Critical Reading

Strategies
Before Reading
Determine which type of article you are
reading.
Identify the author’s purpose for writing
Predict or infer the main idea or argument
of the text based on its title.
Before Reading
State what you already know and what
you want to learn about the topic.
Before Reading
Determine the target audience.
Check the publication date for relevance.
Use a concept map or graphic organizer to
note your existing ideas and knowledge on
the topic.
During Reading
Annotate important parts of the text.
• Write key words or phrases on the margins
• Write brief words on the margin
• Write questions on information that you
find confusing
• Write what you already know about the
ideas
During Reading
Annotate important parts of the text.
• Underline important words or phrases or
sentences
• Underline or circle definitions
• Create a bank of unfamiliar or technical
words to be defined later.
After Reading
Reflect on what you learned.
React on some parts of the text
through writing.
Link the main idea of the text to what
you already know.