Reading Skills Physics deparment - 4 th stage

How Reading Develops

As we develop our skills in reading, the process often becomes more challenging.  We are
introduced to new vocabulary and more complex sentence structures. 

The Goal of Reading

When reading academic material such as textbooks, journals and so on, you should be always
reading to interpret and analyse. Nothing should be taken as fact or ‘truth’.  You will be engaged
in, what is termed as, critical reading.

To develop your thoughts, to incorporate new ideas into your existing understanding, to see
things from different angles or view-points, to develop your knowledge and understanding and
ultimately yourself.

Learning, therefore, comes about not from reading and remembering details,
but from developing your understanding of the meaning of the details. 

Attitudes to Reading
Often, when we begin to read books relating to a new topic, we find that the language and style
are difficult to follow.

The writer may seem to use elaborate, long sentences, but this is usually to ensure that they are
saying precisely what they mean. 

A useful aid to reading is to have a good quality dictionary to hand; however, you may find a
specialist dictionary is necessary for some subject areas

What is Critical Reading?

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?’

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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.

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, oversights and arguments against what you are
reading. 

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.

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Developing a Reading Strategy

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. 

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. 

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:

 Survey
 Question
 Read
 Recall
 Review

Survey

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.

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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?

Read

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.

Recall

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. 

Review

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.

Note-Taking from Reading

When engaged in some form of study or research, either informally or formally, you will
probably need to read and take in a lot of information.

Why Take Notes When Reading?

Reading for pleasure or as a way to relax, such as reading a novel, newspaper or magazine, is
usually a ‘passive’ exercise.  When you are studying, reading should be seen as an ‘active’
exercise.

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In other words, you engage with your reading to maximise your learning.

One of the most effective ways of actively engaging with your reading is to make notes as you
go along.

Paraphrasing and summarising what you read in your own words is far more effective in
helping you to retain information. This seems likely to apply whether you are using a
computer or a pen and paper.

What NOT To Do

It is important to understand that effective note-taking requires you to write notes on what you
have read in your own words.

Copying, Referencing and Plagiarism

Effective Steps for Note-Taking

1. Highlighting and Emphasising

A quick and easy way to be active when reading is to highlight and/or underline parts of the text. 
Although the process of highlighting is not ‘note-taking’, it is often an important first step. 

Highlighting key words or phrases in text will help you:

 Focus your attention on what you are reading – and make it easy to see key points when re-
reading.
 Think more carefully about the key concepts and ideas in the text, the bits that are worth
highlighting.
 See immediately whether you have already read pages or sections of text.

When you come across words or phrases that you are not familiar with it may be useful to
add them to a personal glossary of terms. 

2. Making Written Notes

Although highlighting is a quick way of emphasising key points, it is no substitute for taking
proper notes.

There are two main elements that you need to include in your notes:

1. The content of your reading, usually through brief summaries or paraphrasing, plus a few well-
chosen quotes (with page numbers); and

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2. Your reaction to the content, which may include an emotional reaction and also questions that
you feel it raises.

Your notes may also take various forms and style, for example:

 Linear, or moving from one section to the next on the page in a logical way, using headings and
sub-headings;
 Diagrammatic, using boxes and flowcharts to help you move around the page; and
 Patterns, such as mind maps, which allow a large amount of information to be included in a
single page, but rely on you to remember the underlying information.

As you complete each page of notes, check to make sure that both columns are reasonably
full.

Remember to include the source of each point, including the page and/or paragraph number, to
make it easier to refer back if necessary.

 When referring to a book, record the author's name, the date of publication, the title of the
book, the relevant page number, the name of the publisher and the place of publication.
 When referring to a magazine or newspaper, record the name of the author of the article, the
date of publication, the name of the article, the name of the publication, the publication number
and page number.
 When referring to internet sources, record (at least) the full URL or web address and the date
you accessed the information.

3. Reviewing and Revising Your Notes

 Use headings or different sheets (or documents) to separate different themes and ideas;
 Use brightly coloured pens or flags to highlight important points in your notes.  You may find it
useful to have a simple system of colour-coding, using different colours for particular themes or
issues; and
 Note where your opinions changed, and why.

4. Organising Your Notes

Depending on your circumstances, you may find you accumulate a lot of notes.

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Finding Your Way

Ultimately, how you write and organise your notes is up to you. It is a very personal choice, and
you may also find that you have different preferences for reading for assignments, lectures and
more general reading.

It is, however, important that you find a way of doing it that works for you, because note-taking
is one of the most effective ways of recording and retaining information.

Note-Taking

Effective note-taking is an important transferable skill, a skill that can be applied in all aspects of
life, socially, at work and during study.

Note-taking is a powerful aid to communication, a way of summarising and retaining the key
points from what you’ve heard and understood.

There are different approaches to note taking, depending on the type of communication you’re
engaged in.  This page covers effective note-taking for verbal exchanges – that is, summarising
what has been said, in face-to-face conversations, over the phone and in group situations – like in
meetings or when attending a lecture.

There are times in life when effective note-taking of the written word is also important –
especially when studying.  See our page: Taking Notes while Reading for more information.

General Note-Taking Guidelines:

 Think about whether or not a point is noteworthy before you write it down – do not take
notes for the sake of taking notes. Otherwise you’ll end up with lots of irrelevant points, which
will distract you from the important things. You probably only really need to make notes on
things that are new to you.
 Write in your own style and use your own words, you don’t need to worry too much about
spelling, grammar, punctuation or neatness as long as you can read your notes later and they
make sense to you.  Your personal note-writing system will evolve and improve with practice.
 Try to use short concise points, single words or phrases or short sentences, use bullet or
numbered lists if necessary.  If you are using a pen and paper then it is easy to add linking lines
to join ideas and concepts.
 Write down in full, key information that can’t be shortened: names, contact details, dates,
URL’s, references, book titles, formulas etc.
 Use abbreviations to help you – just note what they mean!
 Use underlining, indentation, circle words or phrases, use highlighter pens – whatever system
works for you to emphasis the most important points and add some structure to your notes.

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The Cornell Method

The Cornell Method of note-taking is highly effective, see if it works for you.

The Cornell Method of note-taking can be used as a powerful aid to recalling information. 

What is Critical Thinking?

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

Someone with critical thinking skills can:

 Understand the links between ideas.

 Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.

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 Recognise, 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.

Critical thinking is thinking about things in certain ways so as to arrive at the best possible
solution in the circumstances that the thinker is aware of. In more everyday language, it is a way
of thinking about whatever is presently occupying your mind so that you come to the best
possible conclusion.

Critical Thinking is:

A way of thinking about particular things at a particular time; it is not the accumulation of facts
and knowledge or something that you can learn once and then use in that form forever, such as
the nine times table you learn and use in school.

The Skills We Need for Critical Thinking

The skills that we need in order to be able to think critically are varied and include observation,
analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and
decision making.

Specifically we need to be able to:

 Think about a topic or issue in an objective and critical way.

 Identify the different arguments there are in relation to a particular issue.

 Evaluate a point of view to determine how strong or valid it is.

 Recognise any weaknesses or negative points that there are in the evidence or argument.

 Notice what implications there might be behind a statement or argument.

 Provide structured reasoning and support for an argument that we wish to make.

The Critical Thinking Process

You should be aware that none of us think critically all the time.

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Sometimes we think in almost any way but critically, for example when our self-control is
affected by anger, grief or joy or when we are feeling just plain ‘bloody minded’.

On the other hand, the good news is that, since our critical thinking ability varies according to
our current mindset, most of the time we can learn to improve our critical thinking ability by
developing certain routine activities and applying them to all problems that present themselves.

Once you understand the theory of critical thinking, improving your critical thinking skills takes
persistence and practice.

Try this simple exercise to help you to start thinking critically.

Think of something that someone has recently told you. Then ask yourself the following
questions:

Who said it?

Someone you know? Someone in a position of authority or power? Does it matter who told you
this?

What did they say?

Did they give facts or opinions? Did they provide all the facts? Did they leave anything out?

Where did they say it?

Was it in public or in private? Did other people have a chance to respond an provide an
alternative account?

When did they say it?

Was it before, during or after an important event? Is timing important?

Why did they say it?

Did they explain the reasoning behind their opinion? Were they trying to make someone look
good or bad?

How did they say it?

Were they happy or sad, angry or indifferent? Did they write it or say it? Could you understand
what was said?

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What are you Aiming to Achieve?

One of the most important aspects of critical thinking is to decide what you are aiming to achieve
and then make a decision based on a range of possibilities.

Once you have clarified that aim for yourself you should use it as the starting point in all future
situations requiring thought and, possibly, further decision making. Where needed, make your
workmates, family or those around you aware of your intention to pursue this goal. You must
then discipline yourself to keep on track until changing circumstances mean you have to revisit
the start of the decision making process.

However, there are things that get in the way of simple decision making. We all carry with
us a range of likes and dislikes, learnt behaviours and personal preferences developed throughout
our lives; they are the hallmarks of being human. A major contribution to ensuring we think
critically is to be aware of these personal characteristics, preferences and biases and make
allowance for them when considering possible next steps, whether they are at the pre-action
consideration stage or as part of a rethink caused by unexpected or unforeseen impediments to
continued progress.

The more clearly we are aware of ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, the more likely our
critical thinking will be productive.

In Summary:

 Critical thinking is aimed at achieving the best possible outcomes in any situation. In order to
achieve this it must involve gathering and evaluating information from as many different sources
possible.
 Critical thinking requires a clear, often uncomfortable, assessment of your personal strengths,
weaknesses and preferences and their possible impact on decisions you may make.
 Critical thinking requires the development and use of foresight as far as this is possible. As Doris
Day sang, “the future’s not ours to see”.
 Implementing the decisions made arising from critical thinking must take into account an
assessment of possible outcomes and ways of avoiding potentially negative outcomes, or at
least lessening their impact.
 Critical thinking involves reviewing the results of the application of decisions made and
implementing change where possible.

It might be thought that we are overextending our demands on critical thinking in expecting that
it can help to construct focused meaning rather than examining the information given and the
knowledge we have acquired to see if we can, if necessary, construct a meaning that will be
acceptable and useful.

After all, almost no information we have available to us, either externally or internally, carries
any guarantee of its life or appropriateness.  Neat step-by-step instructions may provide some

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sort of trellis on which our basic understanding of critical thinking can blossom but it doesn’t and
cannot provide any assurance of certainty, utility or longevity.

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