Critical reading and critical thinking are interrelated skills that involve carefully analyzing a text. Critical reading involves decoding text to understand the meaning and considering how personal experiences influence interpretation. It also requires surveying, questioning, carefully reading, recalling the main ideas, and reviewing the text. Critical thinking involves applying reason over emotion, requiring evidence to support claims, acknowledging biases, considering multiple viewpoints, and making well-informed judgments. While critical reading focuses on understanding a text and critical thinking evaluates ideas, the two work together as critical reading provides the basis for critical thinking and critical thinking helps monitor comprehension during reading.
Critical reading and critical thinking are interrelated skills that involve carefully analyzing a text. Critical reading involves decoding text to understand the meaning and considering how personal experiences influence interpretation. It also requires surveying, questioning, carefully reading, recalling the main ideas, and reviewing the text. Critical thinking involves applying reason over emotion, requiring evidence to support claims, acknowledging biases, considering multiple viewpoints, and making well-informed judgments. While critical reading focuses on understanding a text and critical thinking evaluates ideas, the two work together as critical reading provides the basis for critical thinking and critical thinking helps monitor comprehension during reading.
Critical reading and critical thinking are interrelated skills that involve carefully analyzing a text. Critical reading involves decoding text to understand the meaning and considering how personal experiences influence interpretation. It also requires surveying, questioning, carefully reading, recalling the main ideas, and reviewing the text. Critical thinking involves applying reason over emotion, requiring evidence to support claims, acknowledging biases, considering multiple viewpoints, and making well-informed judgments. While critical reading focuses on understanding a text and critical thinking evaluates ideas, the two work together as critical reading provides the basis for critical thinking and critical thinking helps monitor comprehension during reading.
Reading is a complex "cognitive process" of decoding
symbols in order to construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). Reading is a means of language acquisition, communication, and of sharing information and ideas. It is a complex interaction between the text and the reader which is shaped by the reader’s : 4 prior knowledge 4 experiences, 4 Attitude 4 language community which is culturally and socially situated. Kinds of Reading Scanning For example, scanning a telephone book: 4 You are looking for it quickly. 4 You know what you are searching for (key words and names). 4 You 'see' every item on the page, but you don't necessarily read the pages - you ignore anything you are not looking for. Thus, when you discover the key words being searched for, you will be unable to recall the exact content of the page. Skimming
When you read quickly to gain a general impression as
to whether the text is of use to you. You are not necessarily searching for a specific item and key words. Skimming provides an 'overview' of the text. Skimming is useful to look at chapter/section headings, summaries and opening paragraphs. The purpose of skimming: 4 To check relevance of text. 4 Sets the scene for the more concentrated effort that is to follow, if the text is useful. Extensive Reading
A method of reading for study is called SQ3R the aim is to
understand the material in some depth. The method involves five simple steps; Survey, Question, Read, Recall and Review. 4 Survey: skim through to gain an overview and not key points. 4 Question: devise questions you hope the text will answer. 4 Read: slowly and carefully. 4 Recall: from memory, write down the main points made by the chapter. 4 Review: revisit your questions - compare these to your recall and establish how well the text has answered them; fill in any gaps by further reading and note-taking. Critical Reading Critical reading is an analytic activity. The reader rereads a text to identify patterns of elements -- information, values, assumptions, and language usage-- throughout the discussion. These elements are tied together in an interpretation, an assertion of an underlying meaning of the text as a whole. Whenever you read, read to understand “how,” “why,” and “what.” Look for the elements of reasoning: purpose, question at issue, point of view, information, concepts, implications, assumptions, conclusions, context, and alternatives. Goals of Critical Reading Textbooks on critical reading commonly ask students to accomplish certain goals: 4 To recognize an author’s purpose 4 To understand tone and persuasive elements 4 To recognize bias Guideline for Critical Reading Throughout, critical reading relies on abstracting, on classifying the nature of things, 4 The nature of the structure of the text 4 The nature of the language employed 4 The nature of the examples & illustrations used 4 And the nature of the thinking that would explain all aspects of the text being as they are. 4 Look for the author’s main point, and mark it when you find it. 4 Ask “What?” Why?” “Who?” “How?” and “So what?” questions. 4 Look for connections to other documents that might be helpful as resources. 4 Re-read the document and compare your initial findings with your new understanding. Have your questions been answered? In the end, readers must take control of the text, not just repeat its assertions. At its core, critical reading involves becoming the author of one's own understanding. Critical Thinking No one always acts purely objectively and rationally. We connive for selfish interests. We gossip, boast, exaggerate, and equivocate. It is "only human" to wish to validate our prior knowledge, to vindicate our prior decisions, or to sustain our earlier beliefs. In the process of satisfying our ego, however, we can often deny ourselves intellectual growth and opportunity. We may not always want to apply critical thinking skills, but we should have those skills available to be employed when needed. 4 Critical thinking includes a complex combination of skills. Among the main characteristics are the following: Rationality We are thinking critically when we: 4 rely on reason rather than emotion, 4 require evidence, ignore no known evidence, and follow evidence where it leads, and 4 are concerned more with finding the best explanation than being right analyzing apparent confusion and asking questions. Self-awareness We are thinking critically when we: 4 weigh the influences of motives and bias, and 4 recognize our own assumptions, prejudices, biases, or point of view. Honesty We are thinking critically when we recognize emotional impulses, selfish motives, nefarious purposes, or other modes of self- deception. Open-mindedness We are thinking critically when we: 4 Evaluate all reasonable inferences 4 Consider a variety of possible viewpoints or perspectives, 4 Remain open to alternative interpretations 4 Accept a new explanation, model, or paradigm because it explains the evidence better, is simpler, or has fewer inconsistencies or covers more data 4 Accept new priorities in response to a re-evaluation of the evidence or reassessment of our real interests, and 4 Do not reject unpopular views out of hand. Discipline We are thinking critically when we 4 are precise, meticulous, comprehensive, and exhaustive 4 resist manipulation and irrational appeals, and 4 avoid snap judgments. Judgment We are thinking critically when we 4 recognize the relevance and/or merit of alternative assumptions and perspectives 4 recognize the extent and weight of evidence Critical Reading vs Critical Thinking We can distinguish between critical reading and critical thinking in the following way: 4 Critical reading is a technique for discovering information and ideas within a text. 4 Critical thinking is a technique for evaluating information and ideas, for deciding what to accept and believe. Critical reading refers to a careful, active, reflective, analytic reading. Critical thinking involves reflecting on the validity of what you have read in light of our prior knowledge and understanding of the world. By these definitions, critical reading would appear to come before critical thinking: Only once we have fully understood a text (critical reading) can we truly evaluate its assertions (critical thinking). In actual practice, critical reading and critical thinking work together. Critical thinking allows us to monitor our understanding as we read. If we sense that assertions are ridiculous or irresponsible (critical thinking), we examine the text more closely to test our understanding (critical reading). Conversely, critical thinking depends on critical reading. You can think critically about a text (critical thinking), after all, only if you have understood it (critical reading). We may choose to accept or reject a presentation, but we must know why. We have a responsibility to ourselves, as well as to others, to isolate the real issues of agreement or disagreement. Only then can we understand and respect other people’s views. To recognize and understand those views, we must read critically. End
The Unknown Methods of Critical Thinking: Discover The Key Skills and Tools You Will Need for Critical Thinking, Decision Making and Problem Solving, Using Highly Effective Practical Techniques