Education Archives

The Four Levels of Reading: Mortimer Adler’s Guide

What are the four levels of reading from Mortimer Adler’s How to Read a Book? Why are most adults still reading at an elementary level? How can you improve your reading level? The four levels of reading are elementary reading, inspectional reading, analytical reading, and syntopical reading. With Adler’s guide and some time and practice, you, too, could reach a syntopical reading level. Continue below to learn about each of the four levels of reading.

Print Culture vs. Modern Media: The Tides of Change

How did the print culture of previous centuries differ from the entertainment and media culture of today? How has our approach to media consumption changed over the years? The print-centered discourse of 18th and 19th century America was rational, substantive, and serious. In comparison, the entertainment culture of today is shallow, prioritizing entertainment over intelligence. Here’s how the age of print culture differed from our current-day society.

Syntopical Reading: Analyzing Multiple Texts

Why is syntopical reading the most difficult form of reading? What are the seven major steps for syntopical reading? According to Mortimer Adler, syntopical reading is the most difficult level of reading because you must first read and analyze a multitude of books, compare them to one another, and understand and compare the opposing viewpoints. In essence, you go from being the student to the master. Here is everything you need to know about syntopical reading.

Analytical Reading: Developing Your Own Views

What are the four components of analytical reading? What is the goal of reading a book analytically? Mortimer Adler’s How to Read a Book describes analytical reading as the third level of reading. At this level, the aim is to understand to book and its background as much as possible in an unlimited amount of time. Keep reading to learn about the four components of analytical reading.

Inspectional Reading: Understanding Key Points

How can inspectional reading help you comprehend a book better? How do you read inspectionally? Mortimer Adler’s book How to Read a Book describes inspectional reading as the second level of reading. At this level, a reader can understand the main concepts of the book by skimming it and reading its high-level content. Learn how you can understand a book in just 15 minutes with inspectional reading.

Elementary Reading: Basic Comprehension Skills

What is the first level of reading from How to Read a Book? Why do many adults still read at an elementary reading level? In How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler describes elementary reading as the most basic form of reading. Unfortunately, once you’re taught how to read as a child, you are rarely taught how to read better. This leaves many adults in the elementary reading stage. Here’s what it means to read at the elementary reading level.

How to Examine a Book’s Structure: X-Ray Technique

Why should you examine a book’s structure? How can x-raying and categorizing a book help you level up your reading skills? According to Mortimer Adler in How to Read a Book, examining a book’s structure is part of inspectional reading. Adler says that if you can’t articulate the book in one sentence and make an outline of the major points, then you can determine that a book is poorly written. Continue reading for more of Adler’s tips on how to examine a book.

Are We Amusing Ourselves to Death? The Age of TV

What were the early hopes for the invention of the television? How did entertainment value slowly replace trustworthiness? Are we amusing ourselves to death? In his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman discusses the impact that television has had on our society. Postman argues that television directly attacks literacy and suggests that we should judge everything based on entertainment value rather than importance. Keep reading to learn why Postman believes that we are amusing ourselves to death.

Why Should You Read? Because Reading Is Learning

What is the major benefit of reading? What questions should you ask yourself while you read? How do know which books you should read? Mortimer Adler says that the reason you should read is simple: reading is learning. And to be well-read is not to have read a large number of books, but to have a high-quality understanding of good books. Here’s Mortimer Adler’s advice on how to read better and how to choose which book to read next.

How to Read a Textbook More Effectively

Do you struggle when you’re tasked with reading a textbook? Are there ways to better understand the content matter? In How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler breaks down the best ways to read math, science, philosophy, and social science books. Adler gives advice and provides you with questions to increase your understanding. Continue reading if you want to know how to read a textbook better.