The article examines the skill of discursive reading of texts by students of higher educational institutions. The authors emphasize the relevance of cultivating such a skill in students due to the fact that modern practice of teaching reading involves developing the skill of decoding text, but not modeling its meaning at the metacognitive level. As a result, students perceive reading as a means of achieving a certain goal — passing an exam, receiving a diploma, etc. The study proposes a practical mechanism for implementing the skill of conscious «deep» reading, and shows options for its use during classes. The authors point out the negative experience of students associated with reading at school and at the preschool stage of education, analyze «deep reading» as a skill that is fundamental for obtaining a quality higher education, and offer specific strategies for its formation.

Keywords: reading skill, discursive reading, deep reading, educational trajectory, decoding meaning, metacognitive model of text