Learning to Read Critically through Writing:

In contemporary education, fostering critical reading has become crucial as it encourages reflective processes where students construct and articulate their own perspectives in dialogue with those from others. Accordingly, this book aims to provide EFL teachers with a set of strategies, activities, and worksheets, systematically grounded in theory to support their practice. The guided comprehension model, a teaching framework proposed by McLaughlin & Allen (2009), was adopted to provide a clear structure for teaching reading strategies through five progressive stages: explain, demonstrate, guide, practice, and reflect. The book is organized into five units, each focusing on a reading strategy: summarizing and paraphrasing, distinguishing facts from opinions, questioning, juxtaposing ideas, and examining personal responses. Each unit comprises three lessons, structured through worksheets: an introductory lesson, a lesson for guided instruction and review, and a final lesson focused on practice. After completing the lessons, students are allowed to evaluate their progress through formative assessment activities. Finally, the worksheets provide a space for self-reflection, where students can write entries in their reflective journals. These entries encourage them to examine what they have learned regarding both the strategy and the content, reflect on their emotional responses during the lessons, identify strengths and challenges, and propose actions for further learning development.

This book contributes to the field of English language teaching as it engages with children’s literature, articulating theory and practice with the aim of supporting your students’ process of becoming more critical and reflective readers.