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IMPORTANCE OF CRITICAL READING ON STUDENTS` READING
COMPREHENSION
Nabieva Yulduz
Teacher of the Syrdarya Regional Law School
G-mail:
Yulduznabiyeva1@gmail.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14531922
Abstract.
The importance of critical reading in the educational process is thoroughly
reviewed in this article. It highlights how critical reading instruction can greatly improve students'
capacity to connect deeply with content, ask appropriate questions, and independently analyze
materials. The review highlights the opinions of several academics who contend that critical
reading is crucial for promoting critical thinking, intellectual growth, and efficient problem-
solving abilities, including William Zinser, Muhammad (2022), Grabe (2019), and others.
Additionally, the study examines how critical reading enables students to evaluate the reliability
of sources, analyze different points of view, and reach proper conclusions. The essay also
discusses the difficulties in developing critical reading skills, emphasizing that it is a gradual
process that calls for reflection and practice. According to the results, critical reading is an
essential tool for enhancing both teaching and learning, helping students achieve academic
success and become more active, thoughtful participants in their education.
Key words:
Criticаl reаding, critical thinking, educаtional process, reаding skills,
independent leаrning, problem-solving, intellectuаl development, anаlysis, acаdemic
achievement, reading strаtegies, leаrning strаtegies, informаtion evаluation, educationаl
reseаrch.
ЗНАЧЕНИЕ КРИТИЧЕСКОГО ЧТЕНИЯ ДЛЯ ПОНИМАНИЯ ПРОЧИТАННОГО
УЧАЩИМИСЯ
Аннотация.
В этой статье подробно рассматривается важность критического
чтения в образовательном процессе. В ней подчеркивается, что обучение критическому
чтению может значительно улучшить способность учащихся глубоко вникать в
содержание, задавать соответствующие вопросы и самостоятельно анализировать
материалы. В обзоре освещаются мнения нескольких ученых, которые утверждают, что
критическое чтение имеет решающее значение для развития критического мышления,
интеллектуального роста и способности эффективно решать проблемы, в том числе
Уильяма Синсера, Мухаммада (2022), Грабе (2019) и других. Кроме того, в исследовании
рассматривается, как критическое чтение позволяет учащимся оценивать надежность
источников, анализировать различные точки зрения и делать правильные выводы. В
статье также обсуждаются трудности в развитии навыков критического чтения,
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подчеркивается, что это постепенный процесс, требующий размышлений и практики.
Согласно результатам исследования, критическое чтение является важным
инструментом повышения эффективности как преподавания, так и обучения, помогая
студентам достичь успехов в учебе и стать более активными и вдумчивыми участниками
процесса обучения.
Ключевые слова:
критическое чтение, критическое мышление, образовательный
процесс, навыки чтения, самостоятельное обучение, решение проблем, интеллектуальное
развитие, анализ, академические достижения, стратегии чтения, стратегии обучения,
оценка информации, образовательные исследования.
The article indicates that if teachers firstly teach students critical reading skills, it will not
be difficult to convey information to students in the next educational process. The reason is that
they can read and analyse the given materials independently and get the information they need to
know, and if they have any questions during the reading process they will continue to read another
sources given in that material and they can learn this topic perfectly. It is hoped that the findings
of this review paper provide good views for teachers and students to make their teaching and
studying more clear. According to William Zinser, clear thinking becomes clear understanding
and one cannot exist without the other. Muhammad (2022) said that reading, especially, plays an
important role in the process of learning a new language and in its development. Grabe (2019)
emphasized that improving your reading process is a key skill that allows you to think critically
and clearly on any subject. And critical thinking on any subject will give you influence.
According to Carrigus (2002), citical reading is a great skill that helps students learning
any subject to gain a wider understanding and use it properly. Practicing critical reading in science
courses on academic achievement by the help of problem-solving skills is the best way to expand
the worldview. Paul and Elder (2005) claim that teachers should teach students to use critical
reading in the course of the lesson and beyond, and to read each material critically. Complex
reading skills helps students during the study, especially at university, to be able to read more
deeply and critically by considering reading as a completely dynamic process and even manage to
understand difficult research materials. According to Halpern (1998) during critical reading
students will be able to be involved in the reading materials and resort to their prior knowledge to
approach the texts and make conclusions. According to Pennycook (2000), learners through
critical reading find the important information in the written materials, which is the unimportant
information, what is the author's purpose of writing this material and the difference in the opinions
expressed in it. Students question texts with the help of critical literacy approaches, criticize
thoughts comparing with another sources, and finally every student can learn how to read critically.
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That`s why Hujjie (2010) said that reading critically is not easy. It takes lots of time and requires
the readers to analyze the whole reading material using different skills to take preliminary steps
toward a full knowledge of the texts.
Yu (2015) says that critical reading cannot be achieved at once, it is a step-by-step process,
and only if critical reading strategies are used in the process of reading, it becomes one of the most
useful skills to understand its true nature. Carrigus (2002) stressed that a critical reading strategy
can take students to the next level of critical thinking and help them reach their goals. Critical
reading plays a very important role in the education period of students, since using their critical
skills they read by by asking questions regarding the conflicts, consistencies, and inconsistencies
in the opinions or facts given in the text and the reasons why it was written and what benefits they
can get from it. Flynn (1989) defined what is required of critical thinkers is to read the material
carefully, check important issues with other resources and draw conclusions, and express abstract
ideas more clearly based on the text and establish rational hypotheses. Moldern (2007) stated that
teaching students the strategies of critical reading will help them really master any material and
understand the intricacies of even the most complex texts. According to McLaughlin and De
Voogd (2004), critical literacy develops the logical thinking of not just students, but teachers too,
by teaching them to approach situations from different points of view, and creates active critical
thinkers. According to Norris (1985), critical reading also saves our time, because if we make
critical reading a habit and use it in regular practice, before we start reading a material we can
learn whether it is reliable or unreliable, important or unimportant and it is worth to read or start
reading other material. That`s why readers should always pay attention what they are reading by
critical reading.
Kein and Huan (2007) mentioned that our brain works automatically during reading: it
analyzes, asks questions, doubts, ignores or finds something important. All of this is our reading
of the text, comparing it with the knowledge we already have, looking for similarities and
differences in them. It is our brain's job to control it. Flynn (1989) stated that an important aim of
a reading process is to develop critical skills that plays significant role in the individual’s
intellectual life. Browne and Keeley (2007) defined critical reading as one of the most demanding
skill in the 21st century, because it involves analyzing concepts, understanding ideas and
organizing them after generating, comparing, making conclusions, problem-solving skills, finding
similarities and differences with background knowledge. If all we had to do when reading was
accept the author's point of view, our worldview would be hopelessly stuck at the level of the
fourth grade or a book picture: so Francis Pleasant Robinson (1946) said. The findings indicated
that critical readers evaluate what they read, and their standard of judgment is not how close the
author's views are to their own, but how accurate and reasonable they are. McLaughlin and et.al
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(2004) emphasized that critical readers are less vulnerable to deception and manipulation than
other people.
Conclusion
Aşılıoğlu (2008) emphasized that critical reading is not just reading carefully and detailed
reading but It is defined as thinking about the text being read, thinking about the truths and faults
of the text, and examining and analyzing its content. According to Maltepe (2016), reading
critically means reading skeptically, comparing the author's opinion with one's own knowledge
and worldview. Sometimes your ideas coincide with the author's ideas. The effect of critical
reading on students' learning is that they develop the skills they need to carefully study the
materials they use during their studies, to select the facts they need, and to be able to use them
correctly. Milan (1995) stated that to gain ability of critical reading gives skills like using careful
evaluation, sound judgment, and reasoning powers.
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