How do you use fiction and nonfiction texts to teach critical reading skills?

Comparing and contrasting fiction and nonfiction texts on the same topic helps students analyze similarities and differences in tone, style, structure, point of view, purpose, and audience. This exercise enables students to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, biases, and assumptions in the texts, enhancing critical reading skills.

What might be the benefit of asking students to compare and contrast two pieces, both of which discuss, e.g. infertility? One's a short story told from the first-person perspective of a woman who is desperate to get pregnant but can't conceive naturally. The other is a nonfiction piece from a health and wellness magazine about IVF. This exercise would be a great way to explore how subject matter can be handled so differently and with very different effects on the reader, depending on authorial choices. Form is often said to be closely tied to content so it's interesting that particular subjects can be presented in vastly different ways, often equally effective and impactful, but just different.

Another way an instructor can explore the area of teaching critical reading is to pose a question or a series of related questions to students after they have read a particular piece. A prompting question can get the readers thinking about the work along a specific path, whatever that may be. Maybe the instructor wants her class to think about point of view specifically in the prose. They could ask, "what do you think the close third person narrator choice achieves in this piece?" and/or "what might changing the point of view to a first-person narrator mean?" Questions can be posed to explore one of many elements of the piece being studied.

Encouraging students to question and evaluate the texts they read, whether fiction or nonfiction, is essential for developing critical reading skills. This approach empowers students to form their opinions, construct arguments, and make informed judgments by challenging the claims, evidence, and logic presented in the texts. By questioning and evaluating, students can identify the key ideas, themes, and messages conveyed in the texts, as well as understand the implications and consequences of the perspectives and actions depicted. This process not only enhances students' comprehension and analytical skills but also encourages them to think critically and engage actively with the material they encounter.

Facilitating students in making connections and inferences from the texts they read, whether fiction or nonfiction, is a valuable strategy for cultivating critical reading skills. This approach enables students to link the texts to their personal experiences, background knowledge, and values, as well as to other texts, contexts, and broader issues. By making connections and inferences, students can extrapolate conclusions, make predictions, and formulate interpretations based on the content. Additionally, this process encourages students to explore gaps, ambiguities, and contradictions within the texts, fostering a deeper understanding and engagement with the material.

Encouraging students to create and respond to the texts they read, whether fiction or nonfiction, is a powerful method for fostering critical reading skills. This approach empowers students to unleash their creativity, articulate their voice, and share their unique perspectives while delving into the emotions, aesthetics, and meanings embedded in the texts. By creating and responding, students can apply the skills and strategies they have acquired from the texts, allowing them to extend, transform, or even challenge the ideas and forms presented. This process not only cultivates students' ability to express themselves authentically but also deepens their understanding, appreciation, and engagement with the texts they encounter.

This is one of the best jumping-off points for demonstrating how critical reading can work. Allowing students to read, form their own ideas and opinions and then, through discussion and group interaction, sharing those impressions. Once they've been voiced, an instructor can help name the different facets of the work that students are referencing whether it's point of view, structure, narrative voice, theme, or any other element of the prose. This can be a more organic learning approach while simultaneously marrying the theory with practice.

Encouraging students to reflect on and share their thoughts and emotions regarding the texts they read, whether fiction or nonfiction, is a valuable approach to promoting critical reading skills. This practice enables students to solidify their learning, enhance their comprehension, and acknowledge the range of viewpoints and encounters present in the material. By reflecting and sharing, students can articulate their opinions, construct arguments, and offer insights while also engaging with and learning from the feedback and perspectives of others. This process not only allows students to communicate their ideas effectively but also fosters a collaborative learning environment where diverse perspectives are valued and respected.