In the Stay-Ahead Critical Reading Program, we help students gradually improve their reading comprehension, critical thinking and vocabulary skills. Using in-class readings, students have individual discussions with a teacher and then use their readings to practice critical thinking skills, including evaluating inferences and identifying an author's purpose. We train students to develop a college-level vocabulary, with a concentration on learning words in context with an emphasis on Latin and Greek roots.
Students are also required to read newspaper and magazine articles that teachers assign each week. This aspect of our reading program not only introduces students to a variety of information, but it also raises confidence in facing unfamiliar content. By reading these articles, students observe and learn different writing styles.