Reading Critically

Before reading something, a reader receives hints and clues to the content of the piece. The title says a lot about a piece, and so does having knowledge about the author, and where/when it was published. The first time you read a piece, just read it without trying to analyze it. Become familiar with the author's voice, try to identify the subject, and make not of the main points. After reading, summarizing a work will help you understand it better. After all of this, you begin the process of critical thinking: analyzing, making inferences, synthesizing and evaluating. In analyzing something, a reader should look at the author's main points and, support for the idea/writing elements. By making inferences, you "draw conclusions on a work based on your store of information and experience". In your synthesis, you are able to link the ideas you pointed out in the analysis in order to bring the big ideas together. And finally, you can evaluate the work of the author.