MYREADINGLAB: Where better reading is within reach!

MyReadingLab is the first and only online learning system to diagnose both students' reading skills and reading levels. This remarkable program utilizes diagnostic testing, personalized practice, and gradebook reports to allow instructors to measure student performance and help students gain control over their reading.

Specifically created for developmental students, MyReadingLab is a website that provides diagnostics, practice, tests, and reporting on student reading skills and student reading levels.

Student reading skills are improved through a mastery-based format of exercises and tests. Exercises include objective-based questions, open-ended questions, short answer questions, combined skills exercises and more.

Student reading level is assessed through a Lexile framework (developed by Metametrics™, an educational measurement expert). Once diagnosed, students are assigned a Lexile number, which indicates their reading comprehension skills, and throughout the program, the Lexile number rises as the students' reading level improves.

The result of this skills and level combination is a personalized student study plan to address individual needs and quantifiable data that measures individual student reading level advancement.

Instructors, request access to MyReadingLab at http://vig.prenhall.com/catalog/aiv/customerType?catalog_code=myreadinglab-ph.

Dr. Cheryl Novins has taught both developmental reading and developmental writing for the last ten years on the college level. She is currently a professor in the Reading/Basic Education Department at Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York. Her research interests include students' attitudes toward reading and students' textual interactions in a college-level reading workshops. During the past year three of Cheryl's presentations at national conferences (CCHA, NYCLSA, DC Research Symposium) have focused on developmental reading. She has authored The Longman Textbook Reader (2 nd edition) which will be available February 2007.

Corinne Fennessy has been helping students to improve their reading skills for over 30 years. She holds both a Master of Science in Education as a Reading Specialist, and a Bachelor's degree in English from Nazareth College of Rochester, New York. She taught in New York state schools K-12 for over twenty years, in specialized remedial and special education programs, and served as a remedial program coordinator. She also has taught reading at the University of Central Florida, and is now a professor of reading at Valencia Community College, in Orlando, Florida. For the past two years she has been writing and consulting on instructional materials for Pearson Longman publishing.

Eugene Wintner earned his B.A. in English and American Literature at Brandeis University, graduating and an Ed. M. in Reading from Boston University. Eugene 's teaching experience includes a year at a public high school and several years at a private school in Boston. Since 1979 he has been working at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, MA. Starting as the Reading Lab Coordinator, he became a faculty member a few years later. For the last 7-8 years Eugene has been a full professor of English and the Developmental Reading Curriculum Coordinator. His published texts include Practical College Reading (Irwin Professional Publishing), The Reading Quest (Longman publishers), and Textcerpts,1/e and 2/e (Longman publishers).

Dr. Gretchen Starks-Martin has taught seventh and ninth grade English and reading in Michigan before teaching reading at the technical college, community college, and university levels in Minnesota and New York. Most recently she taught English and reading at a Navajo tribal college while on sabbatical. Currently, she is a professor in the Academic Learning Center at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Gretchen has been President of the Minnesota Reading Association, the New York College Learning Skills Association, and the Minnesota Association of Developmental Education. She is currently the Executive Assistant for the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) Board of Directors. Her research interests are student retention and using technology in education. She has authored a CD-ROM on “Using Common Sense in Test-Taking” and currently serves on the Minnesota State College and University Committee on Assessment of College Readiness.

Rochelle A. Favale is an adjunct faculty member at the College of DuPage, where she specializes in working with developmental English students. With an undergraduate degree in Special Education, Rochelle also serves as one of the college's learning disabilities specialists. Additionally, she acts as a lead coach in the school's Reading & Writing Assistance Area. Since 2005, Rochelle has been a contributor to a number of Pearson reading textbooks. Her next goal involves the attainment of either a second master's degree in English (because of the strong link between reading and writing) or the pursuit of a PhD in literacy.

Dr. Tim Brown is the Chair of English and Speech Communication at Riverside City College in Riverside, California. He has been teaching reading at Riverside City College since 1984. Dr. Brown previously authored the Prentice Hall Textbook Reader and developed the Companion Website for Prentice Hall's ReadingWith Meaning: Strategies for College Reading 6th Ed. by Dorothy Hennings. Dr. Brown was one of the first instructors to develop a basic skills class in reading for on-line delivery in the California Community College system. He also teaches in graduate courses in reading California State University, Fullerton.

Reviewers reactions to the "Road Trip" theme of MyReadingLab:      Reviews - spring 2007

Barb Sussman-Miami Dade College-Kendall: The premise of MyReadingLab in terms of geographical content is excellent for our students.

Betty Black-Texas A&M-Kingsville: Having the [reading] skills exercises organized according to geographic locations is a good idea. Most of our students have not had the opportunity to travel much beyond their home towns. This introduces diverse lifestyles that they do not encounter much.

Julie Voss-Front Range C.C.: I also like the idea that the topics in Geography are academically rigorous and indicative of what they will see in their transfer level classes. Students at this level need to be challenged, and I think these readings will both interest and challenge them, and at the very least give them exposure to complicated academic text.

KarlaNast-Cy-Fair College: The common theme is interesting and the readings are engaging. The immediate feedback on the practice questions makes the reading exercises fun and motivating.

Reviewers reactions to the Reading Skills section 

Julie Voss-Front Range C.C.:You covered all of the important skills to be covered in an advanced reading class. You have very good explanations in your “overviews and models” section… You have provided excellent coverage on the topics you have

Betty Black-Texas A&M-Kingsville: I think the Overviewsand Modelsare very good. They explain what the students will encounter when doing the exercises. I do feel they should be required, not optional.

Carrie Phyrr - Austin CC: I like the Model and Overview sections very much. If a student is working the section before or during our class study on the subject, it gives them beneficial information about the skill. Both of these sections are very well done.

Julie Voss-Front Range C.C.:I was very impressed with your explanations in the overviews and models. In general, the topics were very well covered and I particularly liked how you so often drew analogies to topics that were familiar to students

Karla Nast-Cy-Fair College: The Overviews and Models are excellent. I like how the information is concise and yet the instruction is very helpful. This aspect of MRL is a definite strength of the program.

Reviewers reactions to the Reading Level section  

Betty Black-Texas A&M-Kingsville:I think the reading selections are inviting and interesting. Most are expository text. This is good since most reading our students will encounter during their university career is informational. Most of our students have a difficult time reading expository text without a specific strategy. Since students will experience a variety of situations, it is an excellent idea to use a variety of topics and genres in their reading experiences.

Chae Sweet - Hudson County CC: I read many of the readings (I also read the readings in the developing stages of the MRL content), and found them interesting, topical and informative. There was also a great variety of topics and fields from which they were drawn. All of this offers students a wide range of possible readings to fit most any type of student.

Karla Nast-Cy-Fair College:  The readings are definitely high-interest selections. The topics are diverse and there is sure to be a selection that every student will enjoy reading. It is a unique feature that students can select the topic of choice and go on to complete the diagnostic and exercises.

Betty Black-Texas A&M-Kingsville: I think the following passages will be of interest to our students. “An Ocean without Sharks” is a great passage for our students. We live right on the beach, so it is a passage they can relate to personal experience. The “Overcoming Shyness…” passage is great. A lot of our students come to college not knowing anyone and this passage might give them some incite to overcome this problem. Another interesting exercise was the “Wedding Cakes…”. Many of our students are engaged and this might be appealing to them. You have included a variety of topics that will interest our students.

Karla Nast-Cy-Fair College: My students favor articles about history and current events. The biography of Cassius Clay and the Zeppelin story would be great stories to direct students to.