Office of Academic Support

 What does critical reading look like?
By Matt McCluskey, Coordinator of Academic Support

The Setting for Reading:

-Where are you going to read?  What kind of reading environment are you looking for?

-When is the best time for you to read? (Are there particular times of day when it would be best to tackle difficult subjects?)

-Use a pointer or note card to keep place

-What should be accessible when you read? (e.g.,dictionary, thesaurus, highlighters, pencils, etc.)

-Take a ten-minute break every hour to refresh yourself

-Have a notebook ready for use

Getting Ready:

-Review your course notes before you open the book

-Preview the reading in advance.  Examine the cover, table of contents, charts, diagrams, maps, and jacket summaries

-Is there background information you should cover first? (for example, if you are reading Dickens, it might be a good idea to read a little bit about 19^th century England)

Some Things to Consider About Each Text:

-What is the purpose for reading this text? (e.g., to learn new terms, to create an argument for the future, to provide a basis for an essay assignment, to become aware of new issues)

-What are the text’s primary themes?

-Where and when was this text published? 

-Who was it written for?  How was it distributed?

-Is there a problem or conflict being discussed?  Is there a solution presented?

-Who is affected by the problem under discussion?  How would the author’s proposal affect them?

-What previous writings or events influenced the creation of this text?

-What is the text’s setting?

-What research methods were used?

-What evidence or other details were presented by the author?  Are there comparisons made?  How does the author use statistics, formal logic, case-studies, and individual examples?

-Why do you think that the author wrote the piece?

-What symbols, metaphors, and anecdotes are presented in the writing?

-What is the tone of the piece?

-How does the author begin the work?  How does she conclude it?

-Describe the language that the author uses to describe different characters

-Who is the narrator?

While You Are Reading:

-Take time to identify major themes or ideas that the author addresses and list these themes in your notes and in the margins of the text

-Go ahead and mark up the text like crazy!!!

-Underline new words and look them up when you complete the section

-For difficult or particularly important parts of the text, READ IT OUT LOUD

-Write a brief summary of each section (1-2 sentences can often suffice) in your notebook

-Create a flow diagram, time-line, or map describing the text

-Create a chart describing the main characters in the text

After You Have Read the Text:

Try explaining the ideas in the text to someone else

Come up with a list of questions or points to discuss in the class

Compare this work to others like it (perhaps you can chart the similarities and differences)

Go back and re-read passages that you found were particularly interesting, important, or difficult

Refer to the professor and/or peer tutoring program if you continue to have trouble comprehending the reading