Program aimed at improved reading and study habits returns

The Baldridge Reading and Study Strategy Program will return to the University of Richmond from Sept. 15 to Sept. 21 to help students improve their reading and study habits.

Students who partake in the program will learn a variety of study methods used to boost their reading comprehension ability, better understand the ideas and concepts in their textbooks and improve the retention of the material learned, Robert Baldridge, the East Coast director of the Baldridge Reading and Study Strategy Program said.

"We work with interested students who want to learn techniques to increase reading speed, improve comprehension, deepen concentration and strengthen recall in their reading," Baldridge said.

Students will bring their own reading materials to the program's classes in order to directly apply the reading and study techniques taught to them during the program, Baldridge said.

"The company gives superb reading instruction expertise and has a national reputation for assisting students to learn the most advanced techniques for reaching faster with better comprehension," said Hope Walton, the director of academic skills at the Academic Skills Center. "They provide alternative methodologies."

The program does not focus on one particular subject, but rather can be applied to anything, Baldridge said.

This six-hour program can be completed in two different formats, and there are still openings for students to sign up Baldridge said.

The first option is the weekend two-day program, offered on Sept. 15 and Sept 16. During this option, three hours of the program will be completed on each of the days. Students who enroll in the weekday program, from Sept. 17-21, will attend one of three 80-minute classes.

"For the weekday program, students have the flexible options of coming to class at different times," Walton said. The times offered are 2 p.m., 4 p.m. or 6:30 p.m and the costs for the one-week and weekend programs are $139 and $99.

There will also be a weekend seminar that will cover time management, note taking and test taking, Baldridge said.

The program has been coming to the university for over thirty years, and the number of students that participate in the program varies from year to year, attracting 10 to 15 students on average to each class, Baldridge said.

Approximately 40 to 50 students participate in the program each year, Walton said.

Interested students should send their completed registration forms to the The Baldridge Reading and Study Strategy Program program's email address.

Students can register and learn more about the program by calling 646-554-4700 or emailing baldridgeprogram@gmail.com.

Contact reporter Ryann Dannelly at ryann.dannelly@richmond.edu