The Importance Of Reading, Writing And Critical Thinking Skills

This literature review will give a brief outline on the academic side to university study. It focuses particularly on the importance of reading, writing and critical thinking skills in university. This literature reveals a large amount of research concerned with developing reading, writing and critical thinking skills and the relationship between the three of them. It offers much evidence to suggest that these skills of reading, writing and critical thinking are central to university study.

In primary and secondary school there is a lot of reading. However, we just read it; we don’t question what the author is discussing throughout the paragraph. McWhorter, K. (2007 P.136) says that to find the topic of a paragraph you need to question

When we are reading it is important to remember to find the topic in each paragraph in every chapter, to take your time when reading the work and not to just skim through it and to form a deep understanding of the work you are reading. Writing is important in university studies as it has many different functions and you will have to write in an academic approach which will include citing and referencing both of which wouldn’t have to be done in secondary school. Critical thinking is essential in university studies and you will have to do a number of different types of research and evaluate whether or not the information is likely to be true or not. You will have to make informed decisions about all the information. Therefore, developing reading, writing and critical thinking skills are essential to study in university as one is always reviewing and evaluating their work throughout their study life in

(2005). Students must write. London: Routledge.

Butterworth, J. and Carver, S. (2005). Thinking skills. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Cottrell, S. (2005). Critical thinking skills. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Fairbairn, G. and Fairbairn, S. (2001). Reading at university. Buckingham [England]: Open University Press.

McWhorter, K. (2007). Essential reading skills. New York: Pearson/Longman.

Mohr, R. (1998). How to write. Dublin: University College Dublin Press.

Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006). Writing academic English. White Plains, NY: Pearson/Longman.

Potts. J, (1999) Beyond initial reading, New York: Schocken Book.

Rudinow, J. and Barry, V. (2004). Invitation to critical thinking. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson.

Sternberg, Robert J, Henry L Roediger, and Diane F Halpern. (2007) Critical Thinking in Psychology. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press,