I agree with reading it first to become familiar with it.
I don’t adhere to a reading in a year plan simply because if I fall behind, then I’m temped to give it up. I don’t want to put myself under any guilt or condemnation for not doing something God isn’t requiring of me anyway and I know that would happen when I don’t meet a goal I set for myself.
Besides, there I times I read where I’m lead to go so the total reading I do in a year would be more than if I simply adhered to a reading plan anyway.
So, yes, I do it, I see the value in it, but just do it on my own schedule and if it takes more than a year, that works, too.
Psalm 119
36
Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
This is a good plan I’ve been using. It’s a 2 year plan which goes through the Old Testament once and the New Testament and the Psalms twice:
http://www.tbsbibles.org/pdf_information/1-1.pdf