1. Critical Reading Strategies
Moving from analysis to interpretation
Adapted from D. Rosenwasser and Jill Stephen, Writing Analytically (2006)

2. Notice and Focus

3. Benefits
Forces you to consider the data more carefully before responding
Prevents you from generalizing or evaluating too soon, before you truly understand the data
Will give you better ideas to write about
Will inactivate your like/dislike—agree/ disagree switch

4. Rules: 1. Annotate Slow down; resist judgment
Ask yourself these questions
What do I notice?
What do I find most interesting?
What do I find most strange?
What do I find most revealing?

5. Rules: List all of the details you notice
Rank the details: Which details or specific features of the subject are most interesting (strange, revealing, significant)?
Explain why the top three details are interesting (strange, revealing, significant)

6. Strands and Binaries

7. Benefits Attains the big picture Prevents overgeneralizing
Can see what is the most important idea(s)
Triggers ideas
Digs into language to unearth the thinking behind a text’s organizing similarities and contrasts

8. Rules:
List and number exact repetitions of substantive (meaning carrying) words (vs. a, the, is etc.)
List repetitions of synonyms, e.g., polite, courteous, decorous (strands)
List words that seem to be in opposition, e.g., kindly/unfriendly (binaries)

9. Rules:
Look for exceptions (anomalies) to the patterns you have discerned; they usually can be part of a strand or opposition.
Choose one repetition, strand, or binary as most important, interesting, etc. and explain why.

10. Disclaimer
Sometimes a struggle among points of view demonstrates that a number of binaries appear to be the primary organizing principle
No one “right” answer exists