Subject-area faculty and students who had just completed an introductory course at an inner-city, four-year college were surveyed to determine the reading and reading-related tasks most needed in their courses. Textbooks used in these courses were analyzed for organizational features and study aids. Results indicated an interrelationship among the skills rated essential by the subject-area teachers, the tasks which students were most often required to do, students' rankings of the most important tasks for completing particular courses, and skills derived from the textbook analysis. Competency-based learning modules were developed for two of the essential skills. (Author//AA)