Mastering the Art of Critical Reading
“Reading critically is a precursor to writing critically.”
Reading is one of the most important skills that students need to learn in order to succeed both in school and in life. However, many students find it difficult to read critically and understand what they are reading. In recent years, the PISA* test results have shown that even though most children fare well in their reading tests, they fail to perform similarly in their reading discernment test because they are unable to bifurcate the information provided to them and just blindly consume it. It is an alarming trend that we should take caution against.
*PISA = The Programme for International Student Assessment is a worldwide study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in member and non-member nations intended to evaluate educational systems by measuring 15-year-old school pupils’ scholastic performance on mathematics, science, and reading.
What is critical reading?
“Critical Reading” is not reading to criticise. It is not something that is done by writers or reviewers to decide on the book’s worth. Instead, it is an active process that involves questioning and looking deep into various aspects of the content you are reading. You read with the intent of understanding what the author is trying to convey, and what their motives and agenda are. Reading a book in this way will help you understand what the purpose of the information presented to you is.
Why is critical reading a necessary skill?
We live in a world overflowing with huge amounts of data and information. Whatever we need to know can be found a few mouse clicks away. There is so much information available about anything and everything, that it is hard to discern what is authentic and what is fake. People often use this confusion to propagate incorrect information and try to push their agendas onto others. Critical reading can help make sense of whether the information you are reading is factual or made up by someone to fulfil some hidden purpose. That is why critical reading is a skill that should be mastered by everyone, especially young children who will be the future leaders of our country.
Cultivate a reading habit
Before you teach your children to read critically, help them develop a reading habit. You shouldn’t expect your children to be excellent readers who can discern what they read within a short time. They need to read as much as they can and build a good knowledge base. To achieve that, you can try out these:
- Gift your children books
- Encourage them to read more
- From a young age, make it a habit to read to them during their bedtime. Read to them novels, poems, and anything that can pique their interest. It will help them develop an interest in reading on their own.
- Whenever they finish reading a book, encourage them to share their experience with the book. Ask them what they thought about it and whether they understood what the author wanted to convey.
- Ask them to make notes and mark things for reviewing. Teach them the habit of looking up things they don’t understand instead of leaving them be.
- Encourage and empower your children to have their opinions voiced out. Never belittle your children for doing so.
Things to keep in mind
One important pointer you need to teach your children is discerning what to read and what to skip. Many times people will go through different books and content, spending a lot of their time, only to find that it was no good. So, an initial screening of everything you intend to read is a good practice. For that, look into the following few details before reading any book or content.
- What is the book or content about? What is its genre or category?
- Who is the book intended for?
- Who is the author and what are his/her qualifications? Whether they are qualified enough to talk about the subject?
- When was it published or written?
- Where was it posted?
- Who are the publishers?
- What seems to be the goal of the author at first glance?
- What seems to be the opinion of the majority of the people who read it?
If the book/article fails to satisfy your requirement during this initial screening, then it is better to skip it and look for something else worth your time.
Critical Reading Tips
Keep an open mind. This is perhaps the most important piece of advice we can give you. Don’t pick something to read, with the intention to judge it. Let the author make their point and then you can form an opinion from that.
Take notes while reading so that you can refer to them later if a need arises. Having a journal with you while reading can come in handy.
If there are statistics or factual data represented in the content, do not trust it blindly or take the author’s word for it. Do your research and check whether it’s true or not.
Make sure you ask questions while reading. What made the author reach such a conclusion? Are the facts fitting the narrative or are they manufactured to support the view of the author? What is the author intending to accomplish?
After finishing a book, summarise what you just read and try to analyse it. This is the main purpose of critical reading.
All these might seem overwhelming to your children initially. But with your help and constant effort, it will become second nature to them. We hope you find these helpful. Let us help our children master the art of critical reading and widen their knowledge. All the best! 🙂
Critical Reading (Study Skills)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW3JLxPs-f4
Exam Smart Tips
Exam Smart Tip #1 – How to Encourage Our Kids to Speak Better?
Exam Smart Tip #2 – How to avoid carelessness?
Exam Smart Tip #3 – Establishing Routines!
Exam Smart Tip #4 – Let’s Read Carefully!
Exam Smart Tip #5 – Beating the Exam Fever!
Exam Smart Tip #6 – How to Eat Right for the Exams?
Exam Smart Tip #7 – How to Avoid a Meltdown?
Exam Smart Tip #8 – Taking Stress out of Tests
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