Learning to Read Critically

Reading is a process where engaged individuals focus on multiple aspects of the written word, all the while thinking of what they might say in reaction to their reading. Following are some questions that can guide you to increased reading success.

Before Reading

  • What is the purpose for this reading?
  • Is the source credible/reliable?
  • What do I know about the topic? (Consider cover, title.)
  • What do I see looking at accompanying visuals (e.g., charts, graphs, photos, reading captions)?
  • What do the headings and subheadings say?
  • What does the back cover and/or print on the inside of the book jacket say?
  • What questions or predictions based on the above do I have?

While Reading

  • Identify the author’s purpose for writing.
  • Read actively (annotating, highlighting, making connections, summarizing).
  • Make mental pictures.
  • Stop often to check your comprehension and reread if necessary.
  • Use visuals to help your comprehension.
  • Identify unfamiliar words and use strategies (e.g., identifying context clues, using a dictionary) to assist in figuring out meaning.
  • Stop and retell to aid memory. If necessary, reread.
  • Predict, then adjust or confirm thinking.
  • Raise questions, then read to discover answers.

After Reading

  • Think about the characters, settings, events, or new information.
  • Discuss or write down your reactions.
  • Compare reading with your own experiences/information.
  • Make note of significant details/support that can be of use in your writing/thinking.
  • Skim to locate details.
  • Reread to find support when answering questions.
  • Seek out other perspectives as needed.
  • Decide how to use this new information.

 

Rhetorical Reading

As you read, think about the choices the author is making in order to communicate with you. Have a conversation with the author by analyzing the reading for rhetorical features such as:

  • Purpose or intent (Why did the author write this piece?)
  • Audience (For whom is the piece meant?)
  • Organization and development
  • Voice
  • Openings and closings
  • Concession or refutation

Is there anything in the way the text was written that can help you with your writing? What worked? What didn’t work? What might you model or avoid?

Rhetorical Writing

As you write, think about the choices you are making as the author in order to communicate with your reader. Have a conversation with your reader by analyzing your writing for rhetorical features such as:

  • Purpose or intent (Why am I writing?)
  • Audience (To whom am I writing?)
  • Subject or topic (What am I writing about?)
  • Author’s relationship to audience (What is my stance?)
  • Language (What word/language choices best suit this rhetorical context?)

Renee Dimino, Meghan Glaser, Judi Salsburg, and Terry Shamblin, TRS/ESOL faculty

 

 “Employers hiring for careers in business or economics or finance are looking not just at the graduates’ competency in these disciplines, but also at their communication skills. Businesses know that teamwork is essential and each team member must be able to effectively communicate with his or her team. An employee who writes poorly or who is unable to effectively articulate his ideas will be judged harshly by his superiors. When an employee is responsible for communicating with customers, the need for an effective communicator becomes even more crucial, since customers will judge the company based on that employee. If the employee speaks or writes poorly, the customer will assume that the company employs less than competent people and will bring his or her business elsewhere.”— Joseph Marchese, Business and Economics Faculty