Reading Courses - Textbooks

QCC Home

Basic Skills

ACT Prep


·	BES Home
·	Basic Skills Learning Center
·	Computer Lab
·	Course Description
·	ACT Preparation
·	Adult Literacy Programs
·	Faculty & Staff
·	Frequently Asked Questions
·	Prep Class Information
·	Test-Taking Strategies
·	Tutoring Information
·	QCC Newsletter (pdf)
·	Workshop Information
·	Workshop Table
·	Exit Testing

Reading Courses
Textbooks

Course	Title	Author	Publisher and Year	Comments
BE 121	Steps to College Reading	Seylar	Pearson/Longman 3rd Edition, ‘04	Has an emphasis on topic, main idea, details and transitions with ample exercises from simple to challenging. They reinforce vocabulary skills through context; interesting readings at the end of each chapter with comprehension and vocabulary
	Ten Steps to Building College Reading Skills			I’ve tried several easier textbooks but this one has a real emphasis on Topic, M.I. and Details, as well as note-taking skills & vocabulary exercises Books in this series are well organized with clear, logical content of high interest. There is also an accompanying Text Bank booklet Clear, step-by-step presentation; interesting reading selections; good practices and tests (Teachers Edition).
	Breaking Through College Reading (with My Reading Lab & Webster Dictionary & Study Skills Booklet	B. Smith	Pearson/Longman 8th edition	Comprehensive coverage of reading skills. Adequate & varied selections from many sources
	Reading & Studying For Success	Morton & Hosey	Burgess Int’l Group, 1984	This textbook seems to be just right!
	Vocabulary Workshop Level E	Shostak, Jerome	Oxford/Sadlier	Additional enrichment/practice
BE 122	Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills	Langan	Townsend Press, 4th Ed
	Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills	Langan	5th Edition	New edition coming out in Dec. – adds color and graphics and chapter on critical reading. combined skill tests at end of books good program in lab to reinforce skills get free set of class novels first-time text users get a free text for each book ordered Clear, step-by-step presentation; interesting reading selection; good practices & tests (Teacher’s Edition)
	Advancing Vocabulary Skills – short version	Nist & Mahr	Townsend Press 4th Edition	Will help students learn how to study
	Bridging the Gap	B. Smith	Longman, 8th Ed	Good passages; will use it again Clear and comprehensive coverage of college-level reading skills. Many selections for reading in many subject areas. Additional vocabulary enrichment.
	Ten Steps Towards Advancing College Reading Skills	Langan	Townsend Press, 2004	Breaks down skills & then puts them together. If they can do this level rather than Intermediate book they will pass the ACT
	Vocabulary Workshop Level E	Shostak	Oxford Univ. Press	Additional enrichment/practice
	Navigating to Clear Comprehension with QCC Writers	Panteleo	Kendall Hunt 2003
	Essential Academic Vocabulary: Mastering the Complete Academic Word List	Helen Huntley	Thomson/Heinle, 2006	Helps students acquire types of vocabulary needed in all disciplines; not too easy for 122; copied some chapters for use.
	Focus on Vocabulary	Schmitt & Schmitt	Longman 2005
	Preparing for the CUNY-ACT Reading & Writing Test	P. Licklider	Pearson/Longman 2004	Used the strategies & practice tests. Worth students purchasing.
	Vocabulary Workshop	J. Shostak	Sadlier/Oxford 2005
	Guide to College Reading	K. McWhorter	Pearson/Longman, ‘06	There’s a logical sequence of skills with readings across the content areas
	RSVP 5th Edition	Shepherd	Houghton-Mifflin	I have found the text very comprehensive. It includes everything: college survival skills, study methods, comprehension skills, context clue skills and test taking techniques
BE 225	Building Vocabulary Skills	Nist & Mahr	Townsend Press, 3rd Ed	Although neither of these books is an ESL text, they seem to work well with ESL students. The two books compliment each other; in addition, the test bankbooks provide reinforcement of skills I have used this set of books (Building Vocabulary Skills & Ten Steps to Building College Reading Skills – see below information) for several years. They are comprehensive, teach the needed skills, and are best used together. The teacher’s edition is excellent and there are test banks for each book. A level just a little beyond students’ current level, but workable, excellent! Challenging!
	10 Steps to Building College Reading Skills	Langan	Townsend Press 3rd Ed
	Topics for Today 5	Smith and Mare
	Excerpted from Scholastic: “ Literary Cavalcade”		Scholastic
	Groundwork for College Reading	Langan, 4th Ed.	Townsend Press	Workable for most of the students even though a few of them still feel a little frustrated.
	Reading and All That Jazz: Tuning Up Your Reading, Thinking, and Study Skills	Mather & McCarthy	McGraw Hill	Wide array of skills: skimming/scanning, fact/opinion, bias main idea/supporting details, modes of organization in literature. A lot of reading and writing in book; sometimes overwhelming.
	Topics For Today (5) 3rd Ed. And various handouts from Time & College Bound Magazine	Smith & Mare	Thompson/Heinle, 2004	I rely on excerpts to supplement my textbook and actively encourage as much reading as possible
	Steps to College Reading	Seylar	Pearson/Longman, ‘04.	This is sometimes a challenge but it prepares students for 226 better than some of the other texts I’ve used.
BE 226	Guide to College Reading	McWhorter	Pearson Longman, 7th Ed	Has an emphasis on topic, main idea, details and transitions with ample exercises from simple to challenging. They reinforce vocabulary skills through context; interesting readings at the end of each chapter with comprehension and vocabulary This textbook has proven too difficult for the students in my class
	Everyday Idioms
	Improving Vocabulary Skills	Nist & Mahr	Townsend Press	Vocabulary is quite adequate. Besides exercises in each chapter using the 10 words in the chapter, there are also topics suggested in the back of the book to use in class discussions. Other topics are given which provide interesting ways for students to use vocabulary words in writing. Gives practice for vocabulary words & has excellent suggestions for writing assignments using the vocabulary words that were introduced.
	Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills	Langan	Townsend Press, 4th Ed	Most reading skills are clearly explained and each chapter presents a different skill, has various practice exercises, and contains a short story followed by exercises designed to reinforce the skills taught up to that point Topics generally coincide with ACT questions. There are many passages, exercises, and tests to choose from. However, some readings seem skewed towards testing purposes, and some answers are not “good.” Develops reading skills in a clear, logical way & has some good reading selections.
	Navigating Toward Clearer Comprehension with QCC Writers	Pantaleo (Ed)	Kendall/Hunt	Helps students become familiar with the ACT format.
	Preparing for the CUNY ACT	P. Licklider	Pearson/ Longman
	College Reading: Study Skills (9th Ed.)	McWhorter	Pearson/Longman, ‘04	I found the passages in this book to be too difficult for the students I had in my section. I don’t think I would use this book again.
	College Reading & Study Skills (10th Ed.)	McWhorter	Pearson/Longman	Challenging
	Vocabulary Simplified (2nd Ed.)	McWhorter	Pearson/Longman	Will not use again. Teacher’s Edition available on the Internet.
	Vocabulary Workshop (Book E)	Shostak	Sadlier/Oxford	Good book.