reading improves critical thinking

Ask us anything

(about education).

Reading literature helps develop critical-thinking skills

When’s the last time you read a book? The chances you didn’t read one during the last year have radically increased.

For adults it’s roughly one in four — 24 percent according to the Pew Research Center. For my peers, youth, it’s about the same — 22 percent of 13-year-olds and 27 percent of 17-year-olds versus 8 percent and 9 percent, respectively, three decades ago according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

That’s especially unfortunate considering literature can help young adults develop important critical-thinking skills. For instance, U.S. News & World Report recently listed book clubs among five useful tools for developing critical-thinking skills before college.

“Students who read for understanding find it far easier to think critically than those who rush to finish,” writes the story’s author, Meghan Moll, a professional science, math, and ACT tutor with Varsity Tutors. “Analyzing a book requires you to delve deeper and ponder complex questions.”

My own experience with literature bears this out. In his best-selling novels “Jurassic Park” and “The Lost World,” Michael Crichton didn’t just take me on an entertaining roller-coaster ride. My favorite author reignited my childhood passion for prehistoric animals, sparked my intense interest in science, and continually fuels my own creativity.

His novels underscore the importance of critical thinking. “Jurassic Park” gave me a perspective on how humans interact with the biological world and what we can do to alter things — especially with genetic engineering. While the story line shows how people can use science to do beautiful things and change situations for the better, it also demonstrates how we can make devastating mistakes.

It’s probably no surprise that when my English teacher, Mrs. Hodgin, asked her classes at Moscow High School to participate in the Letters About Literature contest last year I wrote about the tangible, positive impact Dr. Crichton’s works have had on me. Sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, Letters About Literature encourages students in grades 4-12 to write a letter to an author — living or dead — whose book affected them personally.

I was the State of Idaho’s winner for Level 3 (grades 9-12) last year. The $100 gift card I won funded a hobby that’s kind of turning into a career — raising and researching ants. Thus, Dr. Crichton hasn’t just fueled my interest in the natural world — in a way he’s also helping fund my exploration of it.

The 2015-2016 Letters About Literature contest begins soon, and I encourage teachers and parents throughout Idaho to get their students involved. It’s an excellent project for classes and individual students.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress begins accepting entries Nov. 2. They must be postmarked by Dec. 4 for Level 3 (grades 9-12) or Jan. 11 for Level 2 (grades 7-8) and Level 1 (grades 4-6).

After the first two rounds of judging at the Library of Congress, the letters go through the next rounds back in their writers’ home states. The Idaho Commission for Libraries coordinates our local judging. Learn more about it online at http://libraries.idaho.gov/lal .

Meanwhile, if you, your child, or your students haven’t found a book that’s personally affected them, I urge you to resolve that. The benefits of literature are legion. Reading improves vocabulary, organizational skills, and the ability to read, comprehend, and analyze text. Plus, it can provide people with important historical perspective, encourage sympathy for other human beings, and promote appreciation for diversity and understanding of other cultures.

Moreover, literature can help students develop the critical-thinking skills many employers think are lacking in today’s college graduates before they even get to college.

Senior Miles Maxcer is the student council president at Moscow High School. He is currently reading a lot of nonfiction about leadership and different leaders while still conducting an independent study on ants. Read Miles’ winning letter at: http://libraries.idaho.gov/files/Level3WinnerMaxcer.pdf

Miles Maxcer

Republish this story on your website », get ednews in your inbox.

Weekly round up every Friday

Constitutional concerns hang over blockbuster facilities bill

Modern cte facilities will boost prospects in rural idaho, at the statehouse, a week marked by debates over diversity and racism, analysis: if the phoenix deal died wednesday, it didn’t die suddenly, statehouse roundup, 3.28.24: senate rejects summer lunch program funding, statehouse roundup, 3.27.24: senate kills phoenix bill, throwing purchase into jeopardy, trailer park: lawmakers pass competing bills to address four-day school issues, state investigation: special education violations come to light as parents advocate for students with disabilities, state investigation: systemic special education problems at oneida’s booming online school will take years to address.

• Virtual Learning

How to Encourage Critical Thinking Skills While Reading: Effective Strategies

Encouraging critical thinking skills while reading is essential to children’s cognitive development. Critical thinking enables them to engage deeply with a topic or a book, fostering a better understanding of the material. It is a skill that does not develop overnight but can be nurtured through various strategies and experiences.

One effective way to cultivate critical thinking in children is by sharing quality books with them and participating in discussions that facilitate an exchange of ideas and opinions. Through these conversations, children can draw on their existing knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and experiences to expand their understanding of a subject.

Parents and teachers help kids think more deeply about things. They can do this by answering questions that help kids compare different ideas, look at things from different angles, guess what might happen, and develop new solutions.

Importance of Critical Thinking Skills in Reading

Critical thinking helps us understand what we read better. It helps us ask questions and think more deeply about the text. Critical thinking skills can help us analyze, evaluate, and understand what we read.

By incorporating critical thinking, readers can differentiate between facts and opinions, forming their views based on logical reasoning and evidence. This ability is particularly crucial in today’s information abundance, where readers are often exposed to biased or unreliable content. According to Critical Thinking Secrets , using critical thinking in reading allows learners to exercise their judgment in assessing the credibility of the information.

Furthermore, critical thinking promotes creativity and problem-solving skills. Practicing critical thinking allows learners to devise new and innovative ideas to address various challenges. This skill improves academic performance and prepares young minds for future professional endeavors.

Engaging with quality books and participating in thought-provoking discussions can nurture critical thinking abilities in children. Reading Rockets emphasizes the importance of exposing children to texts that challenge their thinking and encourage them to ask questions, fostering the development of critical thinking skills over time.

Teachers also play a significant role in promoting critical thinking in the classroom. Employing various instructional strategies, such as problem-based learning, asking open-ended questions, and providing opportunities for group discussions, can help students cultivate critical thinking habits.

Developing a Reading Environment That Fosters Critical Thinking

Creating a reading environment that promotes critical thinking enables students to engage with texts more deeply and develop essential analytical skills. The following sub-sections outline strategies for choosing thought-provoking materials and encouraging open discussions.

Choosing Thought-Provoking Materials

Selecting suitable reading materials is critical to stimulating critical thinking among students. Teachers should look for texts that:

• Are relevant and relatable to students’ lives and interests
• Present various perspectives and diverse characters
• Pose challenging questions and open-ended problems

By incorporating such texts into the classroom, students can be exposed to new ideas and viewpoints, promoting critical thinking and engagement with the material. For instance, in Eight Instructional Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking , teachers are advised to choose compelling topics and maintain relevance to foster critical thinking

Encouraging Open Discussions

Fostering an environment where open discussions occur is essential to promoting critical thinking skills while reading. Teachers should:

• Create a culture of inquiry by posing open-ended questions and encouraging students to form opinions and debates
• Facilitate discussions by asking students to explain their thinking processes and share their interpretations of the text
• Respect all opinions and viewpoints, emphasizing that the goal is to learn from each other rather than reach a “correct” answer

Students who feel comfortable participating in discussions are more likely to develop critical thinking skills. The Reading Rockets emphasizes the importance of reading together and engaging in conversations to nurture critical thinking in children.

Active Reading Strategies

Active reading is an essential skill for encouraging critical thinking skills while reading. This involves consciously engaging with the material and connecting with what you know or have read before. This section discusses key strategies that can help you become an active reader.

Annotating and Note-Taking

Annotating the text and taking notes as you read allows you to engage with the material on a deeper level. This process of actively engaging with the text helps you to analyze and retain information more effectively. As you read, it is important to make marginal notes or comments to highlight key points and draw connections between different sections of the material.

Asking Questions While Reading

One important aspect of critical reading is questioning the material. This means not taking everything you read at face value and considering the author’s interpretation and opinion . As you read, develop the habit of asking questions throughout the process, such as:

• What is the author’s main argument?
• What evidence supports this argument?
• How is the information presented in a logical manner?
• What are the possible opposing viewpoints?

By asking questions, you can better understand the author’s viewpoint and the evidence presented, which helps to develop your critical thinking skills.

Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Summarizing and paraphrasing are essential skills for critical reading. Summarizing the material allows you to condense key points and process the information more easily. Paraphrasing, or rephrasing the ideas in your own words, not only helps you better understand the material, but also ensures that you’re accurately interpreting the author’s ideas.

Both summarizing and paraphrasing can enhance your critical thinking skills by compelling you to analyze the text and identify the main ideas and supporting evidence. This way, you can make informed judgments about the content, making your reading more purposeful and engaging.

Developing critical thinking skills while reading literature involves a comprehensive understanding of various literary devices. This section highlights three primary aspects of literary analysis: Recognizing Themes and Patterns, Analyzing Characters and Their Motivations, and Evaluating the Author’s Intent and Perspective.

Recognizing Themes and Patterns

One way to foster critical thinking is through recognizing themes and patterns in the text. Encourage students to identify recurring themes, symbols, and motifs as they read. Additionally, examining the relationships between different elements in the story can help create connections and analyze the overall meaning.

For example, in a story about the struggles of growing up, students might notice patterns in the protagonist’s journey, such as recurring conflicts or milestones. By contemplating these patterns, learners can engage in deeper analysis and interpretation of the text.

Analyzing Characters and Their Motivations

Character analysis is an essential aspect of literary analysis, as understanding characters’ motivations can lead to a thorough comprehension of the narrative. Encourage students to analyze the motives behind each character’s actions, focusing on the factors that drive their decisions.

For instance, in a novel where two characters have differing goals, have students consider why these goals differ and how the characters’ motivations impact the story’s outcome. This exploration can lead to thought-provoking discussions about human behavior, facilitating the development of critical thinking skills.

Evaluating the Author’s Intent and Perspective

Critical thinking is essential to evaluating the author’s intent and perspective. This process involves deciphering the underlying message or purpose of the text and analyzing how the author’s experiences or beliefs may have influenced their writing.

One strategy for accomplishing this is to examine the historical or cultural context in which the work was written. By considering the author’s background, students can better understand the ideas or arguments presented in the text.

For example, if reading a novel set during a significant historical period, like the Civil Rights Movement, understanding the author’s experience can help students analyze narrative elements, enhancing their critical thinking abilities.

Methods to Encourage Critical Thinking Beyond Reading

While reading is essential to developing critical thinking skills, it can be further enhanced by incorporating certain activities in daily routines that promote critical thinking.

Debates and Group Discussions

Debates and group discussions are excellent methods for encouraging critical thinking. By participating in debates or discussions, learners exchange diverse ideas, challenge each other’s reasoning, and evaluate the strength of their arguments. These activities require participants to think and respond quickly, synthesize information, and analyze multiple perspectives.

Teachers and parents can facilitate debates and group discussions by selecting topics that are relevant and related to the subject matter. Promoting respectful dialogue and modeling effective listening skills are also important aspects of setting up successful debates or discussions.

Exploring Other Media Formats

In addition to reading, exploring other media formats like documentaries, podcasts, and videos can help stimulate critical thinking in learners. Different mediums present information in unique ways, providing learners with various perspectives and fostering a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.

Using diverse media formats, individuals can compare and contrast information, question what they know, and further develop their analytical skills. It is essential that educators and parents encourage learners to explore these formats critically, assessing the credibility of the sources and ensuring accuracy in the information consumed.

Assessing Progress and Providing Feedback

Developing critical thinking skills while reading requires continuous assessment and feedback. Monitoring students’ progress in this area and providing constructive feedback can help ensure development and success.

Setting Measurable Goals

Establishing clear, measurable goals for critical thinking is vital for both students and educators. These goals should be specific, achievable, and time-bound. To effectively assess progress, consider using a variety of assessments, such as:

• Classroom discussions
• Reflective writing assignments
• Group projects
• Individual presentations

These different assessment methods can help determine if students are reaching their critical thinking goals and guide educators in adjusting their instruction as needed.

Providing Constructive Feedback

Constructive feedback is essential for students to improve their critical thinking skills. When providing feedback, consider the following guidelines:

• Be specific and focused on the critical thinking aspects of students’ work
• Link feedback directly to the established goals and criteria
• Encourage self-assessment and reflection
• Highlight strengths and areas for improvement
• Offer realistic suggestions for improvement

By implementing these strategies, educators can ensure that students receive the necessary support and guidance to develop their critical thinking skills while reading.

• Why The Reading Ranch?
• About the Director
• General Information
• Summer 2022 Schedule
• Pre-6th Grade Schedules
• Pre-K Programs

The Power of Reading: How It Can Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

The Benefits of Reading for Critical Thinking

How reading helps to enhance critical thinking, the power of reading for personal growth, integrating reading into your daily routine.

Academic Skills Center: Critical Reading

• Academic Skills Center
• Accounting and Finance
• College Math
• Self-Paced Modules
• About Us Home
• Administrative Staff
• Social Change
• Peer Mentors Home
• Peer Live Events
• Meet the Peer Mentors
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Statistics Skills in Microsoft Excel
• Capstone Formatting
• MS Peer Tutoring
• Course-Level Statistics
• Statistics Tutoring
• Strengthen Your Statistics Skills
• HUMN 8304 Resources
• Statistics Resources
• SPSS and NVivo
• Success Strategies Home
• Time Management
• School-Life Balance
• Learning Strategies
• Critical Reading
• Communication
• Doctoral Capstone and Residency
• Classroom Skills
• Beyond the Classroom
• Mindset and Wellness
• Self-Care and Wellness
• Grit and Resilience
• SMART Goals
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Savvy Student Blog
• Redirected_Residency
• Redirected_Undergraduate Peer Mentors
• Redirected_Doctoral Peer Mentors
• Redirected_Technology Skills
• Course Resources
• Reading Skills (old)
• Previous Page: Learning Strategies
• Next Page: Communication

Reading Self-Paced Modules

Reading Textbooks Reading Articles

Reading Skills Part 1: Set Yourself Up for Success

"While - like many of us - I enjoy reading what I want to read, I still struggle to get through a dense research article or textbook chapter. I have noticed, however, that if I take steps to prepare, I am much more likely to persist through a challenging reading. "

Reading Skills Part 2: Alternatives to Highlighting

"It starts with the best of intentions: trusty highlighter in hand or (for the tech-savvy crowd) highlighting tool hovering on-screen, you work your way through an assigned reading, marking only the most important information—or so you think."

Reading Skills Part 3: Read to Remember

"It’s happened to the best of us: on Monday evening, you congratulate yourself on making it though an especially challenging reading. What a productive start to the week!"

Reading a Research Article Assigned as Coursework

"Reading skills are vital to your success at Walden. The kind of reading you do during your degree program will vary, but most of it will involve reading journal articles based on primary research."

Critical Reading for Evaluation

"Whereas analysis involves noticing, evaluation requires the reader to make a judgment about the text’s strengths and weaknesses. Many students are not confident in their ability to assess what they are reading."

Critical Reading for Analysis and Comparison

"Critical reading generally refers to reading in a scholarly context, with an eye toward identifying a text or author’s viewpoints, arguments, evidence, potential biases, and conclusions."

Pre-Reading Strategies

Triple entry notebook, critical thinking.

Use this checklist to practice critical thinking while reading an article, watching an advertisement, or making an important purchase or voting decision.

Critical Reading Checklist (Word) Critical Reading Checklist (PDF) Critical Thinking Bookmark (PDF)

Walden's Online Bookstore

Go to Walden's Online Bookstore

Hillary Wentworth on SKIL Grad Writing Courses, Critical Reading, & Online Etiquette

All the Skills You Need to Succeed.

• Office of Student Disability Services

Walden Resources

Departments.

• Academic Residencies
• Academic Skills
• Career Planning and Development
• Customer Care Team
• Field Experience
• Military Services
• Student Success Advising
• Writing Skills

Centers and Offices

• Center for Social Change
• Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services
• Office of Degree Acceleration
• Office of Research and Doctoral Services
• Office of Student Affairs

Student Resources

• Doctoral Writing Assessment
• Form & Style Review
• Quick Answers
• ScholarWorks
• SKIL Courses and Workshops
• Walden Bookstore
• Walden Catalog & Student Handbook
• Student Safety/Title IX
• Legal & Consumer Information
• Website Terms and Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility
• Accreditation
• State Authorization
• Net Price Calculator
• Contact Walden

Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV © 2024 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.

• LEARNING SKILLS
• Study Skills
• Critical Reading

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Learning Skills:

• A - Z List of Learning Skills
• What is Learning?
• Learning Approaches
• Learning Styles
• 8 Types of Learning Styles
• Understanding Your Preferences to Aid Learning
• Lifelong Learning
• Decisions to Make Before Applying to University
• Top Tips for Surviving Student Life
• Living Online: Education and Learning
• 8 Ways to Embrace Technology-Based Learning Approaches
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Critical Thinking and Fake News
• Understanding and Addressing Conspiracy Theories
• Critical Analysis
• Top Tips for Study
• Staying Motivated When Studying
• Student Budgeting and Economic Skills
• Getting Organised for Study
• Finding Time to Study
• Sources of Information
• Assessing Internet Information
• Using Apps to Support Study
• What is Theory?
• Styles of Writing
• Effective Reading
• Note-Taking from Reading
• Note-Taking for Verbal Exchanges
• Planning an Essay
• How to Write an Essay
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Essay Writing
• How to Write a Report
• Academic Referencing
• Assignment Finishing Touches
• Reflecting on Marked Work
• 6 Skills You Learn in School That You Use in Real Life
• Top 10 Tips on How to Study While Working
• Exam Skills

Get the SkillsYouNeed Study Skills eBook

Part of the Skills You Need Guide for Students .

• Writing a Dissertation or Thesis
• Research Methods
• Teaching, Coaching, Mentoring and Counselling
• Employability Skills for Graduates

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day.

You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter.

We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Critical Reading and Reading Strategy

What is critical reading.

Reading critically does not, necessarily, mean being critical of what you read.

Both reading and thinking critically don’t mean being ‘ critical ’ about some idea, argument, or piece of writing - claiming that it is somehow faulty or flawed.

Critical reading means 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? ’

Critical reading involves presenting a reasoned argument that evaluates and analyses what you have read.  Being critical, therefore - in an academic sense - means advancing your understanding , not dismissing and therefore closing off learning.

See also: Listening Types to learn about the importance of critical listening skills.

To read critically is to exercise your judgement about what you are reading – that is, not taking anything you read at face value.

When reading academic material you will be faced with the author’s interpretation and opinion.  Different authors will, naturally, have different slants. You should always examine what you are reading critically and look for limitations, omissions, inconsistencies, oversights and arguments against what you are reading.

In academic circles, whilst you are a student, you will be expected to understand different viewpoints and make your own judgements based on what you have read.

Critical reading goes further than just being satisfied with what a text says, it also involves reflecting on what the text describes, and analysing what the text actually means, in the context of your studies.

As a critical reader you should reflect on:

• What the text says:  after critically reading a piece you should be able to take notes, paraphrasing - in your own words - the key points.
• What the text describes: you should 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: this means that you should be able to fully analyse the text and state a meaning for the text as a whole.

Critical reading means being able to reflect on what a text says, what it describes and what it means by scrutinising the style and structure of the writing, the language used as well as the content.

Critical Thinking is an Extension of Critical Reading

Thinking critically, in the academic sense, involves being open-minded - using judgement and discipline to process what you are learning about without letting your personal bias or opinion detract from the arguments.

Critical thinking involves being rational and aware of your own feelings on the subject – being able to reorganise your thoughts, prior knowledge and understanding to accommodate new ideas or viewpoints.

Critical reading and critical thinking are therefore the very foundations of true learning and personal development.

See our page: Critical Thinking for more.

Developing a Reading Strategy

You will, in formal learning situations, be required to read and critically think about a lot of information from different sources. 

It is important therefore, that you not only learn to read critically but also efficiently.

The first step to efficient reading is to become selective.

If you cannot read all of the books on a recommended reading list, you need to find a way of selecting the best texts for you. To start with, you need to know what you are looking for.  You can then examine the contents page and/or index of a book or journal to ascertain whether a chapter or article is worth pursuing further.

Once you have selected a suitable piece the next step is to speed-read.

Speed reading is also often referred to as skim-reading or scanning.  Once you have identified a relevant piece of text, like a chapter in a book, you should scan the first few sentences of each paragraph to gain an overall impression of subject areas it covers.  Scan-reading essentially means that you know what you are looking for, you identify the chapters or sections most relevant to you and ignore the rest.

When you speed-read you are not aiming to gain a full understanding of the arguments or topics raised in the text.  It is simply a way of determining what the text is about. 

When you find a relevant or interesting section you will need to slow your reading speed dramatically, allowing you to gain a more in-depth understanding of the arguments raised.  Even when you slow your reading down it may well be necessary to read passages several times to gain a full understanding.

See also: Speed-Reading for Professionals .

Following SQ3R

SQ3R is a well-known strategy for reading. SQ3R can be applied to a whole range of reading purposes as it is flexible and takes into account the need to change reading speeds.

SQ3R is an acronym and stands for:

This relates to speed-reading, scanning and skimming the text.  At this initial stage you will be attempting to gain the general gist of the material in question.

It is important that, before you begin to read, you have a question or set of questions that will guide you - why am I reading this?  When you have a purpose to your reading you want to learn and retain certain information.  Having questions changes reading from a passive to an active pursuit.  Examples of possible questions include:

• What do I already know about this subject?
• How does this chapter relate to the assignment question?
• How can I relate what I read to my own experiences?

Now you will be ready for the main activity of reading.  This involves careful consideration of the meaning of what the author is trying to convey and involves being critical as well as active.

Regardless of how interesting an article or chapter is, unless you make a concerted effort to recall what you have just read, you will forget a lot of the important points.  Recalling from time to time allows you to focus upon the main points – which in turn aids concentration. Recalling gives you the chance to think about and assimilate what you have just read, keeping you active.  A significant element in being active is to write down, in your own words, the key points. 

The final step is to 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.

Continue to: Effective Reading Critical Thinking

See also: Critical Analysis Writing a Dissertation Critical Thinking and Fake News

• Why Choose Us?
• Current Courses
• Book Online Tuition
• School Partnerships
• Join Our Team

• Resource Hub Home
• Our Website
• Parent Zone
• Student Zone
• Teacher Zone

Reading Widely to Develop Critical Thinking Skills

As a literature specialist, I read as much as I can, and find that I’m constantly learning about and from the texts I encounter. Reading engages our minds in ways that nothing else can, and it not only provides us with knowledge but also challenges us to think in new ways.

Significantly, reading develops the critical thinking skills that are essential to success in a wide range of areas: skills of analysis, interpretation, and of being able to create an argument and explain it. This is why it’s essential to read often and widely. Take a look at some of the ways wide reading can develop your critical thinking:

Reading improves vocabulary and language skills . You will become aware of the techniques used by good writers and learn new words and their connotations. This will help develop your own command of language both when you write and when you have to explain things verbally. You will find that you have a new ability to analyse, explain, and persuade!

Every good story has a problem.  Problem solving is at the heart of critical thinking, and when you read, you will see how characters solve the problems they face. You will also be thinking about a character’s problem, and possible solutions before you find out what the character does. When you engage with a story, you will start to make predictions based on the information you have been given. You will find yourself looking for clues and pieces of evidence you can use to solve the puzzle, and you will be able to apply these problem-solving skills to the tasks and problems you encounter at school and in your everyday life.

Use your imagination.  Reading forces you to imagine the world of the story: what the landscape and characters look like, what their thoughts are and how they interact with other characters and their world. If you read a book rather than watching the movie, you will have to form your own version of the writer’s world based on the language they use.

Grow your knowledge base and develop areas of interest . If you read widely, you can learn about new subjects or learn more within an existing area of interest. You won’t only learn facts and information, but wide reading will improve your organisational skills (you will learn how a complex text is organized and how to navigate it) and your ability to comprehend and analyse a text you haven’t seen before. You will be able to apply what you learn to other questions you face and use your new skills to understand other books you read.

To get started, why not talk to your Seven Springs Education tutor about your interests? They can help you with some reading recommendations. I often do this with my students. If you enjoy the Percy Jackson series, you might want to read further tales of mythology and fantasy, for example  Aru Shah and the End of Time  by Roshani Chokshi, or  The Jumbies  by Tracey Baptiste. Or you could try something different in a genre you wouldn’t usually read. Perhaps you could start with a mystery story such as  Chasing Vermeer  by Blue Balliett, or Robert Westall’s  The Watchtower , which is both a mystery story and a ghost story. The important thing to remember is to read what you enjoy and pursue your interests, but don’t forget to challenge yourself sometimes by trying something different.

It is important not to think of critical thinking as a natural gift that we either have or we don’t, but as an ability that we can train, develop, and improve. Reading widely will definitely help with this and will give you the skills you need to think clearly and rationally in order to solve all kinds of problems.

World Book Day 2024

What to read this march (for secondary students), what to read this march (for primary students), subscribe to our newsletter.

Reading & Writing Purposes

Introduction: critical thinking, reading, & writing, critical thinking.

The phrase “critical thinking” is often misunderstood. “Critical” in this case does not mean finding fault with an action or idea. Instead, it refers to the ability to understand an action or idea through reasoning. According to the website SkillsYouNeed [1]:

Critical thinking might be described as the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking.

In essence, critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information.

Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments, and findings represent the entire picture and are open to finding that they do not.

Critical thinkers will identify, analyze, and solve problems systematically rather than by intuition or instinct.

Someone with critical thinking skills can:

• Understand the links between ideas.
• Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.
• Recognize, build, and appraise arguments.
• Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.
• Approach problems in a consistent and systematic way.
• Reflect on the justification of their own assumptions, beliefs and values.

Read more at:  https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/critical-thinking.html

Critical thinking—the ability to develop your own insights and meaning—is a basic college learning goal. Critical reading and writing strategies foster critical thinking, and critical thinking underlies critical reading and writing.

Critical Reading

Critical reading builds on the basic reading skills expected for college.

College Readers’ Characteristics

• College readers are willing to spend time reflecting on the ideas presented in their reading assignments. They know the time is well-spent to enhance their understanding.
• College readers are able to raise questions while reading. They evaluate and solve problems rather than merely compile a set of facts to be memorized.
• College readers can think logically. They are fact-oriented and can review the facts dispassionately. They base their judgments on ideas and evidence.
• College readers can recognize error in thought and persuasion as well as recognize good arguments.
• College readers are skeptical. They understand that not everything in print is correct. They are diligent in seeking out the truth.

Critical Readers’ Characteristics

• Critical readers are open-minded. They seek alternative views and are open to new ideas that may not necessarily agree with their previous thoughts on a topic. They are willing to reassess their views when new or discordant evidence is introduced and evaluated.
• Critical readers are in touch with their own personal thoughts and ideas about a topic. Excited about learning, they are eager to express their thoughts and opinions.
• Critical readers are able to identify arguments and issues. They are able to ask penetrating and thought-provoking questions to evaluate ideas.
• Critical readers are creative. They see connections between topics and use knowledge from other disciplines to enhance their reading and learning experiences.
• Critical readers develop their own ideas on issues, based on careful analysis and response to others’ ideas.

The video below, although geared toward students studying for the SAT exam (Scholastic Aptitude Test used for many colleges’ admissions), offers a good, quick overview of the concept and practice of critical reading.

Critical Reading & Writing

College reading and writing assignments often ask you to react to, apply, analyze, and synthesize information. In other words, your own informed and reasoned ideas about a subject take on more importance than someone else’s ideas, since the purpose of college reading and writing is to think critically about information.

Critical thinking involves questioning. You ask and answer questions to pursue the “careful and exact evaluation and judgment” that the word “critical” invokes (definition from The American Heritage Dictionary ). The questions simply change depending on your critical purpose. Different critical purposes are detailed in the next pages of this text.

However, here’s a brief preview of the different types of questions you’ll ask and answer in relation to different critical reading and writing purposes.

When you react to a text you ask:

• “What do I think?” and
• “Why do I think this way?”

e.g., If I asked and answered these “reaction” questions about the topic assimilation of immigrants to the U.S. , I might create the following main idea statement, which I could then develop in an essay:  I think that assimilation has both positive and negative effects because, while it makes life easier within the dominant culture, it also implies that the original culture is of lesser value.

When you apply text information you ask:

• “How does this information relate to the real world?”

e.g., If I asked and answered this “application” question about the topic assimilation , I might create the following main idea statement, which I could then develop in an essay:  During the past ten years, a group of recent emigrants has assimilated into the local culture; the process of their assimilation followed certain specific stages.

When you analyze text information you ask:

• “What is the main idea?”
• “What do I want to ‘test’ in the text to see if the main idea is justified?” (supporting ideas, type of information, language), and
• “What pieces of the text relate to my ‘test?'”

e.g., If I asked and answered these “analysis” questions about the topic immigrants to the United States , I might create the following main idea statement, which I could then develop in an essay: Although Lee (2009) states that “segmented assimilation theory asserts that immigrant groups may assimilate into one of many social sectors available in American society, instead of restricting all immigrant groups to adapting into one uniform host society,” other theorists have shown this not to be the case with recent immigrants in certain geographic areas.

When you synthesize information from many texts you ask:

• “What information is similar and different in these texts?,” and
• “What pieces of information fit together to create or support a main idea?”

e.g., If I asked and answered these “synthesis” questions about the topic immigrants to the U.S. , I might create the following main idea statement, which I could then develop by using examples and information from many text articles as evidence to support my idea: Immigrants who came to the United States during the immigration waves in the early to mid 20th century traditionally learned English as the first step toward assimilation, a process that was supported by educators. Now, both immigrant groups and educators are more focused on cultural pluralism than assimilation, as can be seen in educators’ support of bilingual education. However, although bilingual education heightens the child’s reasoning and ability to learn, it may ultimately hinder the child’s sense of security within the dominant culture if that culture does not value cultural pluralism as a whole.

Critical reading involves asking and answering these types of questions in order to find out how the information “works” as opposed to just accepting and presenting the information that you read in a text. Critical writing involves recording your insights into these questions and offering your own interpretation of a concept or issue, based on the meaning you create from those insights.

• Crtical Thinking, Reading, & Writing. Authored by : Susan Oaks, includes material adapted from TheSkillsYouNeed and Reading 100; attributions below. Project : Introduction to College Reading & Writing. License : CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial
• Critical Thinking. Provided by : TheSkillsYouNeed. Located at : https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright . License Terms : Quoted from website: The use of material found at skillsyouneed.com is free provided that copyright is acknowledged and a reference or link is included to the page/s where the information was found. Read more at: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/
• The Reading Process. Authored by : Scottsdale Community College Reading Faculty. Provided by : Maricopa Community College. Located at : https://learn.maricopa.edu/courses/904536/files/32966438?module_item_id=7198326 . Project : Reading 100. License : CC BY: Attribution
• image of person thinking with light bulbs saying -idea- around her head. Authored by : Gerd Altmann. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : https://pixabay.com/photos/light-bulb-idea-think-education-3704027/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved
• video What is Critical Reading? SAT Critical Reading Bootcamp #4. Provided by : Reason Prep. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hc3hmwnymw . License : Other . License Terms : YouTube video
• image of man smiling and holding a lightbulb. Authored by : africaniscool. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : https://pixabay.com/photos/man-african-laughing-idea-319282/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

2 – Critical Reading

“Citizens of modern societies must be good readers to be successful. Reading skills do not guarantee success for anyone, but success is much harder to come by without being a skilled reader. The advent of the computer and the Internet does nothing to change this fact about reading. If anything, electronic communication only increases the need for effective reading skills and strategies as we try to cope with the large quantities of information made available to us.”      –William Grabe

The importance of reading as a literacy skill is without a doubt. It is essential for daily life navigation and academic success. Reading for daily life navigation is relatively easier, compared to academic reading. Think about the kinds of reading you did in elementary and high school (e.g., story books, picture books, textbook chapters, literary works, online information, lecture notes, etc.).

Now think about what you were expected to do with your reading at school (e.g., memorize, summarize, discuss, pass a test, apply information, or write essays or papers).

Research shows that what you expect to do with a text affects how you read it.

–Bartholomae & Petrosky (1996)

So, reading is not always the same; you read school texts differently than the texts you choose outside of school tasks. Furthermore, there are many external and internal factors that influence how you interpret and use what you read. Much depends on your background (e.g., cultural participation in communities, identity, historical knowledge), and the context in which you are reading. Classrooms and teachers certainly have an influence. The teaching methods used by your instructor, the texts your instructor chooses, and expectations of student performance on assignments all affect how you read and what you do to accomplish an assignment.

Different levels of education also emphasize different types of reading. For example, in primary or secondary education, you learn what is known, so you focus on correctness, memorization of facts, and application of facts. In higher education, although you might still be required to understand and memorize information, you expand what is known by examining ideas and creating new knowledge. In those processes at different levels, reading has been used for different purposes.

Multilingual reading and writing expert William Grabe has identified six different purposes:

• Reading to search for information (scanning and skimming)
• Reading for quick understanding (skimming)
• Reading to learn
• Reading to integrate information
• Reading to evaluate, critique, and use information
• Reading for general comprehension (in many cases, reading for interest or reading to entertain)

In college, reading to evaluate, critique, and use information is the most practiced and tested skill. But what does it mean? Reading to evaluate, critique, and use information is related to critical reading.

Definition of Critical Reading

Critical reading is a more ACTIVE way of reading. It is a deeper and more complex engagement with a text. 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).

[Source: Duncan , n.d., Critical Reading ]

Critical reading does not have to be all negative. The aim of critical reading is not to find fault but to assess the strength of the evidence and the argument. It is just as useful to conclude that a study, or an article, presents very strong evidence and a well-reasoned argument, as it is to identify the studies or articles that are weak.

[Source: What is critical reading? ]

There’s No Reason to Eat Animals by Lindsay Rajt

If we care about the environment and believe that kindness is a virtue-as we all say that we do–a vegan diet is the only sensible option. The question becomes: Why eat animals at all?

Animals are made of flesh, bone, and blood, just as you and I are. They form friendships, feel pain and joy, grieve for lost loved ones and are afraid to die. One cannot profess to care about animals while tearing them away from their friends and families and cutting their throats–or paying someone else to do it–simply to satisfy a fleeting taste for flesh.

[adapted from Pattison, 2015, Critical Reading: English for Academic Purposes for instructional purposes ]

What is your position on the issue?

Do you think that the language used helps the audience? How?

How does the language use affect your evaluation of the issue?

Obesity: A Public Health Failure? By Tavis Glassman PhD, MPH, MCHES, Jennifer Glassman M.A., CCC-SLP, and Aaron J. Diehr, M.A.

Obesity rates continue to increase, bringing into question the efficacy of prevention and treatment efforts. While intuitively appealing, the law on weight gain focusing on calories is too simplistic because calories represent only one factor on issues of weight management. From a historical perspective, the recommendation to eat a low fat, high carbohydrate diet may have been the wrong message to promote, thereby making the obesity situation worse. Suggestions to solve the issues of obesity include taxing, restricting advertising, and reducing the use of sugar. Communities must employ these and other strategies to decrease sugar use and reduce obesity rates.

How would you describe the authors’ educational background?

How does the authors’ background affect your evaluation of the argument?

Students Want More Mobile Devices in Classroom by Ellis Booker

Released last week, the Student Mobile Device Survey reveals that students almost unanimously believe mobile technology will change education and make learning more fun. The survey, which collected the responses of 2,350 US students, was conducted for learning company Pearson by Harris Interactive.

According to the survey, 92% of elementary, middle and high school students believe mobile devices will change the way students learn in the future and make learning more fun (90%). A majority (69%) would like to use mobile devices more in the classroom.

The survey results also contained some surprises. For example, college students in math and science are much more likely to use technology for learning, and researchers expected to see this same pattern in the lower grades.

Are you convinced by the survey results? Why?

Color Scheme Associations in Context

The colors you surround yourself with at work are also important as they make a difference in how you are perceived by members of the public. Traditional workplaces still use dark colors such as navy blue, forest green, and chocolate brown to give clients a sense of seriousness and professionalism.

Think about it: which accountant would you choose to prepare your tax return: the one whose office has navy blue drapes and lamps and a maritime scene on the wall or the one whose office is painted in hot pink with a cartoon character on the wall? An online survey of lawyers carried out by Legal Scene magazine showed that of 287 respondents, 38 percent chose a navy blue color scheme for their office; 32 percent chose brown; 19 percent chose forest green; 7 percent chose burgundy; and only 4 percent chose red, pink or orange (Perkins, 2013).

What kind of bias might be implicated in this survey?

What is your personal experience?

These practices do not ask you to memorize or summarize the information you read, but instead, they ask you to provide your opinions and judgment. To answer those questions, you need to engage in critical reading, a form of active reading.

Active reading, which predominates college-level reading, means reading with the purpose of getting a deeper understanding of the texts you are reading and being engaged in the actions of analyzing, questioning, and evaluating the texts. In other words, instead of accepting the information given to you, you challenge its value by examining the source of the information and the formation of an argument.

The difference in how you read falls into two broad categories:

(Source: Reading Critically ]

Reading critically and actively is essential for college students. But what does critical reading look like in actual practice? Here are the steps that you can follow to do the critical reading.

Step 1:  Understand the purpose of your reading and be selective

As college students, you are very busy with your daily coursework. A freshman usually takes four to five courses or even six courses per semester. This means you have tons of reading to do every week. Getting to know the purpose of the reading assignments can save you time as your reading is more targeted. Remember you do not have to read a whole chapter or book. What you can do is through scanning to determine the sections that are useful for you and then read the parts carefully.

Step 2:  Evaluate the reading text

While reading a text, you need to question/analyze/evaluate the text by considering the following:

• Assess whether a source is reliable (Read around the text for the title, author, publisher, publication date, good/bad examples, tones, etc.)
• Distinguish between facts and opinions (Scan for any evidence)
• Recognize multiple opinions in a text
• Infer meaning when it is not directly stated
• Agree or disagree with what you read
• Consider the relevance of the text to your task
• Consider what is missing from a text

It may well be necessary to read passages several times to gain a full understanding of texts and be able to evaluate the source. In this process, you can underline, highlight, or circle important parts and points, take notes, or add comments in the margins.

Critical reading often involves re-reading a text multiple times, putting our focus on different aspects of the text. The first time we read a text, we may be focused on getting an overall sense of the information the author is presenting – in other words, simply understanding what they are trying to say. On subsequent readings, however, we can focus on how the author presents that information, the kinds of evidence they provide to support their arguments (and how convincing we find that evidence), the connection between their evidence and their conclusions, etc.

[Source: Lane, 2021, Critical Thinking for Critical Writing ]

Step 3:  Document your reading and form your own argument

After you finish reading a text, sort out your notes and keep track of the sources you have read on the topic you are exploring. After you read several sources, you might be able to form your own argument(s) and use the sources as evidence for your argument(s).

In college, critical reading usually leads to critical writing.

Critical writing comes from critical reading. Whenever you have to write a paper, you have to reflect on various written texts, think and interpret research that has previously been carried out on your subject. With the aim of writing your independent analysis of the subject, you have to critically read sources and use them suitably to formulate your argument. The interpretations and conclusions you derive from the literature you read are the stepping stones towards devising your own approach.

[Source: Does Critical Reading Influence Academic Writing? ]

In a word, through critical reading, you form your own argument(s), and the evidence used to support your argument(s) is usually from the texts that you read critically. The Source Essay Writing Service explains how critical reading influences academic writing.

How does critical reading influence your writing skills?

Once you start reading texts critically, you develop an understanding of how to write research papers. Here are some practical tips that will help you in academic writing:

• Examine introductions and conclusions of the texts while critical reading so when you write an independent content, you would be able to decide how to focus your critical work.
• When you highlight or take notes from a text, make sure you focus on the argument. The way the author explains the analytical progress, the concepts used, and arriving at conclusions will help you to write your own facts and examples in an interesting way.
• By closely reading the texts, you will be able to look for the patterns that give meaning, purpose, and consistency to the text. The way the arguments are presented in paragraphs will aid you in structuring information in your writing.
• When you critically read a text, you are able to learn how an argument is placed in the text. Try to understand how you can use this placement strategy in academic writing. Paying attention to the context is an important aspect that you learn from critical reading.
• While reading a text, you will notice that the author has given the due credit to the sources used or the references that were consulted. This will help you in understanding how you can cite sources and quotes in your content.
• Critical reading skills enhance your way of thinking and writing skills. The more you read, the better is your knowledge and vocabulary. It is important to use the precise words to express your meaning. You can learn new words and improve your writing by reading as many texts as you can.

Activity 1: Discuss the following questions with your group

• A website from the United Nations Educational, Scientific ad Cultural Organization (UNESCO) gives some statistics about the level of education reached by young women in Indonesia. Is this a reliable source?
• You find an interesting article about addiction to online gambling. The article has some interesting statistics, but it was published ten years ago. Is it worth using?
• You find a book about World War II that presents a different opinion from your other sources. What would you like to know about the author before you decide whether or not to take him seriously?
• An article tells you that research into space exploration is a waste of money. Do you think this article is presenting facts or opinions? How can you tell? What might you look for in the article?
• You find some research that states that people who own dogs generally live longer lives than those who do not. The author has some convincing arguments, but you are not sure whether or not she has enough evidence. How mush is enough?
• A newspaper article tells you about human rights abuses in a certain country. The writer of this article has never visited the country in question; his claims are based on interviews with other people. How would you evaluate his information?
• You find two websites about the use of seaweed as a source of energy. One is full of long words and complicated sentences; the other uses simple, clear language. Is the first one a more reliable source?
• You have read nine different articles that tell you that there is no connection between wealth and happiness. The tenth article gives the opposite opinion: rich people are happier than those who are poor. What questions would you ask yourself about this article before you decide whether or not to consider it?

Activity 2: Reading for analyzing styles

Please read the news and discuss the importance of the graphs in supporting the arguments of the text.

Gender Pay Gap in U.S. Held Steady in 2020

By amanda barroso and anna brown.

The gender gap in pay has remained relatively stable in the United States over the past 15 years or so. In 2020, women earned 84% of what men earned, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of median hourly earnings of both full- and part-time workers. Based on this estimate, it would take an extra 42 days of work for women to earn what men did in 2020.

As has been the case in recent decades, the 2020 wage gap was smaller for workers ages 25 to 34 than for all workers 16 and older. Women ages 25 to 34 earned 93 cents for every dollar a man in the same age group earned on average. In 1980, women ages 25 to 34 earned 33 cents less than their male counterparts, compared with 7 cents in 2020. The estimated 16-cent gender pay gap among all workers in 2020 was down from 36 cents in 1980.

The U.S. Census Bureau has also analyzed the gender pay gap, though its analysis looks only at full-time workers (as opposed to full- and part-time workers). In 2019, full-time, year-round working women earned 82% of what their male counterparts earned, according to the Census Bureau’s most recent analysis.

Why does a gender pay gap still persist?

Much of this gap has been explained by measurable factors such as educational attainment, occupational segregation and work experience. The narrowing of the gap is attributable in large part to gains women have made in each of these dimensions.

Even though women have increased their presence in higher-paying jobs traditionally dominated by men, such as professional and managerial positions, women as a whole continue to be over-represented in lower-paying occupations relative to their share of the workforce. This may contribute to gender differences in pay.

Other factors that are difficult to measure, including gender discrimination, may also contribute to the ongoing wage discrepancy. In a 2017 Pew Research Center survey , about four-in-ten working women (42%) said they had experienced gender discrimination at work, compared with about two-in-ten men (22%). One of the most commonly reported forms of discrimination focused on earnings inequality. One-in-four employed women said they had earned less than a man who was doing the same job; just 5% of men said they had earned less than a woman doing the same job.

Motherhood can also lead to interruptions in women’s career paths and have an impact on long-term earnings. Our 2016 survey of workers who had taken parental, family or medical leave in the two years prior to the survey found that mothers typically take more time off than fathers after birth or adoption. The median length of leave among mothers after the birth or adoption of their child was 11 weeks, compared with one week for fathers. About half (47%) of mothers who took time off from work in the two years after birth or adoption took off 12 weeks or more.

Mothers were also nearly twice as likely as fathers to say taking time off had a negative impact on their job or career. Among those who took leave from work in the two years following the birth or adoption of their child, 25% of women said this had a negative impact at work, compared with 13% of men.

[Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/05/25/gender-pay-gap-facts/ ]

Activity 3: Reading for arguments

What’s the main argument of the poem?

Fire and Ice

By robert frost, some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. from what i’ve tasted of desire i hold with those who favor fire. but if it had to perish twice, i think i know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great and would suffice..

References:

Barroso, A., & Brown, A. (2021, May 25). Gender pay gap in U.S. held steady in 2020. Pew Research Center. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/05/25/gender-pay-gap-facts/

Bartholomae, D., Petrosky, T., & Waite, S. (2002). Ways of reading: An anthology for writers (p. 720). Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Duncan, J. (n.d.). The Writing Centre, University of Toronto Scarborough. Modified by Michael O’Connor. https://www.stetson.edu/other/writing-program/media/CRITICAL%20READING.pdf

Grabe, W. (2008). Reading in a second language: Moving from theory to practice. Cambridge University Press.

Lane, J. (2021, July 9). Critical thinking for critical writing. Simon Fraser University. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.lib.sfu.ca/about/branches-depts/slc/writing/argumentation/critical-thinking-writing

Pattison, T. (2015). Critical Reading: English for academic purposes for instructional purposes. Pearson.

Sourceessay. (n.d.). What is critical reading. https://sourceessay.com/does-critical-reading-influence-academic-writing/

University of Leicester. (n.d.). What is critical reading? Bangor University. https://www.bangor.ac.uk/studyskills/study-guides/critical-reading.php.en

Critical Reading, Writing, and Thinking Copyright © 2022 by Zhenjie Weng, Josh Burlile, Karen Macbeth is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

The Case for Reading Fiction

• Christine Seifert

It’s an easy way to build emotional intelligence.

When it comes to reading, we may be assuming that reading for knowledge is the best reason to pick up a book. Research, however, suggests that reading fiction may provide far more important benefits than nonfiction. For example, reading fiction predicts increased social acuity and a sharper ability to comprehend other people’s motivations. Reading nonfiction might certainly be valuable for collecting knowledge, it does little to develop EQ, a far more elusive goal.

Some of the most valuable skills that managers look for in employees are often difficult to define, let alone evaluate or quantify: self-discipline, self-awareness, creative problem-solving, empathy, learning agility, adaptiveness, flexibility, positivity, rational judgment, generosity, and kindness, among others. How can you tell if your future employees have these skills? And if your current team is lacking them, how do you teach them? Recent research in neuroscience suggests that you might look to the library for solutions; reading literary fiction helps people develop empathy , theory of mind , and critical thinking .

• CS Christine Seifert is a professor of communication at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she teaches rhetoric, strategy, and professional writing

Partner Center

In 2024, we're changing how we do reading challenges. Make yours work for you

In 2024, we're changing how we do reading challenges ->   Make yours work for you

Benefits of Reading: How Readers Win at Life

This post may include affiliate links. That means if you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Please see Disclosures for more information.

It’s time to come right out and say it: you (a reader) are better than everyone else. That is: non-readers. Why, you ask? Because book lovers like you benefit daily from the hours you spend with your nose in books—benefits that are cognitive, health-related, psychological and emotional, and social.

(I suppose they could also be  anti -social, if that’s your goal. Nothing like a book called  How to Kill Men and Get Away with It  to get the handsy mouth-breather next to you on the flight to back off. But I digress.)

We’ve been hearing about the benefits of regular reading since the dawn of the written word, and you, dear reader, took that info and ran with it! Unlike the  23% of Americans who did not read a book  at all, in any form, in 2021.

Some people are really resistant to doing things that are good for them, aren’t they? But not YOU!

You’re taking those reading benefits and climbing to the top of the people pile, quoting passages and conquering reading challenges left and right.

And if you’re among the rising number of  people listening to audiobooks , then you’re even further ahead of the game!

Listening to audiobooks has  similar benefits  to reading print books and you can feel secure in your superiority as you yank those weeds and tackle the 64th chore on your list because you are HOOKED on that narration in your ears.

Related: How to Start Listening to Audiobooks

Whether you’re already an avid reader who needs an excuse to plaster the bathroom wall with pages from your favorite books (whatever it takes, amirite?) or a lapsed bookworm ready to stop your dead-eyed scroll and pick up a book again, there are plenty of reasons to add regular  book  reading time to your life. (Bragging rights and an obnoxious superiority complex* are just the start!)

Cognitive Benefits of Reading

Readers like you are SMART—and getting smarter all the time. A regular habit of reading can improve cognitive function, such as memory retention, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. It can also help combat age-related cognitive decline.

Here’s more on how reading a book makes you smarter (than everybody else):

Expanded Knowledge

Reading books exposes you to a ton of new topics you may not otherwise spend time learning about. Would thousands of people have any interest in the intelligence of the octopus or the construction of a cathedral if those topics weren’t wrapped into riveting stories?

But now here we all are, able to pontificate on the complicated politics of Middle Age monasteries (or at least answer a few Jeopardy! questions).

The fact is, reading increases your knowledge and understanding of different subjects, even if you’re not reading with the goal of learning.

That’s right: a steamy romance or page-turning thriller can help you grow intellectually, expand your understanding of the world, and provide you with valuable insight on various subjects.

All of these novels have settings, characters with specific careers, plot points based on current events…the list goes on. So while you may pick up the book for the romance or thrills, you’re still learning something (even if it’s not life-changing).

No matter the genre they write, authors go to great lengths to write books that ring true. And while creative license is definitely a thing, you can still benefit from the research that goes into writing a great book.

In short: reading makes you smarter.

Improved Memory

Admit it: even if you’re not that old, sometimes your dust brain emerges and you absolutely can’t remember what your coworker, Jan, told you just this morning about the new required HR training (though let’s be honest: maybe you were blocking that on purpose).

We all have momentary lapses, but research in older adults has found that  reading improves both episodic and working memory , both of which can decline with age.

Episodic memory  helps us remember events–while reading, we use it to track events in previous chapters in order to follow a story. Working memory  allows us to track more recent details, such as in a series of paragraphs.

Keeping up a regular reading habit can help stave off regular age-related memory impairment. So you’re more likely to remember that soul-destroying training (lucky you!).

Even better, you’ll be the one in the nursing home bringing up all the good dirt that your non-reader friends forgot (I know you’ll be feisty, don’t deny it).

Increased Focus and Concentration

Some days, I start gathering laundry. The dangerous moment is when I have to search the house for strays. While picking out the neon socks hidden among the Barbies, I decide those Barbies really need to be put away. And then the LEGO pieces that litter the floor, and the fort kit that’s exploded throughout the room.

Because the playroom is in the basement, there are spiders, and now it’s time to obsessively vacuum every corner oh my god they are so gross .

Three hours (and every cobweb) later, I finally reemerge and start the laundry.

This task overload that has us jumping from one thing to the next like a caffeinated grasshopper is a painful part of mom life, and some days are worse than others.

But work and media does this to us, too. It’s so easy to start one task and get distracted by something else 30 seconds later, so we never spend more than a few minutes considering anything.

Reading books, on the other hand, requires focus and concentration. When you’re in your book, there’s nothing to jump to (especially if you put your phone out of reach).

Reading gives you practice focusing—something most of us sorely need—which can improve your attention span and ability to stay focused in other areas of your life.

The ability to single-task in your leisure activities can have a profound impact on your overall productivity and ability to focus, both at home and in your professional life.

(Plus, it’s kind of great to be able to quickly get back to your book when it doesn’t take three hours to put in a load of laundry. What a lovely [spin] cycle that is!)

Improved Writing Skills

Reading books by experienced authors helps you gain an understanding of grammar and syntax.

Can I name the parts of speech? Sure, a few. But grammar starts to live inside you when you read a lot of books. You feel it in your bones and you just know how to put together a sentence.

(note: now I’m bracing for the grammar critiques. We’re being conversational here, okay Jan?)

Not to mention spelling. Fellow childhood bookworms know: we are the ones who won the spelling bees, and not because we practiced obsessively. We just read obsessively.

Reading can also improve your writing skills by exposing you to different styles of writing, allowing you to become more creative in your own writing. Experimenting with different styles can help you refine your own.

Trying out spare and concise? Read some Cormac McCarthy, or (if you must) Hemingway.

Going for descriptive and detailed? Try Barbara Kingsolver or Donna Tartt.

Playing with humor? Listen to David Sedaris, and deconstruct how he tells a story. (And if you’re wanting to deconstruct, well, everything, in a hilariously absurd way, you must read Philomena Cunk .)

Related: 6 Mistakes to Avoid if You Want to Start a Reading Habit

Improved Critical Thinking

“Do your own research!!”

We’ve all heard this—maybe even said it a few times in the past few years. But what this really means for many people is watching some YouTube videos by dubious “experts” and taking what they say at face value.

I’m not here to dunk on YouTubers—there’s some incredible stuff out there.

But YOU, dear reader, approach that screen dumpster in the right way: critically.

And that’s because reading books helps you develop critical thinking skills . Books challenge you to analyze and evaluate different perspectives and ideas.

So when you see a video that tells you to get up at 4 a.m. and drink a mixture of coffee, lemon juice, chiles, and this extra special protein powder to hack your brain for ultimate productivity, you might be more inclined to consider the source, the motivation, and the feasibility of such claims.

Reading teaches you to make connections between what you read and what you see and experience in the world—and that carries over into other areas, many that are arguably more important than a few uncomfortable mornings. (helloooo, heartburn!)

Related:  Why that thing you  just  read about is now appearing everywhere

Enhanced Problem-Solving Abilities

Reading books can help you develop your problem-solving abilities.

Not only can the books expose you directly to new ideas and solutions to problems, but stories can help you to think more abstractly.

Doing so will help you connect different concepts and ideas, which may enable you to find better, more creative solutions to problems.

So the next time you manage to figure out the calendar Jenga required to get one kid to karate and the other to gymnastics, at the same time the dog has to be at the groomer, and just when the AC guy finally says he can show up, give a little nod to your reading habit for your black-belt-level problem solving skills. (And then break into your chocolate stash, because you earned it .)

Curiosity and Imagination

Books spark your curiosity and imagination by exposing you to new ideas and possibilities.

Curiosity  primes your brain for learning  and stories are designed to keep you curious.

Even when reading for fun, that sense of curiosity can help you learn and imagine: how will the character solve the problem? Does this person have good or ill intentions? What is this new thing or place I’ve never heard of before, and how can I learn more?

One of the best things about reading is how it can spark curiosity for the strangest things—sometimes a throw-away comment by a character can lead you down a full-on research tunnel, and suddenly you’re the world’s foremost expert on the history of shoe buckles. Isn’t that the kind of superiority we all aspire to?

(Fun literary lore: apparently, Agatha Christie followed her own curiosity so intensely that she really would become an expert on the things she studied—and did so with Mesopotamian pottery, of all things. h/t this tweet .)

Increased Creativity

Reading can help spark creativity and encourage new ways of thinking.

By exploring the ideas, plots, and characters found in books, we can gain new perspectives and think of creative solutions to our own problems (which we touched on above).

But problem-solving isn’t the only reason to seek creativity.

Imagining stories, settings, and characters can foster our creative abilities, as we fill in the blanks between what we read and what we picture in our mind’s eye.

I think this is one reason readers often find film adaptations disappointing; they never quite live up to the rich worlds we’ve created in our imaginations, and they represent the interpretations of someone else.

(Personally, I still like watching adaptations. I just go into them with a resolve to just be curious about how someone else interpreted a story, while holding onto my own. Because mine is better . Obviously.)

Improved Language Skills

Reading can help you to build your vocabulary by introducing you to new words and phrases.

Using a new word in context can help you remember it more easily, which is beneficial in other areas of your life.

The University of Texas at Austin Child Development Center says that children of all ages  show language development benefits  from reading aloud with adults.

Adults, too, can see language, grammar, and vocabulary benefits from regular reading, which exposes readers to varying styles of writing, unfamiliar words, and even foreign languages.

(Though you still might mispronounce those shiny new words, if you’re just reading them on a page and never actually hear them. Ahem— epitome . quinoa . Colonel . Share yours in the comments!)

Better Comprehension

Regular reading builds your comprehension skills, which means you better understand written texts such as news reports or scientific studies.

Comprehending complex texts will enable you to make more informed choices in other areas of life, such as when voting, making big financial decisions, or choosing which of the 437 after-school activities will ensure that your second grader gets a perfect score on his SATs.

Get 30+ free printable reading lists and Explode Your TBR when You Subscribe to Updates

Health benefits of reading.

Reading books can have benefits for your long-term health, including reduced stress, longer life, and improved sleep. Let’s examine:

Stress Reduction

Reading can be a great way to unwind and relax, reducing stress levels and promoting overall well-being.

One 2009 study  found that reading can reduce stress up to 68%–better and faster than other relaxation methods like listening to music or a drinking cup of tea, though honestly, bonus points if you do all three. (This may or may not describe my ideal Saturday night.)

Longer Life

More ways avid readers win:  a study by Yale University  found that frequent readers live almost two years longer than non-readers.

People who read more than 3.5 hours per week were 23% less likely to die during the 12-year period of study.

So, how much should you read a day? For the longevity benefit, you only need to read about 30 minutes a day.

(If you feel like you could read all day and are wondering how much is too much, just pay attention to your body and stop when you feel uncomfortable. Numb feet + crossed-eyes = BAD. Follow for more medical tips!)

Better Sleep When Reading Before Bed

One randomized trial  found that reading in bed before going to sleep improved sleep quality, though there was a slight increase in sleepiness during the day.

These days, it doesn’t matter how late it is. Before I go to sleep, I need at least a few minutes with my book to leave behind the stress of the day and get a good night of sleep.

My kids have adopted this habit pretty well, too, though my 12-year-old has wisely determined that The Hunger Games series is not good bedtime reading (because bedtime becomes midnight, and that’s bad for all of us).

Psychological and Emotional Benefits of Reading

Reading can benefit your mental health and emotional development, aiding in personal growth, development of empathy and self-esteem. It’s also fun! Let’s learn more:

Improved Mental Health

Reading books has an impact on mental health. Reading can be the ultimate self-care when you’re feeling down and can even be beneficial for people battling depression, particularly when  used in therapeutic settings .

I am, no joke, fascinated by the field of bibliotherapy , particularly in the use of fiction. And did you know that Greek tragedy was invented as a way to treat military veterans with PTSD (probably not called that at the time).

Here’s more from Angus Fletcher, a story scientist from Ohio State—the whole article is worth a read (particularly toward the end):

But literature can also have deeper therapeutic effects that were discovered in ancient Athens, where they developed Greek tragedy for military veterans. Greek tragedy has an effect called catharsis, which can help you overcome PTSD (post-traumatic stress syndrome). Greek tragedy combines lots of different therapeutic techniques, from exposure therapy, to possibly eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and also a technique that involves the experience of helping someone else through trauma. … basically, it works like this. When you watch a tragedy, you know something bad is going to happen to a character before it happens. That puts you in the position of having survived the tragedy and being able to reach out to the character emotionally, to support them. This has an enormous therapeutic benefit. It builds self-efficacy in the brain.

Personal Growth

Reading can inspire personal growth and self-discovery, as you learn about different life experiences, and reflect on your own.

You may be inspired to take up a new hobby, learn new languages, change professions, travel to interesting places, or fly into battle on a dragon.

Emotional intelligence, empathy, and compassion are all by-products of regular reading.

Studies have found  that reading literary fiction in particular helps readers develop a theory of mind –or the ability to understand others’ perspectives, experiences, and states of mind.

Empathy is in short supply these days, and you are way ahead of the game if you can approach the world with it.

Self-Esteem

All of this additional knowledge, improved health, and superior creativity are bound to give you a self-esteem boost and leave you feeling confident and competent (I mean, obviously. We’re already here discussing how you’re better than everyone else because you read books.).

You may feel ready to engage in discussions you wouldn’t have otherwise, just because you have a unique perspective from reading a book.

Don’t overlook  FUN  as a benefit of reading! Think: how often do you regularly seek out  fun  as an adult?

And I mean fun for you, not for your partner, your kids, or your dog (sure, you love them and find joy in their joy—let’s be real, especially your dog’s—but that’s not the same as pursuing your idea of what’s fun).

Fun is good for you, and some books are just plain fun. They make you laugh, they take you on a wild ride, and they delight you in myriad ways.

In fact, if you’re trying to create a love of reading, I recommend starting with FUN as your goal.

Think about what you love: a TV show, or hobby, or a particular type of humor. Look for books that relate to those things.

If the book doesn’t feel fun, put it down and try another one. Not every book will be fun, but starting with fun will help grow your love of books.

Eventually, you may just relate to those people who can’t get enough of books that rip out their souls and leave them sobbing on the floor (SO FUN!).

Social Benefits of Regular Reading

You may think of reading as a solitary activity, but it actually has social benefits as well. My introverted self will take all of those I can get. For instance…

Improved Communication

Reading can improve your communication skills so you express yourself more clearly and effectively.

You may be more eloquent, thanks to that massive vocabulary you’ve built over the years, or you may take inspiration from particularly self-assured characters and deliver a rousing monologue when the moment calls for it.

Reading books can connect you with other readers and create a sense of community around shared interests and ideas.

In addition to direct connections with other readers online or in book clubs , reading brings a shared sense of humanity; experiencing the joys, sorrows, and struggles alongside the characters you come to know deeply, highlights our similarities as humans.

You’re likely to find communities inside books that you don’t want to leave—characters that feel like friends and family.

Keep your grip on reality, but enjoy the feeling of camaraderie that you feel—it’s real. This is what people mean when they say books are their friends.

Cultural Understanding

Reading books can expand your understanding of different cultures, exposing you to the perspectives of people from around the world.

Cultural understanding is not only useful for general knowledge, but it can help travel feel more accessible and less intimidating.

Your eyes will always be opened by international travel, but you may feel less like a fish out of water if you’ve spent time with characters who are native to your destination (maybe instead, you’ll just be…a bird in a new kind of tree?).

Social Responsibility

Books teach important lessons about social responsibility, training us to think critically and ethically about the world. A story can inspire empathy and compassion for those less fortunate, while also providing a platform to challenge systemic injustices and work toward improvement.

I would argue that books are actually one of the most effective ways to instill social responsibility and empathy.

How often do we hear about people’s hearts and minds being changed after something happens to them, or to their loved ones? For many people, challenges don’t become real until they experience them themselves.

Books place us so deeply in the lives and emotions of characters that they’re an effective stand-in for having things happen to ourselves.

For instance: When we read The Hate U Give and sit in that car with Starr, feeling her terror and watching her unarmed friend die at the hands of the police, the grief and outrage are so much more tangible for those of us who have never experienced such trauma and loss.

What’s more, we don’t need to read about specific experiences in order to tap into this sense of social responsibility and empathy; it translates.

So when you hear about injustice or tragedy or challenges, you’re better able to see the humans affected by it—and consider your role in addressing it.

Related: The Discomfort of Enjoying Books Inspired by Real-Life Tragedies

Open-Mindedness

Reading books can help to foster a more open-minded outlook, encouraging you to view the world from various perspectives and be more accepting of different types of people, viewpoints, and lifestyles.

Reading can also help you to recognize and dismantle your own biases—and we all have them.

And while you’re being open-minded about the different types of people you encounter in books, let’s also be open-minded about different kinds of books .

New genres can do all of the above for us as readers, while also challenging and surprising our brains by telling stories in new and interesting ways.

That sense of surprise is one of the reasons I love to genre-jump; mixing things up keeps us attuned to the charms and challenges of even our favorite genres.

Readers=Winners

Clearly, all of those cognitive, health, psychological, and social benefits of reading have added up and created one superior human. Claim your trophy!

And keep reading. Because it’s really good for you, it’s fun, and you’ll have all the good dirt on your nursing home roommate, Velma.

(*I hope it goes without saying that the superiority schtick here is entirely tongue-in-cheek!)

I’m sure there are more, and most readers have more personal ways that books benefit their lives (and make them superior humans ????).

What are your favorite benefits of reading?

Related: Well-Read is Dead. Here’s What to Aim for Instead

Allison is a dedicated book lover, writer, and lifelong learner with an undeniable passion for books and reading. As the founder of Mind Joggle, she helps busy, overwhelmed women reclaim their mental space and make books a transformative part of their lives. She holds an Ed.M in Technology in Education from Harvard University and a BS in Scientific and Technical Communication from the University of Minnesota.

Privacy Overview

Crafting Like a Pro: How Critical Thinking Improves Reading and Writing

By Nyla Lee

For many, it is easy to say that English classes are not the source of fun in school settings. From long readings to essays about details that would not matter to the casual reader, English has a way of bringing out controversial opinions in people. 

However, these long readings and bloated essays resulted in one of the most important components of the mind: critical thinking. Upon learning and applying critical thinking, you can use it to your great benefit, regardless of whether you are a reader or writer. But how does critical thinking improve reading and writing?

Table of Contents

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the act of processing and analyzing content to form an opinion or judgment of the content. For example, the iconic joke regarding the symbolism of a red curtain and its ties to depression or freedom within a fictional story derives from critical thinking lessons. 

English teachers play a big role in expanding this concept when they assign a question that pertains to the symbolism behind an object or object in a novel or film to further ideas and judgments on it. I have had my fair share of over-analyzing simple things in books, such as the color red in Lois Lowry’s The Giver and how it was a metaphor for freedom and change for the protagonist, Jonas. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, but as a writing student, it did benefit me greatly.

But what’s important to note is that critical thinking goes beyond entertainment mediums and bloated assignments. People use critical thinking to assess situations and information they hear on a daily basis. 

Strategies and plans derive from people using critical thinking skills to form an opinion or judgment to assess the situation better and efficiently. If you or a friend says a controversial statement, someone else may use critical thinking to question and judge the statement, based on facts or their own biases. 

You may also like: 7 Powerful Ways to Edit Your Own YA Fiction Writing

Critical thinking and reading.

Reading and critical thinking are two skills that complement one another because they are both beneficial separately, but inherently successful when you use these skills simultaneously. 

This is why Reading and English teachers adhere to many assignments that require students to assess the content they are consuming and consider symbols, themes, characters, and actions that require advanced assessment. 

CLICK FOR THE NEWSLETTER AND BE THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT OUR UPDATES

How does critical thinking improve reading .

Critical thinking allows you to think realistically and from diverse perspectives when engaged in active reading sessions. For example, there are critiques of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight   that detail valid criticism regarding characterization, plot, language, and morals within the story. These criticisms include racism, age gaps, unhealthy relationships, and even predatory behavior. 

Critical thinking is a large component of such critiques because you have the ability to consider the content, form an opinion, and criticize the information presented to them. This is especially true as the mind evolves and ages over time. As you get older, your perceptions and perspectives change entirely. 

How Does Reading Improve Critical Thinking? 

With that being said, reading can also improve critical thinking. Reading is a fundamental skill, especially when it pertains to gaining insight on other skills, such as critical thinking. 

With reading, you as an author or reader have arrays of diverse perspectives on life and different morals regarding specific situations. This leads to critical thinking festering and building, as having multitudes of perspectives allows you to form opinions and judgments based on your reading exposure. 

This is why reading novels from the same author or genre is not always fundamental. Because you are used to the author’s morals and viewpoints, along with respective cliches among certain genres, it can skew the critical thinking process. 

Critical Thinking and Writing

Critical thinking and its connection to writing derive from the same conversation pertaining to reading. To write effectively, you should be reading frequently to get a feel of ideas, stories, grammar, and character interactions. 

Many writers start out reading in tremendous quantities before dipping their toes into writing and expanding on that skill. That is because when writing, your critical thinking skills require you to form judgments surrounding your literature’s content. Take for example plotting and characterization.

Critical Thinking in Plotting and Characterization

Plotting and characterization are significant portions of the writing process that require critical thinking. As a writer, it is imperative to consider the literature’s content and how individuals will react to it, and the judgments audiences will form about not only you, but also the content’s motivations.

Currently, I am in the midst of writing a fantasy novel, and I have had to do extensive research on how to properly store fish realistically in a world where refrigeration is not as modern and simple as it is now. This process is occurring because I am adhering to my critical thinking skills and considering what my audience will assume about myself and the story if I use inaccurate storing descriptions in my story, regardless of its fantasy elements.

The Critical Thinking Role in Plotting

To successfully layout a plot point, or multiple plot points, you must think critically about the content and characters’ morals regarding the consequences and effects of the plot.

Plot points require arguments to portray diverse sides of their points. For example, the protagonist and antagonist would have opposing views of a plot point because it would either benefit or negatively affect them, respectively. 

This decision requires critical thinking on your side, as it forces you to think and form judgments on the plot and apply it to real world morals. 

The Critical Thinking Role in Characterization

Characterization functions similarly, especially when it pertains to characters of color and their significance in a story. It requires you to think critically when creating characters of color and their reactions to scenarios in a story, depending on race and its factor in a plot. 

For those whose critical thinking skills are not strengthened, they may use stereotypes to fill out their character of color and apply it to the story without considering the judgments and opinions audiences could garner from such an action. This is certainly an issue. 

I am unsure of how many times I have come across a story where many characters of color fit dangerous and unhealthy stereotypes that would not only offend people of color, but cause audiences to assume that the author did not adequately research those groups of people to realistically portray them.

On the other hand, if you as an author use your critical thinking skills, you will research and consider a creative and diverse manner in which you could approach your character of color without stereotyping and using poor judgment and critical thinking skills. Cassandra Clare ( The Mortal Instruments series ) and Rick Riordan ( Percy Jackson series ) are classic examples of writers who describe people of color in YA literature well.

This is why critical thinking is such an improvement when it comes to writing. It requires you to second guess yourself and your motivations before you stick to one idea or plan. 

Better yet, sign up to receive the newsletter and be the first to know about our updates .

Final take on critical thinking for reading and writing.

Earlier English classes surely exhausted us with bloated assignments regarding how to analyze curtains, colors, and their significance to plots and characters. But they also allowed us to think beyond a smaller bubble and apply judgments and opinions to multiple perspectives in an organized and thoughtful fashion.

With all this being said, critical thinking is crucial to reading and writing. Whether an author or a reader, it requires you to expand your thoughts beyond the surface-level ideas. 

As a reader, critical thinking allows you to hypothesize and theorize about situations and plots that you have formed strong opinions on. As a writer, critical thinking forces you all to look beyond previous judgments and consider more than your own perspective when creating literature. 

So, what do you think? Has critical thinking helped you in your reading and writing journey? If not, will you give it a try and happily over-analyze the symbolism of the apple your teacher mentioned in a chapter of required reading? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

By: Nyla Lee

Nyla Lee is a writer and student of English Literature looking to answer those burning questions about the process of writing. She strives to find answers by applying the influence of pop culture to reach her audience in ways that interest and benefit them.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Why Manga Should Be Considered a Literary Work of Art 

Why Historical Fiction Is Important For Children’s Learning

Jane Austen for Any Age: How to Write with Jane Austen’s Juvenilia

Copyright © 2016-2022 KIDPRESSROOM Privacy Policy │Powered by SiteGreat

teaching Critical Thinking Through Read Alouds

Michael dunlea.

For 18 years I have worked with some of the youngest learners — emerging readers. In just my second year as a teacher I was assigned the inclusion 2nd-grade classroom, working with children who are 7-years old and have learning differences. It pushed me to find new ways to help them embrace critical thinking.

Too often, we think that the only goal with students like these should be getting up to speed on basic skills. That’s important of course, but, it shouldn’t exclude teaching higher level thinking skills that can help reinforce basic skills. It’s not “either-or”; it’s “both-and.” Working with the Reboot Foundation , a non-profit organization dedicated to improving instruction for all students, I was recently asked to focus on how we specifically target these skills for younger learners. Teachers from all subjects and content areas collaborated on a Teachers’ Guide to Critical Thinking in order to find universal ways all educators could reach their students across the disciplines and grades. 

One advantage to the earlier grades is that we typically teach our students all, or almost all, subjects. So when I model skills or abilities in one area, I can refer to them across the curriculum. What is taught in reading , for example, can easily be applied to math . 

One of the best ways I’ve found to help my students develop the critical thinking skills they need to be successful may come as a surprise: reading chapter books aloud to my class. So much can be modeled and, if done correctly, leads to high student engagement. 

Why are read-alouds important? Reading aloud externalizes the activity so that both students and teachers can “see” it better. The words become more alive for students, and they get the satisfaction of actualizing and hearing their progress in realtime. Teachers, meanwhile, get a clear sample of where their students are at in their comprehension, who needs extra help, and what class-wide instruction may be needed. Finally, read-alouds are important because they provide ample opportunity for teachers to stop the class and probe them to think more deeply about a given passage. Here are a few examples of this strategy at work. Here are a few examples of this strategy. 

Each year I read “The Cricket in Times Square” to my students. This story centers around a cricket who is accidentally transported from the Connecticut countryside into the subway station at Times Square, New York City. One of the main characters is a young boy named Mario. One day he travels to Chinatown to purchase a cage for his new pet cricket. When I read this passage:

“Because this cricket so remarkable.” said Sai Fong, “I sell cage for fifteen cents.” Mario sighed with relief. 

I stop and wonder out loud, “Why did Mario sigh with relief? Why is he happy hearing this news?” Then I turn to my students to do the thinking. Mario has been concerned he would not be able to afford a cage. By prompting the students and identifying the literary clues previously provided by the author I lead them to realize his sigh means he has enough money in his pocket. 

In this way, we can take what can be a passive activity, being read to, and turn it into a deeper critical thinking activity. At young ages, the decoding of the words on the page can require a lot of mental energy, this can make it hard to analyze texts at the same time. By removing reading to them, we allow them to focus entirely on the thinking and comprehension side of things. Over time, this becomes transferable into their independent reading and other subject areas. 

When I finish this book we launch into a 5-book series called The Borrowers. This series tells the story of 3 little miniature people called Borrowers who live under the floor of a kitchen in a big estate in England a hundred years ago. Throughout the story they encounter one challenge after another, many times looking directly in the face of death or destruction. They live precarious lives and just at a major event in the story I will stop and ask, “Do you think this is it? Is this the end of the Borrowers? Will the ferret eat them?” 

Then, I will turn to the students and poll them. This time I let the students teach each other. When one finally responds with an emphatic “NO” I ask why did they say that, what led them to that answer? They will often respond, “With 4 more books left after this one, how could they die now?”  

The skill of making strong predictions is an area where I often model and teach critical thinking.  Taking what they already know and what the author has purposely provided them as clues helps them to see themselves as reading detectives. There is an essence of fun-and-game in the process of becoming a critical thinker. This isn’t limited to reading. Math is a perfect fit for critical thinking as well. 

One of my favorite things to do with my students is to be critical of the math problems we are provided in our math program. The other day I was teaching my 3rd graders multiplication and its relation to division. The math problem provided was:

“Six friends picked 48 grapefruits. They want to share them equally. How many grapefruits should each friend get?”

After reading it aloud I turned to my students who were all on a Zoom as we are full remote right now and I asked, “Does anyone have a problem with this?” Finally, I got from one student, “this is dumb, kids hate grapefruit and 48 seems like a ridiculous number of them in the first place.” 

Forget the math, let’s take a step back and think about this for a second. What groups of kids are really going out to pick 48 grapefruits? Where would they even go? It is an absurd situation, but identifying it as such actually gets the kids minds working. After we have a laugh about it, the kids can extract the math in it that does make sense. Kids laugh at the absurdity and then more easily focus on the numbers embedded in the words. 

In the course of having fun, they learn how to separate and sort out the information so that it becomes clearer to them. The evidence for this is amazing. They begin to engage more deeply, analyze information, and identify problems.

For example, when we got to our 4th unit in math and I handed out the paper and pencil assessment that accompanied the unit I had two female students approach me with a concern. 

Earlier, we’d spent time learning about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and focused in particular on Goal 5, Gender Equality. My students were offended by word problems on the test that had the girls buying multiple bottles of nail polish and lip gloss while the boys were collecting baseball cards or sporting equipment. They felt that the questions were based on gender stereotypes! They are 3rd graders! But, already, they were no longer blindly reading along and just doing the math. As they worked through problems, they saw the gender bias in the test.

Critical thinking in the younger grades is a valuable experience that brings with it an electrically charged feeling. It felt like a jolt to my system when the two girls brought that to my attention. This just doesn’t happen naturally. It requires modeling and revisiting this kind of thinking throughout the day and in all subjects.

During the earliest years we are learning a lot of “how to”: how to read, how to add, how to write. But it is so important that we help our students transition at the same time to thinking while reading, while doing math or writing. The old saying “K-3 is learning to read, but 4-6 is reading to learn” identifies that critical moment when the critical thinking has been activated. This saying should only serve as a general guide and not be interpreted as etched in stone rule as every child develops at their own pace. 

Michael Dunlea teaches third grade in Tabernacle, New Jersey. In 2012 he was a finalist for the NJ State Teacher of the Year and in 2018 received the Presidential Award of Excellence in Mathematics & Science Teaching. He also helped develop Reboot’s Teachers’ Guide to Critical Thinking .  

Privacy Overview

How Reading Improves Critical Thinking - The Happy Hollisters

• How Reading Improves Critical Thinking

Reading for Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is an important skill for children to develop as they grow. Good critical thinking skills can be attained in a variety of ways. Reading mystery books is one way; books supply a landscape in which children can develop critical thinking skills simply by enjoying the story and then discussing and analyzing it with others.

Types of Books that Produce Critical Thinkers

Books that are best for creating critical thinkers are, surprisingly, fictional stories. Because fiction is more of an art form, it leads children down paths that they are left to invent a large part of themselves. To truly get the total feel and setting for a book of fiction, readers must consider the inferences and symbolism within the story, which involves a much deeper level of thinking than nonfiction. The Happy Hollisters by Jerry West is a fictional mystery set of 33 books for young readers. Each book guides the reader through an elaborate maze of fun characters and clues, prompting them to solve the mystery before the end of the book. They are involved in the detective process from beginning to end of each book, from uncovering the mystery to collecting the clues and coming to a solution at the end. This process of engaging readers adds to the value of these books when it comes to reading for critical thinking.

How Can Parents Add to Critical Thinking Skills

Parents can start off by choosing appropriate books for their children to read. The Happy Hollisters series is a great starting point for children who enjoy reading a great story and for parents who want to strengthen their child’s critical thinking skills. Family reading time, even if it is quiet time, is still quality time spent together. At the end of their reading sessions, parents get a feel for what their children understand from the book and guide them to think a bit more about what they have read, for example, talking about the clues that the children have found so far, what they could mean individually, and what they could all mean when pieced together. This helps a child to realize that multiple levels of thinking are possible. Taking the clues and learning to combine the reasons as to how they could be important is learning critical thinking through reading.

Reading for critical thinking is beneficial for children. The Happy Hollisters book series is a fun educational tool that the whole family can enjoy together and develop their critical thinking skills at the same time. Integrating time to read for critical thinking is important for all children, and all participating family members will benefit from it.

• Our Mission

6 Ways to Improve Students’ Math Literacy

Middle and high school math teachers can use these ideas to build students’ reading comprehension and reasoning skills using real tasks like budgeting.

While a lot has changed in math instruction over the years, the idea that students need to be math literate has been constant. Being math literate means much more than calculations. Life events such as buying a home, paying taxes, or even estimating how much you’ll spend on groceries require modeling and reasoning skills.

State and district tests often include problems that are real-world based, and that means that students will need to use reading comprehension, along with math skills, in order to show proficiency. This can be particularly difficult for students with learning disabilities, those who have had interrupted schooling, and/or emergent multilingual learners. It’s imperative that math teachers develop a tool kit to help students decipher the math moves needed for such problems.

Through my dissertation research and my many years of teaching mathematics with great math teachers, I have found simple ways to help students become more math literate. Here are some practical ideas on how teachers can help students become math literate, from the perspective of Algebra 1 teachers from various backgrounds.

6 Ways to Help Students Gain Math Literacy

1. Use sentence frames. Sentence frames are a simple way to help students of all backgrounds learn how to state their answers and ask any questions they have about a word problem. Teachers can post sentence frames on a board or even on students’ desks for easy access. Here are some examples:

• “I agree with this answer because ____.”
• “I believe the answer is ____ because ____.”
• “I showed my work by ____.”
• “One strategy that may be helpful is ____ because ____.”

2. Bring back the highlighter. Many Algebra 1 teachers agree that the highlighter is a great way to help emphasize learning in mathematics. The highlighter gives students control of the parts of the problem that they find important. A good suggestion is to demonstrate the use of highlighting key words and have highlighters available for every task and assessment. It also helps students see the patterns in math problems.

3. Speak “algebra.” Students in all math classes need to be speaking math in their classes. It’s important to use the appropriate vocabulary words that pertain to the lesson. This is particularly important as students see formal math language in textbooks and standardized tests. Yes, breaking down the vocabulary for comprehension is a great tactic, but bringing it back to the standard math vocabulary is how we make connections.

4. Use word walls. The word wall was an important part of many math classrooms a few decades ago. They made sure that students saw math words that related to a particular topic being taught. For example, when introducing a polynomial unit, teachers would often put words such as monomial , trinomial , and polynomial on the word wall.

Many Algebra 1 teachers feel that having the visual is most important as students learn about new topics. Students need visual reminders. One suggestion was for students to “own” the word wall by passing out the words in advance and having them hang up each word as it was introduced throughout the unit. Students can make the words artsy and creative in an effort to personalize the resource.

5. Provide foldables or graphic organizers. The use of foldables in the math classroom is a game changer for many students, especially in the post-pandemic era. These low-tech student- or teacher-made “books” constructed out of folded paper provide learners with a handy place to write down the main concepts introduced in a unit. Students have been so used to math technology that there is a need to bring them back to tactile methods.

Providing a foldable to sum up or even begin a unit is a cost-effective method and allows students to use paper and scissors in a creative way to refer to math vocabulary and common word problems. You can find lots of free ideas for foldables online , and there are sites that sell them as well. Some of the designs are very creative and bring a bit of visual art into your math classroom.

6. Have students write relevant word problems. Every time there’s a new curriculum or textbook, word problems get a refresher to connect with the current generation, but there’s no reason why students can’t make up their own. Allow them to write their own word problems, using the context you’re teaching. Not only will students own their own learning, but also they will be able to use critical thinking skills to combine math, vocabulary, and everyday life to further their understanding.

Making the math classroom become a laboratory of reading and math enables students to become owners of the learning process. Students can be math literate, which will allow teachers to facilitate learning processes with all types of word problems, and consequently improve math scores and prepare students for the world of infusing mathematics into their everyday lives.