READING IS TEACHING TO ASK QUESTIONS: TOWARDS A PEDAGOGY OF THE ACT OF READING

Abstract

This essay reflects on reading as a process of thinking, rather than merely an act of decoding or superficial entertainment. Based on the thesis that teaching reading in the classroom is teaching how to ask questions, it argues that true reading instruction must focus on forming readers who are capable of questioning the text, of doubting, and of constructing their own meanings. In school practices, reading is often taught as a mechanical habit or as an immediate source of pleasure, but rarely as an opportunity to think. The essay defends the idea that the pleasure of reading does not come from the superficial act of turning pages, but from the moment of discovery that arises from understanding—the “eureka” moment. It proposes a reflection on the triad of text, reader, and reading, leading toward a pedagogy of the act of reading: one that aims not merely to create book enthusiasts, but to cultivate conscious, autonomous readers capable of interpreting reality. In other words, it seeks to form critical readers who accept difficulty as part of the process and understand that those who learn to read through questioning also learn to look at the world with an awakened mind and a free spirit.