What Is Critical Reading?

Critical reading is a skill whereby an individual consumes information in a more conscientious and analytical fashion. When reading in this manner, a person is not simply trying to understand and memorize what is written. Instead, he or she draws understanding of writings from factors such as tone, intention, and logic in addition to the words. A critical reader also avoids unobjectively accepting what is written as fact. To accomplish these goals, a critical reader needs critical thinking skills.

When people read, they often see the words, attempt to understand them in the context that they are written, and then to remember them. When a person is reading critically, he or she approaches the task with a more investigative attitude. Critical reading is a skill that involves a person obtaining information both from what is written and what is unsaid. A person may use a wide range of factors as clues, including the title, tone, or even the intended audience.

As critical readers tend to be more analytical than other readers, they are usually not as easily convinced. Though a writer may make certain statements as facts, critical readers maintain open minds, but they do not unobjectively accept what is written. When engaged in critical reading, a person obtains information from what a writer means in addition to what he or she writes. The critical reader realizes that writers often have motives. One of the reader's objectives, therefore, is to understand why a writer has put forth the given information.

For example, a particular book could be written in attempt to dispel a common school of thought. In addition to determining the motive, critical reading involves analyzing whether the information provided supports the assertions and intentions of the writer. A critical reader is aware of the reasons that he or she accepts or objects to the information that is presented.

This type of reading often involves going through the text at a slower pace. It is not uncommon for critical readers to make notes or to reference other works during the course of reading a particular text. This skill can be employed for fiction and nonfiction works.

Critical reading is a skill that often has to be consciously developed. A person may assume, for example, that a student would naturally evolve into a critical reader due to the amount of information encountered. Many secondary educational facilities, however, find it necessary to allot resources to help students hone these skills. Critical reading works in tandem with critical thinking, which also tends to require development. If a reader cannot think critically, he or she will lack the ability to assess his or her own understanding of the material.