Richard Hoggart calls for "creative reading"--meaning "recognizing that some books are better than others." Those influenced by Paulo Freire call for "critical reading," meaning that what matters is that readers are encouraged to "read the word and the world." Hoggart and Freire give a clear idea of what they think the adult who reads critically can do, but they present their readers as "finished products." But what is it that a child who is learning to read critically does when he/she reads, and how can this be encouraged? An ongoing ethnographic study of reading practices in English elementary schools seeks to shed light on this question. Two episodes from the reading experience of children in two different classes serve as illustrations. The first is a guided reading lesson conducted by the teacher as part of the literacy hour, and the second is a group reading session led by the researcher. Questions in the guided reading lesson are comprehension and socially-oriented questions. Neither type allows the children any control over the reading process. The dynamics of control in the researcher's group reading session are different--the power to respond, to speak, to think rests mostly with the children. Who in either of these episodes is reading critically? Probably no one, but it seems that those children who are able to articulate their thoughts as they read and who know that their comments are valued are more firmly on their way toward critical reading. (Contains 11 references.) (NKA)