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Reading the News Carefully: A Practical Guide
A plain-language overview of careful news reading: what kind of story you are looking at, who is speaking, what is missing, and how to keep your habits sustainable.
Reading in the Digital Age
Reading News, Sources and Everyday Documents
Careful reading of news, claims, forms and practical text.
Checking Where a Claim Comes From
Simple habits for tracing a claim back to its source: find who said it, look for the original, and judge how close the source is to the facts.
Headlines Versus Articles
Why a headline can leave a different impression than the story beneath it, and simple ways to read past the headline to what the article actually says.
Noticing Bias in What You Read
How to spot slant in word choice, selection and framing, including your own, without assuming that every piece of writing is simply dishonest.
Reading Instructions and Manuals
How to read step-by-step instructions and manuals carefully: read everything first, note warnings, follow the order, and know when to stop and ask.
Reading Labels and Small Print
How to read product labels, notices and small print with attention: where the key details sit, which wording to slow down for, and when to ask a professional.
Reading Maps and Signs
A plain guide to wayfinding literacy: how to read map symbols, legends, scales and directions, and how to make sense of road, transit and building signs.
Reading Numbers and Charts in Articles
Basic cautions for when articles quote figures or graphs: ask what is being compared, over what period, how it was measured, and how a chart is drawn.
Reading Official Forms and Letters
Tips for making sense of formal paperwork: find the purpose and deadline, decode the vocabulary, keep copies, and know when to ask for help. Not legal advice.
Telling Fact From Opinion
How to tell statements that can be checked from views and judgments, why the line is blurry in practice, and how to read mixed passages carefully.
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