In schools and educational centers, children learn to read, write, mathematical operations and a series of knowledge of all kinds of subjects. Without a doubt, each area of knowledge is important. But reading has a special relevance because it affects any subject. Both in mathematics, history or natural sciences, reading must be used as a means to acquire an adequate understanding of the contents.
Reading is an intellectual skill that most children achieve after a period of training. Over time, reading becomes more complex; incorporating a broader and more specialized vocabulary.
It could be said that the majority of the population can read, but not everyone understands what they read. To do this, a critical reading is necessary. This consists of a deep understanding of the text or document that is being read. To get it is
A high degree of maturity and training is necessary.
The critical reader is the one who dialogues with the text. He knows how to interpret all the information in a fluent way. Critical reading also implies that the reader debates with the words. There is a critical attitude in his activity and he does not limit himself to putting the words together. This critical attitude requires many previous readings. Analytical ability is key when it comes to carrying out a critical reading.
A text can have a complex structure. Its content sometimes has a double meaning. There are word games, Latin expressions or expressions from other languages, popular registers, quotes and, ultimately, the words in a text have multiple approaches. Consequently, if we want to be skilled at reading it is necessary that it be critical, capable of questioning the content. Do not forget that the writer has a purpose in his message (to inform, comment, debate, analyze ...) and the reader has to grasp what the true intention is. It could be the case that a non-critical reading leads the reader to conclusions that are opposite to those of the text.
When a critical reading is not carried out, there is an evident impoverishment of the reading. For this reason, we talk about the phenomenon of functional illiteracy, that is, people who can read but are not able to correctly assimilate the meaning of texts.
