If you cannot read what you are asked to write, you are dead in the water. I am not saying that a college student cannot read a task with usually basic sentences. By reading, I mean interpreting and analyzing and absorbing the text. Most students, including myself at times, simply read the text and do not give it anymore thought. Critical reading requires a attentive thought process.
Critical reading requires questioning of the text. The basic "Who? What? When? Where? and Why?" are good questions to start with. Question the targeted audience and writer. Does the writer have similar text that have a typical flow? Does my audience include my fellow peers, my instructor, or a kindergarten class? If there are words that you don't understand, look them up. Use context clues for additional help.
Another point, does the text relate to you in any way? Do you have a personal experience to correlate with or an opinion on the matter? The way you view a text critically may be completely different from another person. Keep an open mind while analyzing text.
Here is a quote I found online that I believe sums up the importance of reading: "Whenever you're assigned an essay or a story, get in the habit of reading it at least twice: the first time through simply for enjoyment; the second time with a pen in hand to take notes that will help you remember what you have read."
Nordquist, Richard. "7 Secrets to Success in English 101." ThoughtCo, Feb. 11, 2020, thoughtco.com/secrets-to-success-in-freshman-english-1692851. Accessed 09 June 2020
Nice explanation of critical reading and writing. All your colleagues should read this.
ReplyDeleteIn the future, please number your posts so that I can tell more quickly what I'm supposed to be reading. For example: "Post 1: The Most Important Thing to Learn in Composition I" should be the title of this post. You can still fix it. Thanks.