Critical Reading Process Analysis

On the surface reading is a relatively easy activity, but if you are to read critically more steps than simply reading must be taken. Reading critically is a process of analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating the text being read. This essentially means to question what you read to unearth the facts written on the page. The goal of critical reading is to recognize the author's purpose as well as any associated biases and ultimately assess its credibility. The following steps will expound on this critical reading process and teach you how to apply and understand those three steps.

Firstly, it would be beneficial to scan over the material you are reading to grasp an idea of what the author is trying to say. In conjunction with this you may also want to research the author to learn more about his/her motives and the history of the text they are writing. Having a general understanding of what is being said is incredibly …show more content…
Furthermore, try to put yourself in the shoes of the authors target audience according to the text as this makes it easier to understand the purpose. Next, as you read take note of the evidence that is presented and the argument the author makes for it will be important in the next step. Bear in mind that there are many different types of writings and as such there will be different kinds of evidence to analyze This may all seem like a drawn out process but it is necessary to effectively analyze the material. Take the title for instance, it may not seem that important but it can reveal information about the author's attitude, viewpoint, or approach. To demonstrate look at Jonathan Swift's: "A Modest Proposal". From the title you can tell that the author is proposing something that is apparently modest. By quickly scanning the text you will deduce that his proposal is not actually a modest one and the irony is revealed.