Use This Three-Step Method to Read More Critically

When school or work requires a lot of reading, it’s difficult to stay on track and focused. You should try different reading techniques to get the most out of what you should be consuming on your own. One such method worth trying is the Sentence-Structure Evaluation (SPE) method, and it may be right for you. This is especially important and leaves you free to come to your own conclusions, making it a great solution for work-related problems, studying philosophy or more theoretical subjects.

What is the Sentence Structure Evaluation Method?

The technique of sentence-structure evaluation has been around since 1940, when philosopher and educator Mortimer Adler included it in How to Read a Book: The Art of a Liberal Education . According to Adler, it’s up to you to figure out what the structure is, the author’s suggestions, and your own judgment, but once you do, it will help you read more critically and get more out of what you’re going through, especially if it’s nonfiction.

How does SPE work?

There are three steps to using this method, and they correspond to the three words it is named after. Here’s what you do:

1. Find the structure of the text. Pay attention to the table of contents, subheadings, chapter titles, tables, graphs, etc. Find out in general terms what the discussion is about and what you are likely to learn from it. Subheadings and headings will tell you a lot about what you need to take away from the text, so consider the structure as a whole, even noting what order the information is presented in, to get an idea of ​​what is fundamental and most important.
2. Look for original proposals . Look what the author says. Take a deep dive into any sentences, statements, and statements coming from the author and determine what message they are trying to convey in the text, not only by how they put it (its structure), but also by what they say . Find out the relationships connecting different ideas and sentences in the text.
3. Evaluate the conclusion of the text and the message as a whole. Find the final summary or conclusion and use your own understanding of the text to determine whether the author’s structure and sentences fit or whether you disagree. If the sentences you identified in step two are logically connected, they should ultimately lead to a conclusion that you agree with and understand, but you may still come to a slightly different conclusion. Only by paying attention to the structure and logic of the author’s sentence will you be able to determine whether you agree with his ideas as a whole.

What you do next depends on why you are reading in the first place. You might move on to further research or explore other points of view, write an essay for class, or prepare a presentation for work. If your assessment concludes that the author’s suggestions are not helpful, support your claims with additional sources, but be sure to also read them using the SPE method.