For a student to succeed in academic English, he or she must understand that there is an intimate relationship between reading and writing. One skill reinforces the other. Competent readers make competent writers. The challenge is universal: how do we transition high school students to English at university? I would like to say I have the answer, but the answer changes with every class and every semester. There is no one size fits all model and I understand that my model will constantly evolve and reflect the needs of my students. I'm creating my own reader for students, and while I was creating my reader for an English composition class, I found an article called: "How to Mark a Book" by Mortimer Adler. Essentially, what Adler discusses in his article is how to become an active reader, what he calls owning a book. This resonates with me because I encourage my students to not just read the text, but to discover its hidden meanings or to read actively. Adler says: “Full ownership only comes when you have made it part of yourself…by writing about it.” » This sounds simple, but for many students, it is not. I understand that when students read, they naturally stop at a passage that stands out to them, but they don't know what to do with the pause. I encourage them to highlight this section and answer the questions: “What stands out? and “Why does this stand out?” I invite them to write the answers in the margin, and to use the margins to ask additional questions. If a student doesn't want to write in their books, I encourage them to use a reading journal. Why is this important? Adler states, and I agree: "First, it keeps you up...second, reading, if active, is thinking, and thinking tends to be expressed in words, spoken or written... .middle of paper ......lecture writing and essays. For example, a four-page argumentative essay explaining how the United States of America would be different if there was no First Amendment. Throughout the semester, students build a database in which they can synthesize their reading and writing with primary and secondary sources, as well as opposing viewpoints, to generate their eight-page research essay. This statement is now part of my teaching philosophy. I know that as I gain more experience attending workshops and seminars, my knowledge of academic discourse will evolve, as will my teaching philosophy. I will not be a static instructor. I will always remain a student of academic discourse, and as I learn, I will adapt and pass on my knowledge to my students. After all, it's a key part of why I left the family business to become an assistant professor of English at the university..