Towards a Different Reader

 

Towards a Different Reader

"Creative Reading"

When we were children, we used to look at trees standing tall and spreading over the earth with their green branches that pleased our eyes and the eyes of everyone around us. Every day we looked at them, it never occurred to us that these trees have large and numerous roots that extend under the soil, and that this green tree breathes in a certain way.

We used to consider it an inanimate object. But with time, sustained observation, reading, and acquiring knowledge, we realized many things that we were unaware of due to our dependence on the surface and not diving deep into the depths of things.

And today, our topic is the creative reader, who is the reader who does not settle for the appearance of the book and the surface of the words. He is the researching reader who realizes that obtaining knowledge is the effort of searching for it and not just consuming it as a quick meal from the pages.

Reading is the word that refers, in its true meaning, to understanding texts and linguistic passages, criticizing them, understanding the goals and hidden meanings behind the surface of the texts, and delving into the depths of the letters.

Therefore, we must give our minds that space for reflection and contemplation in the books we read, subject our knowledge to scrutiny and criticism, and move from this stage to a stage of harnessing where we harness knowledge to be useful for application and use at the personal, scientific, and social levels.

Creative reading is the type of reading that motivates the reader to obtain and acquire information, utilize it, and try to obtain as much information as possible related to the same context. The reader links the information to specific related behaviors.

The most important components of creative reading are:

Accuracy: The reader focuses on selecting valuable and precious books, and always tries to search for information inside and outside the book.

Skepticism: Without skepticism, we would not have reached knowledge. Skepticism is the best way to obtain new knowledge, so the reader should not accept the author's opinion blindly while reading books, but rather should be skeptical and search for information, sources, and consider the truthfulness of the mentioned information and debate it.

Interaction: The creative reader is an interactive reader, who reads information and interacts with it. When reading a historical novel, for example, the reader goes on a search journey, reads books, listens to lectures, and watches documentaries about the same era as the novel in order to obtain pleasure and benefit during reading.

Benefits of creative reading:

Developing better understanding and comprehension of information.

Developing critical thinking skills.

Developing cognitive abilities.

Generating new ideas.

Developing and building new behaviors.

Characteristics of the creative reader:

• Possesses critical thinking skills.

• Has skills in inference and deduction.

• Possesses a renewed and innovative mindset.

• Possesses scientific and knowledge proficiency.

5 Steps for Creative Reading:

First: Preparation:

Determine the goal of your reading.

Take a glimpse at the book and its subject.

Read some reviews about the book.

Prepare your reading tools and your personal environment.

Second: Initial Research:

Get acquainted with the book's structure.

Focus on headings, introductions, and conclusions.

Learn about the general context related to the book.

Read about the author and their background.

Educate yourself on unclear concepts in the book (terminology).

Third: Critical Reading:

Read carefully and try to understand everything that is written.

Record your observations in your personal notebook about the book.

Look up the meaning of things you didn't understand.

Evaluate the style and method of presenting information.

Pay attention to references and sources of quoted information.

Fourth: Deduction and Inference:

Organize the information and observations and compare them.

Use inference and deduction to draw conclusions from the book.

Review your reading goal and determine if it was achieved.

Focus on obtaining new information that enhances your future behavior.

Evaluate the author and determine if you need to read another book on the same subject.

Fifth: Decisions:

Make your creative decision after achieving your cognitive goal in reading and follow a specific behavior plan.

Now, start looking at books and reading in a different and more creative way, interact with your reading and make it a spark towards a better life for yourself and society, for you and for us.

Maher Daaboul