CO QAH + MELC LW
Course Outline & Quality Assured HANDOUT No. 1
Handouts paired with MELC- Based in Reading and Writing Skills
Learner’s Worksheet
MELC: Explain critical reading as a form of reasoning (EN11/12RWS-IVac-8)
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Semester: __2nd___ Quarter: 4(Final) Week No. ___1___ Day: __1-4___
LESSON: Critical Reading as a Form of Reasoning
This topic exposes you to the idea and value of reading the text and beyond the text. In connection, this will
help you develop your critical reading, thinking, and reasoning skills and eventually enable you to effectively
respond to challenges by taking sensible actions to various issues which beset the society today.
TOPIC 1: CRITICAL READING
What is Critical Reading?
Critical reading is a process of analyzing, interpreting and, sometimes, evaluating what we read. When we
read critically, we use our critical thinking skills to QUESTION both the text and our own reading of it.
Critical reading also tells the reader what the text does and what it means. In other words, while basic
reading is concerned with what is in a text, critical reading is also concerned with how the text is written
and why it is written this way.
- A critical reader constantly asks one big question as he reads:
AM I REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT I'M READING?
This question can be broken down into many other questions:
A. CONSIDERING THE SOURCE
1. What kind of publication is this?
2. What is the author's background in this subject?
3. To whom is the author writing?
B. RECOGNIZING WHAT IS SAID
4. Had the author really said what I think he said?
C. RECOGNIZING ASSUMPTIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS
5. Does the author make inconsistent statements?
6. What has the author assumed to be true? Which of these assumptions are stated? unstated?
7. Does a particular statement depend on context for its intended meaning?
8. What does the author imply? insinuate?
D. RECOGNIZING INTENT, ATTITUDE, TONE, AND BIAS
9. Why is the author writing this? motive? purpose?
10. What is the author's attitude? tone? biases?
11. Does the author mean what he says or is he making his point in a roundabout way through humor,
satire, irony, or sarcasm?
12. Are the author's words to be taken exactly as they appear, or are they slang, idioms, or figures of
speech? 13. Which of the author's statements are facts? opinions?
E. ANALYZING ARGUMENTS
14. Does the author write emotionally? using sentiment? horror? name-calling? flag waving? `
15. Which of the author's statements does he support? Which does he leave unsupported?
16. What conclusions does the author reach?
17. Of the author's conclusions, which are justified? Which ones are not justified?
Kurland (2010) noted that to non-critical readers, text provide facts. Readers gather knowledge in a way of
memorizing the statements in a text. Critical readers recognize not only what a text says, but also how a text
describes the subject matter. According to him, there are three steps or modes of analysis which can be reflected in
three types of reading and discussion:
As a critical reader you should think:
What the text says: (restatement) after critically reading a piece you should be able to take
notes, paraphrasing - in your own words – the key points.
What the text does: (description):you should be confident that you have understood the text
enough to be able to use your own examples and compare and contrast with other writing on the
subject in hand.
What a text means: (interpretation): this means that you should be able to fully analyze the
text and state a meaning for the text as a whole.
It is important therefore, that you not only learn to read critically but also efficiently. To read efficiently
is to become selective by choosing carefully what you will read. And to start with, you need to know what you are
looking for. You can then examine the contents page and/or index of a book or journal to find out whether a chapter
or article is worth to be read further.
It is essential to read critically because it requires you to evaluate the arguments in the text. This also
means being aware of your opinions and expectations (positive and negative) of the text you are reading so you can
evaluate it honestly.
EVALUATION GUIDE FOR CRITICAL READING
ELEMENTS FOR
EXPLANATION GUIDE
EVALUATION
This is the substance of the text. Are the opinions/ideas present comprehensibly
Content including the depth of the text? As a whole, is it captivating the audience or the
reader?
This is the stand of the author on an issue/article. Are facts included on it? Does it
Objectivity present both sides of an argument? Does the author have ethical and moral
consideration in his/her article?
This is the intention of the author in his/her article. Its entire meaning and the
Significance value of the issue/article into its reader. Can the reader preferably connect the
issue to his/her life? Is it open for interaction? How is it valuable to the reader?
What is Critical Reasoning? TOPIC 2: CRITICAL REASONING
Critical reasoning involves the ability to actively and skilfully conceptualize, analyze, question, and
evaluate ideas and beliefs. Critical reasoning is the opposite of dogma. Dogma is unquestioned information —
information that is embraced without the intervention of active thought or criticism. To reason critically is to
question the ideas and beliefs of others and oneself and to challenge dogma and authority.
When we start to question the ideas and beliefs we live by, we start to think for ourselves. To think for
ourselves involves a critical attitude of reflecting upon how we think and act. To think critically is to question
the world and thus to engage critically with the possibilities and alternatives which the world offers.
Critical reasoning involves three important components of reasoning. These components are as follows:
Critical reasoning is thinking for yourself.
Critical reasoning is informed reasoning.
Critical reasoning is critical self-reflection.
Becoming a Critical Thinker
Critical reasoning or critical thinking is a basic skill that all humans are born with, but which can be sharpened
with practice. The better your ability to think critically, the better you will be at making good decisions in your life.
The skills involved in critical reasoning will assist you in every area of life and study, whether it is deciding which
political candidate to vote for or which job to take.
FUNCTIONS/
DESCRIPTIONS EXAMPLES
COMPONENTS
Thinking for If you think for yourself, you question the world and
Yourself offer alternative viewpoints about the way the world is
perceived by other people.
When we say think for yourself, we don’t mean
“Too much exposure to
‘think selfishly for yourself’. We mean ‘think
radiation has negative effects
independently’. A person who thinks for herself or himself
to one’s health. I should limit
has to have a sense of humility, and of modesty, and of
myself in using gadgets.”
relativity because you have to realise that other people are
also thinking for themselves and you’re bound to come out
with something a little different from what they are
thinking. In order to become a critical thinker, you need to
have the ability to listen and the modesty to adjust your
point of view as you gather more insights.
Thinking in an Informed reasoning is based on claims that can be
Informed Way substantiated. In other words, your opinion is based on fact
(Informed and not on personal opinion. In today’s world where we
Reasoning) become ever more involved in using technology as a
resource for information, it is crucial that we have the
ability to think in an informed way in order to be able to “My mother teaches me that I
interpret the amount of information available to us. should not marry someone I
The ability to form and articulate opinions is don’t love therefore I should
extremely important in all facets of life. As citizens, people not marry someone I don’t
need to form opinions about political issues and leaders in love.”
order to vote responsibly. We must form opinions about
social issues, and we form opinions about the people we
work and interact with on a daily basis. However, simply
having an opinion about a given topic is not enough. In this
age of information, if we want to effectively share our
opinions with others, we must be educated about the topics
we are discussing. Whether writing a letter to the editor
about a local issue or trying to convince your boss that
you’ve developed a great business strategy or convincing
your parents that you should have a specific privilege,
presenting an informed, educated opinion is much more
effective than sharing one based on emotion or personal
experience alone.
In our opinion critical self-reflection entails the
CRITICAL
ability to reflect critically on your own assumptions, and to
SELF-
“Eating unhealthy foods
critically evaluate your own prejudicial attitudes and
REFLECTION
causes serious health
biases.
problems. If I reduce my food
Critical self-reflection relates to self-knowledge and
intake, I might avoid getting
self-awareness. Furthermore, the enterprise of critical self-
sick.”
reflection is liberating in that it allows us to think for
ourselves instead of being indoctrinated and manipulated
by stereotypical beliefs.
REFERENCES
Dayagbil, Felomina, et. Al (2016). Critical Reading and Writing for the Senior High School. Lorimar
Publishing, Inc., Quezon City
Critical Reasoning. Retrieved from https://wikieducator.org/Critical_reasoning/Readings/Reading_1
The Story of Stan and Daniel. Retrieved from https://brainly.in/question/21173612
Prepared by:
FRELYN S. CUATON
Teacher I
Rafael Lentejas Memorial School of Fisheries
09356033746
YLRAH MAY D. SALOR
Teacher II
Oquendo National High School
09975831554
MARJON M. PAJARDO
Teacher II
San Joaquin National High School- Main Campus
09061012328
