Location, and Cost

OVERVIEW

The Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies is the longest continuously running course at Harvard. Taught since the 1940s with constant updating, the Reading Course is designed for people who need to read more, and more critically, than ever before and who, as a result, find themselves overwhelmed or disengaged. Based on the premise that our learning depends as much on how we read as on how much we read, the course helps students read strategically, selectively, and actively.

The Reading Course can help you develop a greater range of reading rates and a broader repertoire of reading strategies so that you have more choices available to you in approaching any text. Just as you would not ride a bike at the same speed at every moment, on every road, for every purpose -- or ride it in the same gear under all conditions -- it does not make sense to read all texts, of even all parts of a given text, at the same speed and in the same way regardless of your needs and circumstances. The Reading Course enables you to gain a better sense of control over your reading and studying and develop the flexibility, judgment, and confidence to apply different approaches for different purposes, thus increasing your speed of comprehension. 

The Reading Course also helps you apply the principles and practices of active learning to other activities beyond reading. For example, you can apply active learning strategies to making notes, preparing for exams, and choosing how to use your time and energy every day. Indeed, approaching both your learning and your life with a sense of purpose and engagement can help you honor what matters most to you as a student and a person.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is this a speed-reading course?

While students in the course do increase their reading speed (typically doubling it), the Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies is much more than a speed-reading course. Reading more efficiently is not just a matter of moving your eyes more quickly over the pages. It's also a matter of using your mind more actively and your attention more judiciously. Reading mindfully and purposefully improves focus, comprehension, memory, and speed.

If I read selectively, will I miss something?

Yes, but if you don’t read selectively, you also miss something because you never get to the end of the chapter, book, or reading list. And you miss the time to experience other things in life besides your reading. It is not humanly possible to read every word of every page of “required” reading that comes your way. You inevitably need to read some things more closely than others and to skip some things altogether. You can make those choices passively by trying to read everything and ultimately failing to do so. Or you can make those choices actively by strategically choosing what to read and how to read it, based upon your particular needs, purposes, and circumstances.

Is the course just for Harvard students?

The course is open to anyone, not just to members of the Harvard University community. Although the course was originally designed for students, it is useful for professionals and others who want to read more efficiently and effectively.

Is there homework?

There is no homework other than to practice the strategies you learn in the course on your own reading and studying. Throughout the course, there is an emphasis on transferring the skills you learn in class to the reading you do outside of class.

COURSE OUTLINE

Part One.  Guided readings (which project written material in a manner that guides your eye movements) and short practice exercises help you become more aware of how your eyes move when you read. Specific strategies, such as preparing to read and reading with a question, are introduced to help you develop better control of both your eyes and your mind. 

Part Two.  Guided readings and classroom exercises continue, with an emphasis on comprehension strategies as well as speed. Lessons focus on active skimming and reading strategically. Questions of judgment and responsibility in reading are explored. 

Part Three.  Guided readings and exercises continue, with special attention on transferring your new reading and study strategies to your own work. Study skills beyond reading, such as note-making, time management, and exam taking are addressed.

Topics addressed in the course include:

• Reading with Your Eyes and Your Mind
• Reading with a Question
• The Structure of Expository Text
• Overviewing
• Summarizing
• Navigating Longer Texts
• Remembering What You Read
• Anticipating and Intuiting
• Morality and Reading
• Close Reading
• Note-Making
• Time Management
• Exam-Taking
• Continuing to Read Strategically, Actively, Selectively

DATES, LOCATION, AND COST

The Reading Course meets 1 hour per day for 14 days in the Science Center.  Advance registration is required.  Method of payment is by cash, check or term bill.  Please visit the Bureau of Study Counsel to register for your preferred session.

The fee for the Course is $150 in general, $25 for Harvard College undergraduates and GSAS students. Students on financial aid may speak to their Financial Aid officer for help with the course fee.

Fall 2008 (registration to begin September 2, 2008)

• A.M. Session:  October 15 - November 14, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8-9 a.m.
• P.M. Session:  October 14 - November 6, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 4-5 p.m.