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 INTERPRETATION OF THE TEXT: the reader should be

INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL able to objectively analyze the text in parts and in whole

To summarize, critical reading allows a reader to

READING
understand the content of the text, the descriptions
contained, and the interpretation of the author in
CRITICAL READING
order to scrutinize the elements involved, including
the style, composition and language.
 Being a critical reader does not require you to be critical
about everything you read.
CRITICAL READING AS A DAILY ROUTINE
 critical reading is explained as the manner of engaging
yourself in what you read by asking questions like, It is needless to say that making critical reading a
o “what does the author mean?” habit does not only require you to read every day but also to
o “what message is being conveyed in the text” absorb as much as you can, to integrate the valuable ones to
o “what is the argument raised?” your own principles and values, and to adopt the attitude
 To critically read a text is to apply your discretion to what necessary to keep yourself inspired in reading.
you are reading.
 You do not take everything you read at face value. You HOW READING DEVELOPS
will be faced with the writer’s insights and
1. reading starts with the understanding of the letters,
interpretations when reading texts for academic
words, and symbols used in the text. Children read and
purposes.
understand at face value because they are in the process
 Expectedly, different writers have their own points of
of familiarizing from a linguistic point of view.
view and biases.
2. Learning is no longer done at the surface.
 For this reason, critically examining everything you read
CONNOTATION is added to DENOTATION.
to check for intentional and unintentional omissions,
FIGURATIVE MEANING is combined with literal
grounds for arguments, and inconsistencies is of utmost
meaning
importance.
3. This process of transitioning from mere data gathering to
a deeper level of consciousness that involves analysis and
READING CRITICALLY MEANS REFLECTING ON:
evaluation is crucial for our own personal development
 CONTENT OF THE TEXT: the reader should be able to and professional advancement.
interpret and explain the main points of the text on his or
her own words THE GOAL OF READING

 the goal of reading should be to learn,

 DESCRIPTIONS IN THE TEXT: the reader should be
 When reading for academic purposes, students usually
able to create his or her own examples based from the
observe two main goals: first is to learn and develop, and
described key points and be able to compare them with
second is to pass the subject
other texts of the same topic
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ADOPTING A HEALTHY ATTITUDE IN READING

THE NATURE OF THE TEXT
 In critical reading, you are encouraged to learn
Week 3
meaning and identify value rather than absorb
everything at face value. Being able to follow the Knowing more about the nature of the text prepares

flow of the story and predict what’s bound to you better in understanding the topic, following references,

happen by drawing conclusions and making raising arguments and flowing with the discussion.

inferences is given priority over being able to

familiarize yourself with the specific details. WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD YOU RAISE?

1. What is the title? Does it reflect the topic?

 critical reading is less challenging as there is no need
2. What details, style and arguments do you expect?
to focus on the text verbatim. There is no need to
3. What do you currently know about the topic? Are
pay attention to all details as well as not every detail
there gaps and grey areas with your current
in a text possesses value.
knowledge of the topic?
 way to maintain a healthy attitude in reading is by
4. Is there any need for background reading prior to
emotionally detaching yourself from the text.
reading the current text in order to make
Subjective reading clouds judgment.
understanding faster and more fluid?
o In fact, many authors try to influence
readers by using their own emotions These information are often reflected on the cover, preface
against them. Advisably, one has to and table of content of the book. For stories, the synopsis at
maintain objectivity when reading as this the back can give you the information that you need.
allows a person to analyze the text using
logic and not feelings. WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS?

1. Who is in concern in the issue?

DIFFERENTIATING FACTS FROM
2. Who controls the result of the issue?
INTERPRETATIONS
3. Who are the key decision makers or key contributors

 For non-critical readers, a text is a source of facts. Texts in creating and resolving the issue?

are, then, memorized in order to absorb these so-called

facts. WHO IS AFFECTED BY THE ISSUE?
 When studying history, they believe the book that
Quipping yourself with prior knowledge before reading the
describes events the clearest
text can help you identify the
 For critical readers, on the other hand, a text only
provides the author’s own interpretation of facts. This biases of the authors, and possibly the unintentional errors.
interpretation may be considered valid or invalid. Hence,
critical readers recognize not only what the text says, but WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE AUTHOR?
also how the text discusses the topic.

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1. What is the background of the author?  They are published quickly and can be written by
2. What are his or her goals in writing the text? anyone.
o Authorship is not limited to credentials,
It is possible that the text is no longer consistent with the
writing ability or substance, as fame, with
author’s prior works or statements, so you need to consider
or without credibility, sometimes suffices as
some information:
qualification for writing non-academic

1. When was the text published? articles.

2. Where was it published?  There are also times when creativity is favored over
3. Who was the publisher? credibility. Because these texts are non-scientific and
non-systematic, references are not required and
consistency is a choice, not a requirement.
 Informality may be preferred over formality since these
ACADEMIC AND NON- texts normally target the masses and not the experts and
professionals. A reference list is optional as well.
ACADEMIC TEXTS  secondary sources

Week 3

ACADEMIC ARTICLES
STEPS IN CRITICAL READING
 are written by experts in a particular field.
Week 4
 They are not self-published. Rather, the manuscript goes
through a series of editing, typesetting and quality
DEVELOPING THE HABIT
checking performed by other experts in a peer-review
setting. one needs to have the genuine desire to learn and discover
 The language used here is formal, sometimes containing new things.
jargons and other technical stylistic choices.
o authors names 1. PRIORITIZE READING
o credentials
o affiliations build the text’s credibility and
reputation.
 The references are also compiled to support the veracity
of all information included in the text.
2. FIND INFORMATIVE BOOKS OF GOOD VALUE
 primary sources

NON-ACADEMIC ARTICLES

 are written for the mass public.

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3. HAVE YOUR READING HABIT PLANNED o Write down all related information
o the details that you know
o Determine knowledge gaps

STEP 2: PRACTICE PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

4. DO NOT LIMIT YOUR READING HABIT

Have the text scanned for the following details:
 Who is the author/s?
o What are his or her credentials?
5. BE A MORNING READER o What is his or her reputation?
o Is the writer known for bias?
 What is the nature of the text?
o Is it current?
o Is it authoritative?
6. TRY SPEED READING
o Is it purely subjective, purely objective, or a
combination of both?

THE CRITICAL READING HIGHLIGHT MAIN IDEAS AND KEYWORDS:

 Read the title, synopsis for stories and abstract for
PROCESS research, section headings
 and subheadings, and graphical representations.
Follow these steps to practice critical reading.
 Read the introduction, the first few paragraphs, and
the conclusion at the end.

STEP 1: ANALYZE THE CRITICAL READING

STEP 3: LIST DOWN QUESTIONS.
COMPONENTS

Connect the content of the text to your research questions

Identify the components then ponder on them one by one:
 Is this text relevant to my research question?
 If so, list questions about the content of the article or
 Underline instructional words, e.g. discuss, explain,
report.
identify, justify
 Mark apparent keywords and key phrases
STEP 4: TAKE DOWN NOTES
 Be mindful of the organizational patterns used (Compare
Follow these tips when jotting down reading notes:
and contrast, cause
 Be concise and write on your own words
 and effect, list, spatial, chronological, etc.)
 Use bullet points
 Evaluate the validity and requirement of the questions
 Pay attention to citation and references
 Brainstorm the question:
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 Take note of the arguments raised STEP 6: MIND MAP FROM MEMORY
 Summarize the major parts: the introduction, the
body and the conclusion Make a rough mind map from memory: test what you can

 Record important quoted materials and the page recall from your reading of the text.

numbers that you may have to read again later on

 Make headings of the main ideas and note
 Write down keywords of any relevant information to
supporting evidence in dot points.
your questions
 Include your evaluation: the strengths and
weaknesses.
These notes will become your summary of the text, which
 Identify gaps in your memory.
you can use as reference when writing your report or project
later on.
STEP 7: CONSOLIDATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE

STEP 5: EVALUATE THE TEXT Summarize the text in preparation for writing your

Identify and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the assignment

text using these steps:

 Make another mind map drawing on your notes and
your rough mind map.
Ask questions on the value of the research evaluation
 Make headings and note the supporting evidence in
questions.
dot points.
 Has the article/report fulfilled its purpose?
 Include your evaluation.
 Is the argument clearly asserted and supported by
 Be creative: use color and arrows; make it easy to
evidence?
visualize.
 Is the research valid? (Sufficient, appropriate,
 Highlight the ideas you may want to use for your
adequate, objective, valid methodology?)
assignment.
 Has the argument been developed logically?
 Identify areas for further research.
 Does it present solutions based on evidence?
 Are recommendations appropriate to the purpose?
 In what ways does the article/report advance our
EFFECTIVE STEPS FOR NOTE-
knowledge of a particular issue?
TAKING
 What assumptions underlie the research? Are they
reasonable?
Your note-taking skills will develop with practice and as you
realize the benefits.
Ask questions on the quality of the information
Fill in the evaluation section
1. HIGHLIGHTING AND EMPHASIZING
Using your answers to the above questions in steps 1 and 2:
 What are the strengths of the text? Highlighting key words or phrases in text will help you:
 What are the weaknesses?

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 Focus your attention on what you are reading – and 3. PATTERNS, such as mind maps, which allow a large
make it easy to see key points when re-reading. amount of information to be included in a single page,
 Think more carefully about the key concepts and but rely on you to remember the underlying information.
ideas in the text, the bits that are worth highlighting.
 See immediately whether you have already read 3. REVIEWING AND REVISING YOUR NOTES
pages or sections of text.
In particular, you may want to:
Make a glossary on a separate sheet (or document) of notes,
 Use headings or different sheets (or documents) to
so you can easily refer and update it as necessary. Write
separate different themes and ideas;
descriptions of the terms in your own words to further
 Use brightly colored pens or flags to highlight
encourage learning.
important points in your notes. You may find it
useful to have a simple system of color-coding, using
2. MAKING WRITTEN NOTES
different colors for particular themes or issues; and
Although highlighting is a quick way of emphasizing key  Note where your opinions changed, and why.
points, it is no substitute for taking proper notes.
4. ORGANIZING YOUR NOTES
There are two main elements that you need to include in
your notes: Notes are of no use to you if you cannot find them
when you need to, and spending a lot of time sifting through
a) The content of your reading, usually through brief
piles of papers is a waste of time. It is therefore important to
summaries or paraphrasing, plus a few well-chosen
ensure that your notes are well-organized and you can find
quotes (with page numbers); and
what you want when you need it.
b) Your reaction to the content, which may include an
emotional reaction and also questions that you feel
it raises.
READING STRATEGIES FOR
It can be helpful to separate these two physically to ensure CRITICAL THINKING
that you include both (see box).
Critical thinking requires critical reading to develop
YOUR NOTES MAY ALSO TAKE VARIOUS FORMS because a huge part of you is influenced by what you read

AND STYLE, FOR EXAMPLE: and hear. Up to 80% of knowledge is learned through the
eyes, and reading plays the biggest role.
1. LINEAR, or moving from one section to the next on the
page in a logical way, using headings and sub-headings;

2. DIAGRAMMATIC, using boxes and flowcharts to help 1. IMPROVE YOUR VOCABULARY

you move around the page;
 Read a wide range of texts
 Have a dictionary at all times
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 Never assume the meaning of a word that you are

unfamiliar with
4. SQ3R METHOD—SURVEY,
 Keep a vocabulary journal where you write down all
QUESTION, READ, RECITE
words that you learn on a daily or weekly basis.
 Learn at least three words a day and try using them in a AND REVIEW
sentence
 Find opportunities to apply the learned words in actual
SURVEY:
conversations

 Scan over the table of contents of a new book to have a

clear understanding of its content and plan your reading
2. MIND YOUR READING COMPREHENSION in advance.
SKILLS  Survey the entire chapter before you start reading
 Look at the title and all subtitles to know what the
 Try to recall and explain the key points on your own
chapter is about and how it is broken up into parts.
words after each section.
 Look at the end of the chapter aids, such as questions,
 Avoid reading at a slower pace just to compensate for
summaries, etc.
your comprehension level.
 Read the introduction and/or first paragraph first
 Use a line guide
 Read the last paragraph.
 Be mindful of the different terminologies used

3. IMPROVE YOUR READING SPEED QUESTION:

 Keep in mind that the reading pace depends on the type

 Turn the subheadings into questions before proceeding
of material you are reading and your goal.
to read
 Proactively focus on 2-4 words at a time instead of
 Create questions from information printed in the
fixating on a per word reading basis.
margins.
 Read with your eyes and mind.
 Create questions for each graph presented
 Practice makes perfect
 Try writing out the questions
 Force yourself to read at a faster rate for short periods of
time READ:
 Go at a speed that is uncomfortable but you are still
comprehending the material.  Start reading only when you can concentrate and
 Avoid rereading as much as possible commit to it.
 You should never read at a rate that is slower than your  You must locate the main idea of each paragraph
average rate. o Identify the topic.
o Find the main idea.
o Look for the supporting details

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o Underline the main idea

5. DO SKIMMING
RECITE:
WHAT IS SKIMMING?
 Take time to paraphrase what you read out loud
while reading. It helps you avoid plagiarism and MAIN IDEA
helps you remember the main idea at the same time.
 Speedy reading for general meaning
 Try to associate read material with life experience.
 Lets your eyes skip over sentences or phrases that
You can use mnemonic devices for this.
contain details
REVIEW:  Allows you to concentrate on identifying the central
or main points
The more you review and recite, the better the recall. It  Pre-views a selection of text prior to detailed reading
actually makes your study time more efficient when this  Refreshes understanding of a text following detailed
process becomes a consistent study habit. reading
 Speed reading at basic level
 Review starts with organization. Make sure that all notes
 Works best with non-fiction or factual texts
and handouts are inserted in date order.
 Speed ranges from 700-1000 words per minute
 Review your notes and questions created for the daily
 you can quickly locate the information you haven’t
lesson or chapter.
mastered yet and study only that material.
o Review the highlighted areas of your text.
o Review the comments you made in the text as you WHAT YOU READ IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT
read. YOU LEAVE OUT. Let’s say you are doing research on a long
o Recite the main points of each section of the chapter or a web site. By reading the first few paragraphs in
chapter. detail, you will get a good idea of what information will be
o Review your index card file. discussed.
 Develop study aids like mnemonics for material you must
 Once you know where the reading is headed, you can
memorize. You can use association, acrostics, acronyms
begin to read only the first sentence of each paragraph.
or whatever you find comfortable with and easy to
o Also called topic sentences, they give you
remember.
the main idea of the paragraph. If you do
 Create an outline from your texts. This will act as a study
not get the main idea in the topic sentence
guide for the exam.
or if the paragraph greatly interests you,
 Recite the information daily to ensure automatic recall
then you may want to skim more.
and true learning. Recite the information in your own
 At the end of each topic sentence, your eyes should drop
words for better comprehension.
down through the rest of the paragraph, looking for
 Check and recheck the information where you hesitate or
important pieces of information,
are not able to recall details.
o such as names, dates, or events.

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 Continue to read only topic sentences SKIMMING VS. SCANNING

o until you are near the end.
 Stop skimming in the last few paragraphs
SKIMMING
o as they may contain the conclusion or
summary.  Meant to identify main points without identifying
 If you feel you are grasping the main ideas while the details
skimming, then you are skimming correctly.  Covers 700-1000 wpm
o Remember that your overall
comprehension will be lower than if you SCANNING
read in detail.
 Meant to identify specific details without
Ask yourself these questions to decide if you want to use understanding the main points
skimming. If you answer yes to any of these, then skimming is  Covers more than 1000 wpm
a useful tool for you:
For this speed reading process to be successful, you need
1. Is this material non-fiction? to understand how your material is structured as well as
2. Do I have a lot to read and only a small amount of comprehend what you read so you can locate the specific
time? information you need.
3. Do I already know something about this?
Establishing your purpose, locating the appropriate
4. Can any of the material be skipped?
material, and knowing how the information is structured
before you start scanning is essential.
6. DO SCANNING
 Use your hands when scanning.

WHAT IS SCANNING?
Use peripheral vision when scanning

 Passing the vision speedily over a selection of text to Keep the concept of key words in mind while scanning.
find specific words or phrases
 Skipping over large portions of texts to find what you WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO SCAN?
are looking form
You scan when your aim is to find specific pieces of
 Speed ranges above 1000 words per minute
information. If you were doing the research for a report, you
 Covers more area than skimming within the same
could scan the index of books, web sites, and reference
amount of time
materials. The most important benefit of scanning is its ability
 Does not require reading of entire texts
to help you become a more flexible reader. Scanning adds
 May be limited to specific information and may not
another high gear to your reading. Because you may be used
help the reader understand the general idea
to reading every word and may be uncomfortable leaving
some words out, you need to give yourself permission to

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overlook some words by skimming, scanning, and skipping

material according to your reading purpose.

7. MAKE INFERENCES

Making inferences is a comprehension strategy used by

proficient readers to “read between the lines,” make
connections, and draw conclusions about the text’s meaning
and purpose.

 Inference means concluding based on

knowledge and experience.
 Ability to understand implicit messages
conveyed by a writer based on the reader’s
schema or background knowledge
 Take two or more details from the reading and see if you
can draw a conclusion. Remember, making an inference
is not just making a wild guess. You need to make a
judgment that can be supported.
 When you are asked an inference question, go back over
the reading and look for hints within the text, such as
words that are directly related to the question you may
be asked or words that indicate opinion.

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