What instructional approach can be used to develop critical thinking skills in reading?

Guided reading discussions are an effective instructional approach for developing critical thinking skills in reading because they encourage students to engage deeply with the text. During these discussions, educators can facilitate dialogue that promotes analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of the material. Students are prompted to ask questions, make connections, and articulate their thoughts and opinions about the text, which fosters a deeper understanding of the content.

By exploring different perspectives and reasoning through their responses, students practice skills such as inference-making and synthesizing information, all of which are crucial to critical thinking. Moreover, the collaborative nature of discussions allows them to learn from their peers, which can further enhance their analytical skills and encourage them to think critically about what they read.

In contrast, quick quizzes might focus on recall and basic comprehension rather than deep analytical skills. Silent reading time primarily allows for individual reading practice but often lacks the interactive discourse that promotes critical thinking. Listening to audiobooks can support comprehension and fluency, but it does not inherently engage students in the reflective and analytical process that guided discussions do.