Critical Reading Skills

CRITICAL
READING SKILLS
1
Introduction
• What is not CR
• What is it
• Why to learn the skill
• How to do?
• Practical tips
2
Our common perception
• Criticism Vs CRITIQUE
• Critical is related to ??
3
What is CR?
• A careful analysis of material
to determine the intent,
purpose and point of view of
the writer.
4
CR?
• Critical reading is a process of analyzing,
interpreting and, sometimes, evaluating. When
we read critically, we use our critical thinking
skills to QUESTION both the text and our own
reading of it. Different disciplines may have
distinctive modes of critical reading (scientific,
philosophical, literary, etc).
13/12/17 Kanwal Ameen@DiOM 5

What is CR?
• Engaging in what you read by asking

yourself questions such as:
• ‘what is the author trying to say?’ or
• ‘what is the main argument being
presented?’
ACTIVE READING
6
Active Reader is:
• Not just satisfied with what a text
says and accepts its face value
• Rather, reflects on what the text
describes, and
• Analyses what the text actually
means, in the context of his/her
study
• Important pieces of data and
assumptions are NOT missed.
7
Critical Thinking; an Extension of
Critical Reading
Critical thinker is able to:
reorganize thoughts, prior

knowledge, and understand to
Accommodate/Build new ideas
or viewpoints.
8
How to become a critical
reader
First Step: Develop a reading
strategy
• You are required to critically
read and think about a lot of
information from different
sources. THEREFORE…
9
Speed reading
Learn to read critically AS WELL AS efficiently
How?
Become selective
Follow SQ3R:
• Survey
• Question
• Read
• Recall
• Review
10
SQ3R
• Survey: scanning and skimming the text to get general gist of the
material in question
• Question: Purpose will guide your reading and analysis –

why am I reading this? With a purpose to your reading you will learn
and retain certain information.
Having questions changes reading from a passive

to an active pursuit. Possible questions include:
• What do I already know about this subject?
• How does this chapter relate to the topic in question?
• How can I relate what I read to my own experiences?
11
3Rs
• Read (Deep, 2nd Time, Analyze)
Careful consideration of the meaning of what

the author is trying to convey and involves
being critical as well as active.
12
…..Analysis
• Identifying opinions from facts,
• Being aware of propaganda devices
• Recognizing persuasive techniques
13
Analysis
Logical Fallacies: Errors in reasoning.
• Examples:
• Introduction of an irrelevant issue in an argument.
• Linking two or more ideas that have no logical

connection.
• Making broad generalizations without proven
empirical evidence.
14
Recall
• unless you make a concerted effort to

recall what you have just read, you will
forget a lot of the important points.
• Recalling gives you the chance to think
about and assimilate what you have just
read, keeping you active.
Write down: A significant element in

being active is to write down in your
own words the key points.
15
Review
Review the material that you have recalled in your
notes.
Did you understand the main principles of the

argument?
Did you identify all the main points?
Are there any gaps?
Do not take for granted that you have recalled

everything you need correctly – review the text
again to make sure and clarify. 16
Attitudes to Reading
Detached from, and be objective towards,
what you are reading, in order to see and
understand the logic within an argument.
17
After Critically Reading a Text
you should reflect on:
• What the text says: able to take notes, paraphrasing - in
your own words - the key points.
• What the text describes: be confident that you have

understood the text sufficiently to be able to use your own
examples and compare and contrast with other writing on
the subject in hand.
• Interpretation of the text: able to fully analyze the text
and state a meaning for the text as a whole.
• Summarization: Pull out the main points of the text and
write them down.
18
Writing While Reading/Note
Taking Tips
a. Margin
b. Sticky notes
c. E-notes
e. Online Documents
WHAT WORKS FOR YOU, IS THE BEST FOR YOU
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Process of Reading Critically
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CRITICAL

13/12/17 Kanwal Ameen@DiOM 5

• Engaging in what you read by asking

reorganize thoughts, prior

• Question: Purpose will guide your reading and analysis –

Having questions changes reading from a passive

• Read (Deep, 2nd Time, Analyze)

Careful consideration of the meaning of what

• Being aware of propaganda devices

• Recognizing persuasive techniques

• Linking two or more ideas that have no logical

• unless you make a concerted effort to

Write down: A significant element in

Did you understand the main principles of the

Did you identify all the main points?

Are there any gaps?

Do not take for granted that you have recalled

Detached from, and be objective towards,

what you are reading, in order to see and

understand the logic within an argument.

• What the text describes: be confident that you have

WHAT WORKS FOR YOU, IS THE BEST FOR YOU

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