CRWT PRELIMS REVIEWER

INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL READING Nature of the text

2.1 THE NATURE OF TEXT ▪ structure
2.2 THE NATURE OF TEXT ▪ purpose (informative, persuasive,
READING STARTEGIES FOR CRITICAL THINKING argumentative)
▪ context
▪ audience
INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL READING
▪ academic or non-academic
HOW DO YOU DEFINE READING? Reader’s Schema
According to Cline et al (2006) • formal schema - knowledge of text types, genres,
“Reading is decoding and understanding written texts.” structures
DECODING • linguistic schema - knowledge about vocabulary and
Translation of the symbols of writing system into grammar)
spoken words that they represent • content schema - knowledge of the content area of
UNDERSTANDING the text)
Determined by several factors: • culture - set of beliefs, customs, attitudes, etc.
• reading purpose According to Day and Bamford (1998) “Reading is
• context meaning construction from a printed or written
• nature of the text message.”
• readers’ strategies and knowledge Meaning construction
Reading is decoding and understanding written texts. “the reader connecting information from the
Decoding involves three skills: phonological awareness, written message with previous knowledge to arrive at
alphabetic knowledge, and orthographic knowledge meaning and understanding.”
According to Goodman (1967) “Reading is a
Phonological awareness - includes the ability to psycholinguistic guessing game that involves interaction
segment sounds, rhyme, and identify syllables. between thought and language.”
Alphabetic knowledge, or The Alphabetic Principle, A psycholinguistic guessing game
- which is the understanding that letters are used to Goodman argues that the object of reading is
represent speech sounds not to recognize letters and words, but to make sense of
Orthographic knowledge - is the understanding of the print: to construct meaning.
writing system in order to represent language this can
include spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
Reading is decoding and understanding written texts WHAT IS CRITICAL READING?
Purposes “involves careful judgment and evaluation”
▪ to be entertained to disapprove of” or “to have a negative response to”
▪ to get information “very important, crucial, or vital
▪ to understand ideas or theories
▪ to understand the author’s viewpoint
According to Heilman (1967) “Critical reading is the
▪ to support one’s view
ability to arrive at the author’s main ideas. ”
Context
▪ set of circumstances (social, cultural, political, According to Betts (1957) “Critical reading is done when
historical) that affect the meaning and the reader analyzes the material which he reads and
interpretation of a text questions the validity of inferences drawn.”
▪ the when, where, and why of a text
According to Carter (1953) “Critical reading emphasizes
the higher through processes having to do with
selection-rejection of ideas, the relationships between
ideas, and the organization of information.
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Critical reading is an analytic activity. The reader While-reading Questions:
rereads a text to identify patterns of elements:
• Is this a purely factual piece, or does the author
information, values, assumptions, and language usage,
present a personal opinion here? How can you tell what
throughout the discussion. These elements are tied
is a fact and what is an opinion?
together in an interpretation, an assertion of an
underlying meaning of the text as a whole. • Does the text present a convincing argument about
the topic in question? Has the author done empirical
When you read critically…
research, and if so, what conclusions are reached? Does
• you analyze the circumstances of the the research methodology justify the conclusions
publication of a piece of writing presented? Are charts and graphs used? What
Who wrote it? information do they give?
○ When and where it was published?
• If the author is not presenting the results of his or her
○ Why it was written?
own empirical research, how are the author’s points
○ When you read critically…
supported? Are there statistics? If so, where from? How
• you question how the author reaches his or
about quotations from others? If so, who is being
her conclusions and on what evidence these are
quoted? Does the author rely on anecdotes? If so, are
based
these convincing? How effective is the author’s use of
• you evaluate any original research the author
supporting detail?
might have done, as well as any other sources
the author uses to support his or her points • How do you respond to a text that has no supporting
• you compare and contrast this piece of writing evidence at all, but is simply a well-written presentation
with what you already know about the topic. of the author’s own opinion?
• you consider whether it supports what others
have written or whether it presents a new Post-reading Questions:
opinion. • What is the larger context of this work? How does the
• you assess the strengths, weaknesses and text support or contradict other opinions on this topic?
general validity of a piece of writing, based on Who might agree with the text? Who might disagree?
your careful reading of it. What should you do if a text presents an opinion that is
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER very different from those presented in other articles you
When you read critically, you should think about the have read on the same topic? Should you ignore it, or
following questions. should you consider it?

Pre-reading Questions: How does the text compare with your own experiences
and opinions? Does it support your own experiences, or
• Where was this text published? Was it published in a does it contradict them? Does the text contain
peer-reviewed academic journal, or somewhere else? information (for example, about your home country)
How can you tell? Why does it matter? that you know to be incorrect?
• When was this text published? Is the publication date
important? Is the material still relevant, or is it dated?

Who wrote the text? What do we know about this

person? What credentials might this author have? What
biases might he or she have?

• What is the author’s opinion of the topic being

discussed? Why did the author write this text? Who is
the text intended for? What does the author want the
reader to do as a result of reading this text?
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Difference between Reading and Critical Reading • Improved writing skills

READING CRITICAL READING Reading comprehension can help improve your

PURPOSE writing skills—exposure to different writing styles and
To get basic grasp of To form judgement about ways of communicating ideas in various genres builds
the text HOW a text works your vocabulary
ACTIVITY
Absorbing/understan Analyzing/interpreting/evalu That exposure also leads you to develop your
ding ating writing style and improve your communication skills.
FOCUS
Developing critical thinking and analytical skills
What the text SAYS What a text does and means
DIRECTION Another benefit of reading comprehension is
WITH the text (taking
AGAINST the text that it can help to improve your critical thinking skills.
for granted if it is
(questioning its assumptions When trying to understand a text, you analyze and make
right) and argument, interpreting sense of the information you are reading. You can then
meaning in context) apply that critical thinking process to other areas of your
RESPONSE life.
Restatement, Description, Interpretation,
Summary Evaluation Improved problem-solving skills
DEFINING READING COMPREHNESION
Reading comprehension allows finding solutions
Reading comprehension is the ability to process text, to problems to come naturally.
understand its meaning, and to integrate with what the
It also encourages empathic listening, logical
reader already knows.
thinking, thinking flexibility, and persistence to find
➢ Discover new things because reading comprehension solutions
allows us to educate ourselves in any area of life that we
Increased empathy and understanding
are interested in and to independently do our own
research and thinking; Improving reading comprehension can lead to
increased empathy and understanding, especially for
➢ Access and comprehend different reading materials
children and adolescents
such as textbooks, general references, research,
journals, history books, literature, etc.; As they learn to read and comprehend texts,
they also develop their ability to see things from
➢ Develop our mind and enhance our imagination and another person’s perspective. That helps them become
creativity; more tolerant and understanding of others, even those
➢ Improve our vocabulary and spelling, as well as our who may be different.
linguistic and communicative competence on both Improving memory and recall
written and spoken forms
Active involvement in reading comprehension
IMPORTANCE OF READING COMPREHENSION helps you to remember better what you read. That’s
Development of higher academic self-confidence because your brain is actively processing the
information as you read, which allows you to embed it
Students who understand what they read feel
more confident in their academic capabilities and are Enhancing concentration and focus
more likely to succeed in school Research shows that the simple act of
understanding what you read can help to improve your
attention span. When you comprehend the material,
your brain can better filter distractions and focus on the
task.
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THE NATURE OF TEXT

LET’S PUT IT INTO PRACTICE Discuss the following ✓ Academic vs Non-Academic Text
questions with the class.
✓ Author Credential and Bias
You find a book about Martial Law that presents a
different opinion from your other sources. What would ✓ Stance, Audience, and Purpose
you like to know about the author before you decide
✓ Fact vs Opinion
whether or not to take him seriously?
✓ evidences

NATURE OF TEXT
➢ Knowing more about the nature of the text prepares
you better in understanding the topic, following
references, raising arguments and flowing with the
discussion.
ACADEMIC TEXT

➢ These are texts intended for publication, such as

journal articles, reports, books, and chapters in
edited collections.
➢ An important feature of academic texts is that they
are organized in a specific way; they have a clear
structure.
ACADEMIC TEXTS
• are written by experts or scholars in a particular field
• have undergone the peer-review process
• references are organized and compiled
• are considered as primary sources
Types of Academic Text
Research Paper
➢ a more in-depth investigation based on independent
research, often in response to a question chosen by
the student.
a paper that presents the author’s interpretation,
evaluation, or argument of a topic or issue.
Thesis or Dissertation
➢ the large final research project undertaken at the
end of a degree, usually on a topic of the student's
choice.
Research Proposal
➢ an outline of a potential topic and plan for a future
dissertation or research project
Literature Review
➢ a critical synthesis of existing research on a topic,
usually written in order to inform the approach of a
new piece of research.
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EDITORIAL Academic Text Includes the Following:
an article that presents the newspaper's opinion on an ➢ Content
issue. ➢ Language and Style
LAB REPORT ➢ Structure
an account of an experiment and what was discovered
➢ Mechanics
during the experiment.
How to Write Academic Text
BUSINESS LETTER
➢ Introduction to the topic
a professional and formal letter used as a means of
➢ Place the topic in a context.
communication between business clients, employees,
and stakeholders ➢ Background information
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY a list of citations to books, ➢ Aim of the text
articles, and documents followed by a brief descriptive ➢ Method to fulfill the aim
and evaluative paragraph ➢ The thesis statement or research question
Questions to consider ➢ Findings
• Who wrote it? (an academic or a “layperson”?) ➢ Necessity and the importance of the topic
• Who is it written for? (an academic audience or the
general public?) NON-ACADEMIC TEXT
• Where is it published? (is it from an academic source?
e.g. an academic journal, a university press) ➢ Non-academic texts are writings that are informal
• Is it peer-reviewed? and dedicated to a lay audience. They are
emotional, personal and subjective without any kind
PEER-REVIEW of research involving. Therefore, anyone can write a
It is designed to assess the validity, quality and often the non- academic text.
originality of articles for publication. • authorship is not limited to credentials or writing
Its ultimate purpose is to maintain the integrity of ability, therefore it can be written by anyone
science by filtering out invalid or poor quality articles. • creativity is favored over credibility
• written for the general public
• references are not required
• are considered as secondary sources
• Most articles published in magazines, in newspapers
and on websites are often not academic.
• These might be accurate and might be useful.
• Since they are not reviewed, they might not be accurate
or useful
Types of Non-Academic Text
➢ Personal journal entries
➢ Memoirs
Characteristics of Academic Text ➢ Autobiographical writing
➢ formal and unbiased ➢ Letters
➢ clear and precise ➢ E-mails
➢ focused and well-structured ➢ Text messages
BLOG POST
➢ well-sourced
an informational website run by an individual, group, or
➢ correct and consistent
corporation that offers regularly updated content about
a topic
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NOVEL CREDENTIALS and BIASES?

a narrative work of prose fiction that tells a story about It is always helpful to find out something about the
specific human experiences author of a text and to determine:

Essay a) whether the author is qualified to write with

➢ a fairy short, self-contained argument, often using authority on a particular topic
sources from a class in response to a question
b) what biases an author might bring to a text\
provided by an instructor.
AUTHOR’S CREDENTIALS

Characteristics of Non-Academic Text the author’s qualifications to write with authority on a

particular topic.
➢ Less formal (may idioms Questions to consider:
Learning how to separate academic texts from • What educational background does the author
nonacademic texts is an imperative for students as this have?
knowledge is needed in researching, reviewing and • Has he or she published previously on this
passing assessments topic?
• Is the author considered an authority on the
ACADEMIC TEXT NON- topic?
ACADEMIC TEXT
AUTHOR’S BIAS
audience academia General public
it is any opinion or prejudice that affects that
Purpose Inform the readers, Informs,
author’s writing and prevents the author from being
provide arguments, entertains or
with solid evidence persuades completely neutral about the topic or issue about which
readers he/she is writing.
style formal. Impersonal, Personal, The author’s BIAS can be influenced by:
objective emotional, financial interests
subjective • Was the research sponsored by a particular
Structure Standard culture No rigid company?
structure • Was the author paid to promote a particular
Language Formal language Informal and point of view?
casual language • Commercial websites may give readers a one-
Citations Contains citation and Often do not sided view of their product or service.
and references contain
reference citations
it is any opinion or prejudice that affects that author’s
writing
How to recognize bias?
• Only one side of the argument is presented
• Generalizations are common. Sweeping
statements are made without any real support.
• Extreme statements are used; these are
designed to have an emotional effect to the
reader.
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STANCE, AUDIENCE and PURPOSE? FACT VS OPINION
AUTHOR’S STANCE Your role, as a reader, is to determine whether the text
the opinion, position, or point of view of the author. you are reading is presenting facts that you can trust or
whether it is presenting the opinions of an individual
author.
As you read, you will encounter statements that fall into
one of these categories:
• This is a fact; I can’t argue with this.
• This could well be a fact, but I need to see
some evidence.
• This is the opinion of the author or of
someone quoted by the author.
FACTS
AUDIENCE are pieces of information that no one can argue with.
it refers to who the text is aimed at - Scientific
Who was the text written for? - Historical
• Was it written for an academic or a general audience? - Biographical
AUTHOR’S PURPOSE - Geographical
the reason why the text was written, the goal of the - Statistical
author can be confirmed by numerous independent sources
An academic article: Questions to consider
• to make a contribution to his or her field • What evidence/s is/are the author giving me
• to add to the bank of knowledge available on to make me believe this statement?
a topic • Could the author be biased in some way?
A non-academic text: Where did you find the information? Is the
• to report on new information using language source reliable?
accessible to a general audience
• to persuade/convince the reader to adopt a OPINIONS - are the personal ideas of the author
certain belief or to act in a certain way Opinions often contain the following languages:
• to warn the reader about something • Opinion verbs if the author thinks or believes
• to give advice or suggest a course of action • Adjectives if the author describes something
• to reassure the reader about something as great, terrible, amazing, terrifying or any
• to entertain or amuse the reader adjectives expressing personal feeling
• to advertise a product or service use of comparative and superlative terms such
IN SUMMARY: Asking the following questions might help as better, more interesting, not as good, the
assessing the nature of the text: most important
• Is the text academic or non-academic? • Modal verbs if the author states that
• What is the author’s credentials? something should or must happen
• Is the text biased? “I think a good manager needs to take the time to listen
• What is the author’s stance about the topic? to his or her employees. My current manager is
• Who is the intended audience of the text? amazing! She always calls team meetings to get our
• What is the author’s purpose? feedback on new developments, and she takes our
opinions seriously. I feel respected, and that makes a
huge difference.”
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The Author’s Evidences
• Determining textual evidences will allow ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
readers to better evaluate the author’s evidence based on individual accounts and narrative;
argument. they are not based on scientific research
• It will allow readers to validate the assertions of Examples:
the author • information passed along by word-of-mouth
• casual observations of situations
EVIDENCE • a report of an experience that is not
• details provided by the author to support his/her objectively documented
claim. • To what extent are the anecdotes in the text
• it must be a single fact or set of facts representative of a larger group?
P recise • Can the examples of these people be
D escriptive generalized to a larger group?
F actual • Are they extreme cases, chosen specifically to
An author can use the following as evidence: support a dubious claim?
• Statistical Evidence • “My friend got the COVID-19 vaccine and had
• Testimonial Evidence really bad side effects. Therefore, the COVID-19
• Anecdotal Evidence vaccine always causes really bad side effects.”
• Quotation • “During Diwali in India, I witnessed the joyous
• Visual Items celebrations, the vibrant colors, and the
communal spirit of the Festival of Lights. This
STATISTICAL EVIDENCE cultural immersion offered a glimpse into the
numerical data that came from reliable sources significance of family, community, and
and are product of research (e.g., large-scale scientific spirituality in Indian society.
studies) QUOTATIONS
Statistical evidences can come from: these are pieces of text copied directly from
• polls, census data, experiment results, crime statistics, another source. The writer refers to someone else’s
surveys, economic data writing or speech to support the argument
Ask yourself: Ask yourself:
• Would the same statistics be found if the study • Who is being quoted?
were carried out elsewhere? • What do you know about this person?
• During the final years of the Marcos regime, the • Are you sure this person said the quotation?
economy crashed with negative growth of • What was the context in which the quotation
7.04% in 1984 and - 6.86% in 1985.” was said?
TESTIMONIAL EVIDENCE VISUAL ITEMS
statements that came from the judgment of experts and refers to photographs, illustrations, graphs, charts,
authorities tables, diagrams, and maps
Testimonial evidences can come from: • What purpose does the visual support serve?
• direct interviews with experts Why was the picture chosen? What response does the
• quotes from an expert’s book, paper, or other author want to elicit by using the picture?
material
• own’s specialized knowledge if one has the
credentials or experience to support it

“Economists would also argue that the authoritarian

political climate, along with insecure property rights,
widespread corruption, and unproductive, fraudulent
debt led to an inevitable economic collapse.”
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WHEN NO EVIDENCE IS PRESENTED
the author will attempt to convince the reader by
READING STATEGIES FOR CRITICAL THINKING
creating empathy
✓ Previewing
• The author may choose to use “we” rather than
“people” ✓ Skimming and Scanning
“You and I have something in common; we ✓ Defining Terms & Concepts
both feel the same way about this issue. ✓ Note-taking
• The author may describe hypothetical situations ✓ Outlining, Summarizing and Paraphrasing
that appeal to reader’s emotions ✓ Contextualizing
“Consider, for instance, what would happen to a young “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,
mother who had an abortion: she would likely be and some few to be chewed and digested”. — FRANCIS
forever plagued with guilt because of the heinous BACON
nature of her action.” PREVIEWING
• a reading strategy that allows you to use prior
• The author may oversimplify a complex topic
knowledge
“School violence has gone up and academic It requires readers to skim the text to get the
performance has gone down since video games main idea before reading it in detail.
featuring violence were introduced. Therefore, video • evaluate and identify the following:
games with violence should be banned, resulting in • ▪ the author
school improvement.” • ▪ the place of publication
• ▪ the genre, or type of writing
• An author’s assertion, claims, or opinions must
• ▪ the table of contents
be supported by evidences.
• ▪ headnotes or an abstract (if available)
• A critical reader must evaluate the strength,
relevance, and adequacy of the evidence in • ▪ the title and subtitles
supporting assertions. • ▪ section headings
• Evaluating evidences allows readers to make a • ▪ other information that stands out (such as
judgment about the assertion images, graphs, and tables)
PREVIEWING AUTHOR
• may reveal something about the subject of
the text and its style
• the possible assumptions and biases
Examples of predictions made about the text:
Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The text will probably deal with civil rights.
• The text will be serious and eloquent.
• Topic may be about the social conditions of the 1950s
and 1960s
Stephen King
• The text may be about fear, the craft of writing, or
King’s experiences as a horror novelist.
• May use a language accessible to the general
audience
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PREVIEWING PLACE OF PUBLICATION LINEAR note-taking in logical order, using headings and
• may reveal something about the text subject, subheadings
style, and approach
How do the following news websites usually address a
news story
- RAPPLER
- GMA NEWS DIAGRAMMATIC uses boxes, flowcharts and mind-
- VOGUE mapping
PREVIEWING TITLE
• may give an idea of what subject to expect
• it can also reveal the thesis of the text
• reading subtitles, section headings, and
subheadings can be useful too
SKIMMING & SCANNING
• used to get the overall view, gist or impression
of the content ANNOTATIONS are critical or explanatory notes in the
• used to look for a particular word, phrase, or text
detail from a text Annotate to appreciate; annotate to understand… It
THE “FIRST AND LAST” RULE builds reading confidence; it helps us understand how
• read the FIRST and LAST paragraphs of the essay for literature —because it puts us there among the
important information. phrases.” - - Nick Ripatrazone
• FIRST PARAGRAPH – central thesis
• LAST PARAGRAPH – conclusive statements
• this rule also applies to individual paragraphs
• main points can also be found in the first and last
sentence of each paragraph

NOTE-TAKING
UNDERLINING & HIGHLIGHTING
encourages active reading by interacting with the text.
Highlighting keywords or phrases will help you:
• Make it easier to see key points when
rereading the text.
• Think more carefully about the key concepts
and ideas in the text, the bits that are worth
highlighting
MAKE WRITTEN NOTES
Elements that you must include in your written notes:
a) The content of your reading, through summaries,
paraphrasing, and quoting important phrases.
b) Your reaction to the content, which includes
emotional reactions and questions
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Why SUMMARIZE & PARAPHRASE?
DEFINING TERMS AND CONCEPTS It can help you…
• Writers will attempt to provide provisional • validate the basis of your ideas
definition of important terms and concepts to • support your argument
advance their arguments. • clarify in simple terms the complex ideas
• Readers may accept the definitions or argue contained in a text
against it by offering their own definition • build new ideas from existing ideas on the
topic
TERM vs CONCEPT CONTEXTUALIZING
TERM Texts are not written in isolation
• a concrete and fixed definition used to One needs to place the text in their context, and how it
represent or refer to concepts. (legal term, medical can be influenced by the following…
term, etc.) • One needs to place the text in their context, and
“According to the legal definition, the term ‘exploitation’ how it can be influenced by the
means A, B, and C.” • author’s biases and personal agenda; and
CONCEPT • social, political, historical, and cultural
• an abstract or general idea that represents a circumstances
category, class, or notion. • One also needs to see how the text fits in with
“For the purpose of this argument, let’s define ‘exploitation’ other texts on the same subject: whether it
as a moral concept that involves A, B, and C.” supports previously published material or
MILK or not MILK? whether it presents a new perspective.
The word ‘milk’ is a term with a technical definition: a CONTEXTUALIZING SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT
high-fat, high-protein liquid secreted by female animals • Academic authors will align themselves with a
to nourish their young. particular school of thought within a field of
The word “milk” can also be conceptually defined as any discipline
kind of white-ish liquid • Each school of thought will offer distinct
OUTLINING, SUMMARIZING, & PARAPHRASING perspectives and interpretations of topics and
a reading strategy that organizes ideas and the main issues
points of the text.
• Identify if the work you are reading is
OUTLINING
representative of a particular school of thought
an outline is the skeleton of the text pinpointing the
The following statements offer different theories that
main ideas of the text
explain why the world’s poorest countries are in this
• Outlining the text will allow you to see the
situation
relationships among ideas
Field of study: Human Geography
SUMMARIZING
School of thought: geographical determinism
a brief account of the important points of a text
The poorest parts of the world often have
• Summarizing will help you prepare for writing by
difficult terrain, geographical factors, together with a
providing a snapshot of the arguments.
lack of infrastructure in the form of extensive
PARAPHRASING
transportation networks, have meant that these regions
a restatement of a text in your own words and
have not developed trade relationships and have been
understanding
isolated from outside influences. Consequently, they
• A paraphrase can be as long as the original
have not developed as rapidly as other parts of the
or even longer, while a summary is much
world.
shorter
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CONTEXTUALIZING THE READER

The reading process involves the text, the author, and

the reader

As a reader, you must bring your own opinions and

experiences to the text

• Does this text match my own experiences with

the topic?

• If so, how does the text contribute to my

understanding of the topic? What can I learn from it?

• If not, what are the differences?

• What might cause any differences?

o Is the text current or dated?

o Is the author qualified?

o Is the author biased?

o Are the evidences used come from unreliable

sources?

IN SUMMARY

• These reading strategies will allow readers to actively

engage with the text and identify how the text works.

• Critical Thinking in reading encourages readers to

form rational decisions based on the text.