The document discusses critical reading strategies. It defines critical reading as reading to discover information and ideas within a text in an evaluative, analytical, and goal-oriented way. It then outlines several critical reading strategies including previewing, re-reading, annotating, contextualizing, questioning, reflecting, outlining and summarizing, evaluating, and comparing. Specific tips are provided for how to implement each strategy when critically reading a text.
2. What is Critical Reading?
Reading for the purpose of discovering information
and ideas within text
Evaluative and analytical
Goal oriented
Unbiased
4. Preview
Read front and back covers
Read table of contents
Search info about book and author on internet
5. Re-read
Re-visit interesting or confusing sections
Read slowly the second or third time
6. Annotate
Short summaries
Comments and questions
Underline and define keywords
Bracket important sections
Make an idea map
Number related points
7. Contextualize
Place text in its:
Historical
Biographical
Cultural
Intellectual context
8. Question
Write questions when author’s arguments or
reasoning seems confusing
9. Reflect
Be aware of your emotional responses to text
This will help you stay objective in your readings
10. Outline and Summarize
Identify the main arguments and re-state them in
your own words
11. Evaluate
Did the text change the way you think or feel about
the subject?
12. Compare
How are the arguments, methods, and prose style
similar to others you have read?
