Dear students and instructors,
Welcome to Critical Reading and Thinking! On the first day of every new class for the past 20 years, students introduce themselves and many echo the words “better comprehension” in response to why they took a reading course. Although the methods to reach that goal are varied, my years of research and classroom practice from kindergarten through college have led me to conclude that if I had to offer just one key to improving reading skills, it would be this: read more. So, my goal was to create a text with a foundation focused on the value of reading and ways to develop a passion for it that also includes interesting, relevant, and diverse reading materials, effective and appealing reading strategies, and interactive activities. I wanted to offer a more comprehensive approach than what is already available. For students entering a Critical Reading course who already love reading, this text will help you finetune your critical reading and thinking skills to a higher level. For those who lost their love of reading somewhere along the way, my hope is that through this text you will renew that passion, which will lead to better critical reading and thinking skills—something that will benefit you in every area of your life.
Lori Ann Cirre-Rawleigh obtained her BA in Special Education with a Dance minor and her MS in Education with a Reading Specialty. She taught special education, reading, and dance at the School of the Arts in Rochester, New York for 10 years. She has enjoyed the past 17 years teaching reading to diverse populations at community colleges in Virginia, Hawaii, and California. Military life meant resigning from cherished teaching positions, but the adventurous aspect brought numerous cross-country trips to see 48 of the 50 states. She appreciates the sunshine of California where she currently resides with her family, two Dogue de Bordeauxs and two cats. She is an Associate Faculty for Reading at MiraCosta College in San Diego County, and is an online Reading Instructor for the University of Arizona, Global Campus in their General Education department. She was inducted into Delta Kappa Gamma, International, professional honor society of women educators in 2006. She has presented at numerous local workshops in Hawaii and Virginia on “Gradebook tips,” “Reading, Writing and Listening Strategies for Struggling Learners,” “Motivating Students,” and at a state-wide conference on “Learning Styles.” She is a contributing author among 100 others in Messages of Peace: The inspired wellness series (Grace & Chaffin, 2013 ). When not teaching, she stays active by weight lifting, boxing, tap dancing, tennis, and occasionally surfing. To further her love of acting, she is pursuing a side career as a voice actor.