Lateral Reading
Overview
Lateral reading refers to a specific type of media literacy used by professional fact-checkers to ascertain the credibility of digital information. Lateral reading focuses on evaluating the trustworthiness of an unfamiliar website by identifying potential bias, misinformation, and fact-finding through a review of outside sources. It promotes Critical Thinking by teaching students to evaluate digital information by moving beyond the original source rather than simply evaluating the website based on its appearance, URL, or content, which is “vertical reading”. While most informational reading standards focus on a vertical reading approach to analyzing sources, the ability to critically analyze digital information is essential for developing Civic Mindedness that can inform participation in school, the community, and in a democratic society.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch this high school classroom teacher discuss lateral reading as part of a larger lesson on civic online reasoning in action.
Design It into Your Product
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
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