This presentation examines the reading activity and overall language development of lower-intermediate level students in a two-year intensive English program at a Japanese university. The group of six students took six hours of English classes per week for four semesters; of the classes, more than half included a significant extensive reading component. Although the benefits of extensive reading are said to build up over long periods of time, many teachers can only observe their students' progress over a limited period (e.g. one semester). Student reading preferences were analyzed using reading records, while student reading quantities were correlated with changes in scores on standardized tests and writing samples. Student opinions on reading and their interpretation of the results were gathered through surveys and interviews. Although the number of students is small, students who consistently did extensive reading could both improve their standardized test scores and writing quality.