What Is the Meaning of Critical Reading?

Critical reading can be a fun and informative process.

Many books contain a great deal of hidden meaning. Such books remain a perpetual mystery to readers unless they apply advanced reading skills. By learning to read critically, a person can reap substantial benefits from the reading process.

Perspective

Through reliance on critical reading skills, readers are able to pinpoint an author's perspective and to observe how this perspective influences his primary argument. Most authors do not explicitly state their biases or presumptions. Rather, an author's purpose when writing a work is usually merely implied. For this reason, a critical reader is advised to, "be guided as much by your understanding of its content and structure, as by your own engagement with the issues and problems it raises in relation to your own understanding of the topic." (See References 1) Thus, an author's perspective is complemented by the perspective of a critical reader, suggest caretakers of the Campus Library of the University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia Community College -- who supply critical reading tips for the betterment of their university students.

Plausibility

At various stages of the critical reading process, inquisitive readers do not hesitate to question the plausibility of an author's claims. Such critical evaluation is essential in the realm of science, since "the measurements that scientists make are subject to variation, for all kinds of reasons." (See References 2) This is according to Ben Yudkin, author of "Critical Reading: Making Sense of Research Papers in Life Sciences and Medicine." Readers should inspect the statistical significance of data they encounter in specialized texts, and engage in acts of skepticism when necessary.

Interpretation

Certain works of literature are designed to support a multitude of interpretations. Works such as Shakespeare's plays, E.E. Cumming's poetry or Toni Morrison's novels were all created to be discussed. No single interpretation of any of these works can be considered definitive. Rather, these works should be read on multiple occasions and from multiple perspectives.

Benefits

Frequent use of critical reading practices encourages readers to cultivate desirable virtues, such as tolerance and circumspection. By engaging in acts of critical reading, a person can feel confident about establishing well-rounded opinions, which transcend enculturated prejudices.

Techniques

Learning to read critically requires a reader to routinely apply numerous discrete techniques. Readers should not simply breeze through literature, reading a book from cover to cover before setting it aside. Instead, readers should only begin reading in earnest once they "have an initial sense of the context, purpose, and content, glance through the text itself, looking at the title and any subtitles and noting general ideas that are tipped off by these cues," according to student resources supplied by Addison Wesley Longman. (See References 3)

References

• Campus Library of the University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia Community College: Critical Reading Questions
• "Critical Reading: Making Sense of Research Papers in Life Sciences and Medicine;" Ben Yudkin; 2006 (p. 68)
• Addison Wesley's Student Resources: Critical Reading Techniques