This article addresses well-known and difficult problems involving reading comprehension and compliance in college courses, using a lower-level philosophy course as a case study. It draws upon both general and discipline-specific research in three promising areas for reading instruction: metacognition, modeling via "think-alouds," and background knowledge. A process for combining all three in the use of guided reading videos (GRVs) is described. The results of an anonymous student survey on GRVs are reported and their use is discussed from an instructor's perspective. Finally, potential advantages, additional applications, and worries concerning the use of GRVs are examined.