11

READING AND
WRITING SKILLS
Quarter 3 – Module 5: Critical
Reading as Reasoning
(Second Semester)
Reading and Writing Skills – Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 3 – Module 5: Critical Reading as Reasoning
First Edition, 2020

Republic Act 8293, Section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist
in any work of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of
the government agency or office wherein the work is created shall be
necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such agency or office may,
among other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.
Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand
names, trademarks, etc.) included in this book are owned by their respective
copyright holders. Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission
to use these materials from their respective copyright owners. The publisher
and authors do not represent nor claim ownership over them.
Published by the Department of Education
Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Printed in the Philippines by

Department of Education – Division of Cagayan de Oro City
Office Address: Fr. William F. Masterson Ave., Upper Balulang, Cagayan de
Oro
Telefax: (08822)855-0048
E-mail Address: [email protected]

ii
 11
READING AND
WRITING SKILLS
Quarter 3 – Module 5: Critical
Reading as Reasoning
(Second Semester)

iii
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to Reading and Writing Skills Alternative Delivery Mode

(ADM) Module on Critical Reading as Reasoning!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by

educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher
or facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12
Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social, and economic
constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this
also aims to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking
into consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in
the body of the module:

For the learner:

Welcome to Reading and Writing Skills Alternative Delivery Mode

(ADM) Module on Critical Reading as Reasoning!
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and
time. You will be enabled to process the contents of the learning resource
while being an active learner.
This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the

iv
 lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correctly, you may decide to skip this module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the

lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to strengthen your understanding
and skills of the topic. You may check the
answers in the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or open-ended

statements to be filled in to process what you
learned from the lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will

help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations.

Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your

level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also develops retention
of learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in developing

this module.
The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part
of the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other
activities included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your
answers.

v
 5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through
with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do
not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that
you are not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful

learning and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can
do it!

vi
 What I Need to Know

Learning Competency
• Explain critical reading as reasoning (EN11/12RWS-IVac-8)
Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

• Differentiate facts and opinions
• Determine the author’s purpose and tone
• Make inferences

What I Know

Before heading on to our lesson, let us first check what you already know.
Direction: Read the statements carefully, and determine if they are TRUE or
FALSE, then write your answers on the blanks provided before each number.

____________________1. Critical reading is simply recognition of the text’s

meaning and restating it in your own words.

____________________2. Critical reading examines the author’s choice of

content, language and structure.

____________________3. Critical reading teaches the readers to accept all the

presented facts without further examination.

____________________4. A statement of fact can be verified through

experimentation, personal observation or credible sources.

____________________5. A statement of opinion needs further evidence and

other valid supporting details to be proven true.

Direction: Can you think of the similarities and difference between critical
reading and reasoning? Try to fill this Venn Diagram with your ideas.

1
 Lesson Critical Reading as
1 Reasoning
What’s New

• Critical reading goes beyond recognition of the text’s meaning and

restating it in your own words.
• A critical reader does not merely skim the text at hand.
• To reach a solid interpretation of a text, the critical reader must dwell
on what the text does by making such remarks beyond what it says.
From this, the critical reader must identify what the text wholly means
based on the previous analysis.
Critical reading advances the understanding of the reader by not taking
the text by its face value. It studies the composition’s every nook and cranny
until you find the author’s inconsistencies, oversights, limitations and other
reasonable arguments that is often overlooked by a normal reader.

According to the website criticalreading.com, there are three steps of

analysis reflecting the three types of reading and discussion:

1. What a text says – restatement (wherein the reader merely restates

what is said in the original text)

2
 2. What a text does – description (wherein the reader discusses aspects
of the discussion itself)
3. What a text means – interpretation (wherein the reader analyzes the
meaning of the text as a whole).

Critical reading does not simply ask what the text says but more of how
the topic is presented and why. Critical readers dwell on the distinctive
qualities of the text. Readers normally read texts to obtain facts and
knowledge. A critical reader, on the other hand, mulls over the unique
perspective of the author on a particular text and how the facts the author
presented arrived at his/her conclusion.

Goals of Critical Reading

Prentice Hall has enumerated the following critical reading skills:

1. The ability to distinguish between fact and opinion

2. The ability to identify the author’s purpose
3. The ability to make inferences
4. The ability to recognize the author’s tone
5. The ability to recognize persuasive techniques

Critical reading ultimately examines the author’s choice of content,

language and structure. The basis of recognizing the purpose of an author is
their choice of content and language to use. The critical reader analyzes the
tone and persuasive elements of a text through reviewing the choice of
language used. In recognizing the bias of the text, the critical reader must
identify the nature of patterns of choice of content and language. Critical
reading teaches the reader how to not blindly accept all the presented facts
without further examination. This technique allows you to confirm and
present your own argument. The practical starting point of every critical
reader is to question everything you read.

To read critically is to make judgments about how a text is argued. This

is a highly reflective skill requiring you to stand back and gain some distance
from the text you are reading.

It is not recommended to read just to look only or primarily for

information; instead, read to look for ways of thinking about the subject
matter.

3
 What Is It

Facts versus Opinions

• A statement of fact is characterized by its ability to be verified through

experimentation, personal observation or credible sources.
• On the other hand, a statement of opinion needs further evidence and
other valid supporting details to be proven true.

Facts are statements that can be checked or proved. We can check facts
by conducting some sort of experiment, observation or by verifying (checking)
the fact with a source document.

Facts often contain numbers, dates or ages and facts might include
specific information about a person, place or thing.

An opinion, on the other hand, is a statement that cannot be proved or

checked. It tells what someone thinks, feels or believes.

Clue words for opinion statements are: think, believe, seem, always,
never, most, least, worse, greatest.

To recognize a fact or an opinion, ask yourself, “Can this statement be

proved?”. If your answer is YES, then that statement is a fact; if your ANSWER
is NO, then that statement is an opinion.

Author’s Purpose and Tone

• An author’s purpose is his reason for or intent in writing. An author’s

purpose may be to amuse the reader, to persuade the reader or to
inform him.
• An author’s purpose is reflected in his tone.
• Tone reflects the author’s attitude in approaching the topic. According
to Forlini, ―an author chooses words according to his/her attitude
toward the topic and how the author expects the reader to respond to
the material.
Purpose is the reason an author writes about a topic. An author may
have a more specific purpose in mind other than to inform, entertain or
persuade him. To figure out the author’s purpose, you as the reader, must
consider the main idea, thought pattern and tone.

The author’s tone, on the other hand, may be evident in his/her choice
of words either expressing its connotation or denotation.

4
 The author uses various persuasive techniques to color the
presentation of facts and to appeal to the reader. Authors use jargons and
slanting to make the readers lean towards their position/argument.

• Jargons are ―specialized vocabulary used by people in a particular field.

While often misused to conceal meaning, jargons may prove effective in
solidifying an argument if defined and explained appropriately.
• Slanting ―is the writing of a passage so that it leans toward one point
of view.‖ Words with either positive or negative connotations may be
used as slanting. Another example of slanting is purposefully leaving
out information of a different perspective on a similar issue.
Analyzing a Written Text

In analyzing a written text, it is important to take note of the following

elements as well as the guide questions that come with it:

• Purpose/Context – What does the text aim to do? Does it mean to

persuade or does it contribute to a discussion of an existing topic? What
content does the text cover? What purpose does it serve its readers?
• Author/s – Who wrote the text? What are his qualifications for writing
about the topic?
• Audience – What is its target audience? Where is the text found? What
does the author expect the reader to get from his/her composition? Are
you a part of the author’s audience?
• Topic and Position – Is the author’s argument on the topic at hand
supported by valid evidence? Is the author’s position clear? Is it
presented as objective? Is his/her stand based on other author’s
position or simply from personal observation/experience?
• Research/Sources – Do previous researches have a role in supporting
the author’s argument? Which of the references elicits further
discussion?
• Proof/Evidence – What are the proofs/evidence presented by the author
throughout the text? Did they come from credible sources? What type
of proof is used by the author (e.g. references to other work,
interpretations of other work, original research, personal experience,
author’s opinions, critical analysis, etc.)? Do these proofs validate the
argument? Which of the evidence carries the most weight?
• Organization – How are the information organized in the text? For what
particular reason are they arranged in this particular way? Where did
the author plainly states his/her stand on the topic? Is the organization
driven more by the content (the information that needs to be presented),
by the authors' argument, by the needs of the audience, or by some
combination of the three?

5
 • Style – What can you infer from the author’s choice of words? From
what perspective did the author write the text? Was he/she inclusive
with his/her choice of words? Did they use jargons or slanted
meanings? If there are, were they properly defined for the reader’s
convenience and understanding? What other writing techniques did the
author apply in writing the text? Analyze each sentence structure,
figurative language and rhetorical questions existing in the text.
• Drawing Conclusions – What does the author want to highlight?
Compare and contrast the text with other similar ones. Identify the
similarities and differences in their approach of the same topic.
Making Inferences

• An inference is an idea or conclusion that’s drawn from evidence and

reasoning.
• An inference is an educated guess.
• When you are making an inference, you are reading between the lines
or just looking carefully at the facts and coming to conclusions.
The text, by itself, does not contain meaning. It is up to the reader to
interpret the meaning of the words, their usage and structure in the text. The
reader infers an interpretation of the text through prior knowledge, social
conventions, shared experience or shared values.

Inferences are essential in both written and spoken communication. A

single sentence may contain a variety of assertions. Reading is ―an active,
reflective, problem-solving process.‖ Readers do not simply read the words,
but ideas from a collection of assertions.

Some examples of inferences are the following:

• A boy is wearing a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, glasses, and his shoes

have mud on them. One can infer he likes Led Zeppelin, his
eyesight is poor and he walked through mud.
• You adopt a puppy from the shelter and he seems nervous and
scared. He hides from loud noises and had some noticeable scars.
You can infer that he was abused by his former owner.

What’s More

Activity 1
Direction: Identify whether the following statements are statements of fact or
opinion. Write SOF for statement of fact and SOO for statement of opinion.

6
________1. Chocolate cake is the most delicious kind of dessert.
________2. Belo Medical Clinic is the best clinic that can reverse skin aging.
________3. LBC is the most reliable express delivery company in the
Philippines.
________4. BDO is the best bank in the Philippines.
________5. Listerine is a mouthwash.
________6. Listerine is a dynamite against bad breath, plaque and gingivitis.
________7. Globe handy phone makes great things possible.
________8. Natural fibers boost the immune system and improve digestive
health.
________9. Paula’s Hotel is perfectly suited for your family vacation.
________10. Paula’s Hotel is located at Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.
________11. BMW is the fastest and most sporty car ever.
________12. Winston Cigarette is the ―spirit of the USA.
________13. Hope is the largest-selling luxury cigarette.
________14. Hope is a brand of cigarette.
________15. Palmolive is a brand of shampoo and conditioner.
________16. Palmolive shampoo makes you more confident with your
straighter hair.
________17. Filipinos are lazy people.
________18. Men and women are opposite sexes.
________19. People from Mindanao are all beautiful.
________20. Duterte is the greatest president this country has ever had.

Activity 2
Direction: Read the following passage and analyze the author’s purpose, tone
and persuasive techniques used by completing the table that flows it. Use the
guide questions we have discussed in the previous page to help you in
analyzing the text.

7
 Save the Filipino Language
The Filipino language plays a huge part in the lives of the countrymen. It
is the heart and soul of the country as it symbolizes oneness in words, speech,
and thought. Language is something one continuously learns as he/she grows
up. Truly, a country’s language paves way for bigger and better opportunities
that will benefit everyone. But what will happen to this optimistic view of the
future if the means of learning one’s language is taken away from him? This
has been one of the hottest issues present in Philippine society today – the
exclusion of the Filipino subject in the tertiary level.
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has already released a
revised general education (GE) curriculum that implements the dropping of the
mandatory Filipino subjects on the tertiary level. The CHED memorandum order
on the new curriculum notes that the integration of GE courses in senior high
school – Grades 11 and 12 – has created a window for the revision of the current
curriculum in colleges. According to CHED, the revision of the curriculum aims
to promote the development of a student’s intellectual competency, personal
and civic competency, and practical skills. CHED also claims that the Filipino
subjects taken under the K to 12 program are sufficient given that students
already have 108 hours under the said subject in Grade 11 alone. ―The
proposed GEC strips away remedial courses, those that duplicate subjects in
Grades 11 and 12, and introductory courses to the disciplines,‖ CHED
explained in CMO 20-2013.
The new curriculum includes the following core courses: Understanding
the Self; Readings in Philippine History; The Contemporary World; and
Mathematics in the Modern World. Also included are Purposive Communication;
Art Appreciation; Science, Technology and Society; and Ethics. It requires three
courses on the Arts & Humanities; Social Sciences & Philosophy; and
Mathematics Science and Technology clusters. It also mandates the three-unit
Life and Works of Rizal course. As a whole, the number of GEC units has been
reduced from the current 63-51 units down to 36 units for all college students.
The revision of the curriculum has met various violent reactions and
oppositions from stakeholders, linguists, academics, and even students
themselves. Movements from different universities concerned are currently in
motion in order to fight for the life of the Filipino subjects in the tertiary level.
David San Juan (2014), a professor in De La Salle University-Manila, pointed
out that while the memorandum stated that the optional provision for the
teaching of the courses in Filipino dilutes its purpose as most universities in the
country uses English as its default language. In addition to the statements of
oppositions, the Kagawaran ng Filipino of the Ateneo de Manila University
avers that ―Hindi lamang midyum ng pagtuturo and Filipino. Isa itong
disiplina. Lumilikha ito ng sariling larang ng karunungan na nagtatampok sa
pagka-Filipino sa anumang usapin sa loob at labas ng akademya.‖ UP DFPP

8
also reacted on the revision of the curriculum expressing, ―Ang pagtatanggal
ng siyam na yunit ng
Filipino sa kolehiyo ay isang anyo ng karahasang pangkamalayan.
Nilulusaw nito ang pagpapahalaga sa kasaysayan at kabihasnang tanging
Filipino ang makakapagpaliwanag.
On a personal account, being a student myself makes me think twice
about the revision of the GE curriculum in college. Through the years of my
schooling, the Filipino language has been one of the most important factors that
shaped me as a person. It is the language I use at home, in school, and nearly
in everywhere I go every day. I couldn’t stress even more the fact that I am a
Filipino living in the Philippines. I grew up in a family that treasures the native
language of the Philippine culture. Hearing about the mandatory exclusion of
the Filipino subjects in college irks me mostly because I cannot see the point if
it is really necessary to remove the Filipino language when in fact; it plays a
big role in the development of the country. Resorting to dropping these subjects
in favor of others, let alone its mere deletion, is senseless. There are far more
ways to address the issue of the student’s incompetence and the revised
curriculum is not one of them. It is a shameful act to kill the nurturing of the
native language. We are Filipinos and our language is something we should be
proud of – something that we must treasure. Save the country from senseless
actions by fighting for the life of the Filipino subjects. It is not impossible to
oppose such acts if all countrymen are united towards achieving one goal. The
time to act is now – before it is all too late.
(Perez, R.E. (2014). Exit essay: Save the Filipino language. Retrieved from
http://rjaperez.tumblr.com/post/95149266012/exit-essay-save-the-filipino-
language)

Purpose/Context

Author

Audience

Topic & Position

Research/Sources

Proof/Evidence

Organization

Style

Drawing Conclusions

9
 What I Have Learned

Remember!

• Critical reading goes beyond recognition of the text’s meaning and

restating it in your own words.
• A critical reader must be able to do the following
a. Distinguish between fact and opinion
b. Identify the author’s purpose
c. Make inferences
d. Recognize the author’s tone
e. Recognize persuasive techniques.

What I Can Do

Activity 3

Direction: Let’s try if you can infer where I am and what I am doing, and what
can you infer about the feelings of the people in the situations that I’ll be
giving you. The first one has been done for you.

Example:

Can you infer where I am and what I’m doing?

I see bubbles rising. I hear my own breathing. There are fish swimming
above me. I feel the seaweed swaying.

Answer: Scuba diving in the sea!

Now, it’s your turn!

1. Can you infer where I am?

It’s so dark in here. What’s that spooky sound? Oh I feel somebody on
my back! I’m getting nervous.
Answer: _________________
2. Can you infer where I am?
I hear the crowd cheer as the ball gets inside the ring. The players whop
with glee.

10
 Answer: _____________________
3. What can you infer from this?
Rey always carries his guitar with him.
Answer: _____________________
4. What can you infer about Anna’s father?
After Anna broke the vase, her father turned and walked away without
saying anything.
Answer: _____________________
5. What can you infer about the relationship of the speaker and whom she
is speaking to?
If you won’t go, I won’t either.
Answer: _____________________

Assessment

After our lesson, let us now check what you have learned.

Direction: Read the statements carefully, and determine if they are TRUE or
FALSE, then write your answers on the blanks provided before each number.

____________________1. Critical reading is simply recognition of the text’s

meaning and restating it in your own words.

____________________2. Critical reading examines the author’s choice of

content, language and structure.

____________________3. Critical reading teaches the readers to accept all the

presented facts without further examination.

____________________4. A statement of fact can be verified through

experimentation, personal observation or credible sources.

____________________5. A statement of opinion needs further evidence and

other valid supporting details to be proven true.

11
12
What I
Know/Assessment
1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. True
Answers Key
References

Analyzing a written text. Retrieved from:

https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/co301aman/pop7b3.c
fm

Inference reading. Retrieved from:

http://www.criticalreading.com/inference_reading.htm

Critical reading strategies. Retrieved from:

http://www.salisbury.edu/counseling/new/7_critical_reading_strateg
ies.ht ml

Forlini, et.al., (2004) Prentice Hall: Grammar and Composition.