Based on the results of Phase I of a reading skills project in 2000 ("SAJHE" 16(3) 2002), Phase II was undertaken to set up a reading intervention programme on a voluntary basis for students enrolled in a mathematics access module, to determine whether explicit attention given to reading would improve their reading skills and academic performance. The aim was to determine whether addressing problem areas in reading might help the students adopt more effective reading strategies, so that they could become more adept at "reading to learn" their mathematics guides. This article reports on the intensive and extensive reading activities undertaken in the intervention programme, and the implications for studying mathematics. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure, and 2 notes.)