A skills development course for secondary grades is outlined which is designed to improve skills in reading for understanding via the identification of main and subordinate ideas, reading and listening for directions and purposes, and reading and listening for information. It is aimed to assist both students with satisfactory performance and students with lower achievement. Sections on performance objectives, assessment devices, rationale, range of subject matter, teaching strategies, teacher resources and student resources are included. A list of assessment instruments is also given. (AW)