Summer College
College Reading for Success: American Identities
This six-week program focuses on helping incoming freshman students to strengthen their reading skills and strategies in order to maximize their learning experience and academic performance at UIC. To provide a subject for college-level reading and class discussion, the course employs readings on American Identities that explore the roles of historical events, immigration, race and ethnicity, and language in the ongoing development of American culture. As part of this course, students develop their skills in:
- Critical thinking as it applies to reading of college-level texts
- Interpreting both persuasive and informational texts
- Identifying thesis and purpose statements and evaluating supporting information
- Recognizing the use of logical, emotional, and ethical appeals
- Developing a mature vocabulary in order to fully understand college-level texts
- Engaging in academic discourse through classroom discussions