The Importance Of Critical Reading

In high school, we would skim, read, annotate, and then discuss what we read in class. Applying the steps described in the reading process handout, I have been able to comprehend this essay in a more impactful way.

Critical reading involves digging deeper into the author’s creation, and being able to understand it on different levels. Throughout the book, we are given tips on how to solely concentrate on reading without getting distracted. With writing and reading together, you can judge the essay you are reading more accurately. The sample essay by Nancy Mairs, shows different examples on

Why do pre-reading strategies that activate prior knowledge and raise interest in the subject prepare students to approach text reading in a critical frame of mind?

In Christina Haas and Linda Flower’s article “Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning”, they point out, and break down, the three reading strategies that are used by students when reading a passage, or paper. An experiment was constructed to show what each of these strategies are like while being used and what the reader may ask, or get out of, a certain excerpt.

In Christina Haas and Linda Flower’s article “Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning”, they present three different strategies readers use when reading a paper or an article, and the importance of each. An experiment was constructed to show those strategies in action, and what each type of reader does while using the strategies.

Teaching students to think while reading--critical reading--should be central to any discussion of thinking skills. This is in part because the reading of textbooks has such an important role in the content fields. Critical reading is defined as learning to assess, draw inferences and arrive at conclusions based on the evidence.

If you couldn’t read or write, how would you tackle your daily life? Being literate is a crucial part of everyone’s life; reading and writing are essential for a person’s success. Every single day, it’s used, whether it’s for an Advanced Placement Language class or reading a billboard as you’re driving past. As a child, I grew up reading on a daily basis and I believe that I am as successful as I am on behalf of it. Countless memories have been created, thanks to the multiple books that have been read and the umpteen amount of papers that I’ve written. Throughout the numerous years of my education, my teachers and parents left a long lasting impact on my reading and writing skills.

In "Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning," Christina Haas and Linda Flowers suggest that readers have issues using rhetorical reading strategies and must be instructed to find rhetoric in text in order to do so. Haas and Flowers reference a study where several students ranging from freshmen to undergrads were asked to read an article and describe the authors intentions at several points throughout the article. Haas and Flowers noted that younger, less experienced students had a harder time connecting points and surmised the text; where older and more experienced students connected each point of the article, and gave their interpretations of the text.

This weeks reading included They Say I Say by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein and From Critical Thinking to Argument by Sylvan Barnet, Hugo Bedau, and John O’Hara. In They Say I Say, Graff and Birkenstein talk about the importance of being able to look at writings and be able to not only find the thesis/ argument that the author is making but also be able to figure out “The view or views that motivate the thesis - the ‘they say’” (Graff and Birkenstein 155). In From Critical Thinking to Argument Barnet, Bedau, and O’Hara talk about how to think critically. This includes being able to see both sides of an argument. A good way to do this is by clustering, which is where one thinks about possible counterarguments/ responses to their claim. We also read about how when reading a paper, we should preview the paper by looking at the author, publisher, title, context, and the thesis. We should also annotate, highlight, and

     Another weakness that I had coming into English 101 was my way of reading. I remember having to read an essay or book 3 or 4 times before I could ever sit down and write about it. I was looking and at the words all wrong. However, my professor introduced a technique of reading critically. “A critical analysis, on the other hand, takes a viewpoint and attempts to its validity;” (Trimble, 95) In Trimble’s quote he is trying say that a critical analysis helps a reader understand what the author is really trying to point out. This was the same approach that was taught to me by my professor. This type of analysis helped me understand better what the author was trying to convey and it also helped me explain it better in my essays.

To truly be conversant, you have to form your own questions, not just scan for answers (107). When reading to absorb, and translate you must read actively and critically. (108) In order to do this you must, “pay attention to the actual words in a reading and to use them when you write” (Rosenwasser 108). This can be done by individually breaking down passages, and picking apart the meanings (108). When “Passing your eyes or highlighter over the text or generalizing about it or copying notes from someone else's power point will not teach you the skills to become an independent thinker” (Rosenwasser 108).

Although I acknowledge that the more we read the more we become a better critical reader, my critical reading skills have not fully developed and this factor has affected my college career a lot.

Critical reading is a way of analyzing texts that involves an active examination of each argument in the text and the evidence supporting it. Critical reading helps to identify the ideas in the text, the position the writer takes on the issues discussed, and the underlying logic of the discussion. That is, critical reading helps to decipher the writer’s way of thinking.

By looking through various perspectives, we can use critical lens to read the world. Critical lens are a type of analytical view on a piece of work or literature ranging from a reader response to the author's history. Many different types of critical lens exist and are useful when used to further understand a novel. Mainly critics and students use critical lenses; however, all readers who appreciate the deeper messages in novels or want the full experience should use critical lens. Although many people argue that critical lens are distracting and do not aid in reading a novel, students need to learn how to read with a critical eye so they can further enrich their understanding and reading experience.

Students make personal and critical responses to texts which show insight into the ways in which meaning is conveyed. They refer to aspects of language, structure and themes to support their views. Students develop a perceptive personal response which shows analytical skills when exploring texts. There is understanding of the techniques by which meaning is conveyed and of ways in which readers may respond. They support their responses with detailed references to language, theme and structure. Students show analytical and interpretative skill when evaluating texts, making cross-references where appropriate. They develop their ideas and refer in detail to aspects of language and structure making apt and careful comparison, where appropriate, within and between texts. Students show originality of analysis and interpretation when evaluating texts. They make cogent and critical responses to texts in which they explore and evaluate alternative and original interpretations. They show flair and precision in developing ideas with reference to structure. Students make subtle and discriminating comparisons, where appropriate, within and between texts. No rewardable material. Students make a limited response to texts.