Textbooks generally do a good job presenting reading material in an organized way.
In fact, textbooks are so good at presenting material that students may have little chance to develop their own skills in reading unstructured articles. The purpose of this handout is to provide some tips to use when reading non-text material, such as chapters from books, magazine articles etc. Becoming a critical reader means that you read actively, that you provide the structure to the material that you read, and that you evaluate whether the author has made her or his point. First, define important terms and concepts. State it in your own words in one or two sentences.