Critical Reading Skills

Anum Aziz
Lecturer Humanities and Social Sciences
Bahria University, Islamabad
 Critical Reading
• Facts vs. Interpretation:
– Non-Critical Readers read texts as an accumulation of
facts.
– The critical reader recognises that the text is but one
portrayal of the facts. Thus to them a text is somebody’s
take on the facts and in consequence somebody’s opinion.
What a Text Says, Does, and Means: Reaching
for an Interpretation

Non Critical Reading stops at the first stage which is

that of restatement while critical reading goes two
steps further.
• What a text says – restatement
• What a text does – description
• What a text means – interpretation
 The Three Aspects Distinguished
• What a text says – restatement – talks about the same
topic as the original text
• What a text does – description – discusses aspects of
the discussion itself
• What a text means – interpretation — analyzes the
text and asserts a meaning for the text as a whole
 Goals Of Critical Reading
• to recognize an author’s purpose
• to understand tone and persuasive elements
• to recognize bias
none of these goals actually refers to something on the page.
Each requires inferences from evidence within the text

• recognizing purpose involves inferring a basis for choices of

content and language
• recognizing tone and persuasive elements involves classifying
the nature of language choices
• recognizing bias involves classifying the nature of patterns of
choice of content and language
Critical reading is not simply close and
careful reading. To read critically, one
must actively recognize and analyze
evidence upon the page.
 The Tools of Critical Reading

• Analysis (what to look for)

• Inference (how to think about what
you find)

– The first part —what to look for—

involves recognizing those aspects of a
discussion that control the meaning.
– The second part —how to think about
what you find— involves the processes of
inference, the interpretation of data from
within the text.
 The Process
• Non-critical (or pre-critical) reading is concerned
with recognizing what a text says about the topic.
• Critical reading is an analytic activity. The
reader rereads a text to identify patterns of elements -
- information, values, assumptions, and language
usage-- throughout the discussion.
• Critical thinking involves bringing outside
knowledge, biases, and values to bear to evaluate the
presentation and decide what ultimately to accept as
true.
 Recognising a text as Somebody’s Idea
• The initial step of critical reading involves recognizing a
text as a presentation in its own right. This step is
concerned with identifying such elements as

– The existence of a beginning, middle, and end

– The use of illustrations to explicate remarks
– The use of evidence to support remarks
– The use of stylish language to portray topics
– Organization, or a method of sequencing remarks –
such as whether chronological, different aspects of the
topic, steps in a logical sequence
The next step involves describing the nature of these aspects of
the text, of classifying the nature of the material within the text

• The nature of the examples – what the examples are

examples of
• The nature of the evidence – what kinds of authorities are
invoked, what types of evidence are provided
• The nature of the choice or terms– what types of terms are
applied to what topics
• The final step involves inferring the underlying
assumptions and perspectives of the discussion,
taking into account all of the elements of the text
being as they are throughout the text as a whole. This
step is concerned less with sequential development
and more with recognizing patterns of elements
interwoven throughout the presentation as a whole.

– What is achieved by describing topics a certain

way
– What is assumed by selecting certain types of
evidence
In the end, readers must take control of
the text, not just repeat its assertions. At
its core, critical reading involves
becoming the author of one's own
understanding.
 Critical Thinking
• Critical thinking includes a complex combination of
skills. Among the main characteristics are the
following:
– Rationality
– Self-awareness
– Honesty
– Open mindedness
– Discipline
– Judgement
 To Sum Up
• Critical thinkers are by nature sceptical. They approach texts
with the same scepticism and suspicion as they approach
spoken remarks.
• Critical thinkers are active, not passive. They ask questions
and analyze. They consciously apply tactics and strategies to
uncover meaning or assure their understanding.
• Critical thinkers do not take an egotistical view of the world.
They are open to new ideas and perspectives. They are
willing to challenge their beliefs and investigate competing
evidence.
 Critical Reading v. Critical Thinking

• Critical reading is a technique

for discovering information and ideas within a text.
• Critical thinking is a technique
for evaluating information and ideas, for deciding
what to accept and believe.
 Example
Parents are buying expensive cars for their
kids to destroy them.

• What does the ‘them \’ in the sentence refer to?

• Does it refer to the parents, the kids, or the cars?
• Does the comprehensive text support this idea?
• Is this idea indeed true?
• If yes, why?
• If no, why?
Critical thinking allows us to
monitor our understanding as
we read. If we sense that
assertions are ridiculous or
irresponsible (critical
thinking), we examine the
text more closely to test our
understanding (critical
reading). Conversely, critica
l thinking depends on critical
reading. You can think
critically about a text (critical
thinking), after all, only if
you have understood it
(critical reading).
we must read each text on its own merits, not imposing our
prior knowledge or views on it. While we must evaluate ideas
as we read, we must not distort the meaning within a text. We
must not allow ourselves to force a text to say what we would
otherwise like it to say—or we will never learn anything new!
 Inference
An inference is a meaning that is
suggested rather than directly stated.
Inferences are implied through clues
that lead the reader to make
assumptions and draw conclusions.
For example, instead of making a
direct statement, “These people are
rich and influential,” an author could
imply that idea by describing a
palatial residence, expensive
heirlooms, and prominent friends.
Understanding an inference is what
we mean by “reading between the
lines,” because the suggestion, rather
than the actual words, carries the
meaning.
 Inferences
• Connecting with prior knowledge
– Authors, like cartoonists, use inferences that
require linking old knowledge to what is being
read at the time. Clues that imply meaning may
draw on an assumed knowledge of history, current
issues, or social concerns. Just as in making the
connection to understand the punch line of a joke,
the reader must make a connection in order to
understand the inference.
 Inferences
• Recognizing slanting language
– Writers choose words to manipulate the reader and
thus to control the reader’s attitude toward a
subject. Such words are referred to as having a
particular connotation or slant. The dictionary
definition of a word is its denotation, but the
feeling or emotion surrounding a word is its
connotation
 Inferences
• Drawing Conclusions
– Readers use both stated and unstated ideas to draw
logical conclusions. They use the facts, the hints,
and their prior knowledge to piece together
meaning. The facts and clues lead to assumptions,
which then lead to conclusions.
• What is an inference?
– An inference is an implied meaning that is not directly
stated but can be deduced from clues. Inferences require
linking old knowledge to what is being read at the time.
• Why are jokes funny?
– Jokes and cartoons are funny because of the implied
meaning understood by the teller and the audience.
• What is the effect of slanted language?
– Slanted language manipulates the reader’s attitude in a
positive or negative manner toward a subject.
• What are conclusions?
– Conclusions are generalized meaning based on clues that
incorporate what you already know with what you have just
discovered.