In the U.S., the concept of college and career readiness has recently attracted more attention of researchers and practitioners than literacy proficiencies sufficient for the students to succeed later in college life and the workplace. The underlying assumption manifesting itself in the policy arena is that high school graduation represents a final stage in instructor-guided reading development, after which the responsibility for further growth lies with the individual.  Few campuses around the world offer advanced reading courses designed to benefit college students as critical readers in order to promote their academic, professional, social, and personal growth, and thus develop “21st century skills”.

The presenter will argue that a perspective on reading that sees high school graduation as a peak in reading development is limited and should be revisited and re-evaluated. A claim will be validated that reading is not a simplistic, one-dimensional process which plateaus when a particular level of vocabulary and conceptual knowledge has been acquired. Reading will be rather shown as a constantly evolving process of interpretation of multi-modal discourse, which draws profoundly on the reader’s background knowledge. This process continues through the life span and transforms constantly. Research on the nature of reading growth over the lifespan will be referenced in order to envision a future college reading program and a variety of reading courses it should offer to college students at all levels of the educational continuum. A model for the future college reading program will be offered for the audience’s discussion and critical analysis. This model is designed to help students of all levels of academic preparation to excel in their field of study, succeed in the job market, become more conscientious citizens, and achieve higher levels of personal development.