Are You a Critical Reader?

Within every high school English class,students are actively engaged in developing their critical reading skills. As you know, our students read a variety of literary genres in order to hone their skills in recognizing literary elements, determining the importance of a fictional setting, analyzing the character traits of a story's protagonist, or identifying the universal themes that appear in every finely crafted, literary work. 

As students mature and develop their reading fluency, they are more adept at "reading between the lines" in order to glean the nuances of written expression. At Rosenblatt High School, it's so important for our students to read their required texts, and to develop a personal love for reading! The SAT and ACT Exams challenge students to actively read a number of passages within a stringent time frame, and to answer a number of standardized, test-based questions with skill and accuracy. 

A strong familiarity with written expression affords students a real chance to recognize how words are used in context within a particular passage, and to identify an author's tone or particular, writing style. These higher-level questions are an integral part of the standardized testing process. We all know that the SAT and ACT Examinations are part of the required college application process, and developing strong, reading skills is integral to their testing success.

Many of our ninth graders are using their critical reading skills to analyze Oedipus Rex, and students in Grade 12 AP Literature and Composition are using their reading expertise as they study Hemingway, short stories and, Wide, Sargasso Sea.

Claudia Marcus,

English Department Chair