CRITICAL READING: THE WHAT, THE WHY AND THE HOW

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CRITICAL READINGTHE WHAT, THE WHY AND THE HOW

• Critical reading is a skill that requires
  knowledge and correct use of the language, as
  well as the ability to think and comprehend.
  People often think they know how to read well yet
  when faced with various text types of varying
  levels of complexity they fail to comprehend
  these texts.

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• Reading critically involves being able to read
  between and beyond the lines and making value
  judgements about what the author is saying, at
  the same time utilising effective questioning
  techniques, and logical thinking devices.

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DEFINITIONS

• Critical reading involves
• recognising key information and ideas within a
  text
• discovering and understanding how they are
  linked to give meaning, which then leads to
• analysing and evaluating information and or ideas
  to decide what to accept or believe and then to
  finally provide logical reason for for the
  acceptance or beliefs etc.

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• In short critical reading involves
• careful active, reflective analytic reading -
  reflecting and questioning information
  (thinking).
• So in other words, critical reading comes before
  critical thinking. In critical reading we need to
  read critically and understand information before
  we can apply critical thinking strategies/skills
  to critical reading.
• For example clarifying, analysing, evaluating
  and reasoning information.

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DEVELOPING CRITICAL READING SKILLS

• Here is a guide for developing skills in reading
  between and beyond the lines (The deep approach
  to reading).
• Understand what you read
• Interact with the text vigorously
• Relate new ideas/information/ knowledge to
  previous knowledge through association
• Identify and relate concepts to real life
  situations and to the context of the text
• Identify underlying meaning/messages

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DEVELOPING CRITICAL READING SKILLS

• Reflect through effective questioning strategies
• Identify relevant and irrelevant information and
  being able to substantiate responses logically
• Examine the logic of the argument
• Develop logical conclusions
• Make a stand or making decisions

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WHY??

• To protect our wallets?
• To safeguard our ability to think for ourselves
• To make up our own minds about the days
  important issues