How can we know whether we can deeply understand what we are reading? Or how can we know whether we are a critical reader?
There are some performance indicators and dispositions for a critical reader:
1.We read texts that are significant to expand our worldviews;
2.We strive to accurately represent in our own thinking what we are reading in the text;
3.We try to clarify the purpose of the text as we read it, since we know every text should have its own purpose;
4.We create an inner dialog with the text by questioning, summarizing and connecting important ideas with other important ideas.
Let’s come to more details: What does a critical reader do while reading?
They take the following actions during reading. We may benefit a lot from them on condition that we apply them to our routine reading. Also, our students may well benefit too if we train them to master such skills as a critical reader.
A critical reader always acts like this way while reading:
1.reflect;
2.motior the process of reading, distinguishing what between what they understand in the text and what they don’t;
3.summarize accurately and elaborate texts in his or her own words to test whether they have understood it or not;
4.give examples from their own life experience, of ideas in texts;
5.connect core ideas to other core ideas they understand, that is, to establish connections;
6.take core ideas from what they are reading and put them into practice in their real life; they make use of the core ideas instead of copying them or remembering them.
7.paraphrase what they read, usually sentence by sentence to make sure they have understood them.
8.explicate the thesis of a paragraph accurately and logically:
(1) state the main idea of the paragraph in just one sentence (I do it often);
(2) elaborate what they have paraphrased by using “In other words…”;
(3) give examples of the main ideas by tying it to concrete situations in the real world (This may consume more time but it’s worthwhile for it serves the purpose of reading: read to learn, read to understand the world or read to solve some problems in our life.);
(4) generate apt illustrations: metaphors, analogies, pictures, or diagrams of the basic thesis (These are some good ways to set up connections in our mind with previous knowledge.).
9. analyze the logic of what they read (its purpose, its main question, the information it contains, its main idea, its examples…);
10.evaluate what they read (for clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, and significance, and so forth.);
11. role-play an author’s viewpoint accurately, as presented in text (to obtain some experience from it and have a deeper comprehension of it).
How to help our students master the critical reading skills in close reading? Telling them is not a good way. We may ask ourselves such questions:
Can we name them fluently? Can we use them freely? Do we know the purpose of the skills? Do we know why we should master the skills as a reader? Do we know the consequence if we don’t read like this? Do we clearly know the benefits of the application of the skills?
If we want to be a smarter reader and learner, if we want to improve the efficiency of reading or learning, we must master the 11 skills listed above. Only when we use them flexibly can we train our students to master such skills.
Besides, some questions or tasks should be designed delicately to encourage the students to read and think with the skills listed above. Teachers and students should have a strong belief of the importance of reading this way and should persist in reading in such critical ways.
As time goes on, the awareness of being an active and critical reader will surely be strengthened and the good habit will be developed. That’s what we want to achieve in teaching students reading. Best of all, learning how to learn is more significant than merely acquiring knowledge.(The international critical thinking reading and writing test)
