Critical Thinking and Reading

Brain Teasers
1. A plane full of Filipino tourists crashes on the border between Spain and Portugal. Where should the survivors be buried? 2. If you drive a bus with 50 people on board from Manila to Pampanga and drop off 5 people in Caloocan, 5 people in Balintawak and 5 people in Bulacan, when you arrive in Pampanga 36 hours later, what is the drivers name?

Brain Teasers
3. If you had a match and entered the dark room with a fire place, a candle and an oil lamp, what would you light first? 4. Which statement is correct: Seven plus five is eleven, or seven plus five are eleven?

How many correct answers did you get?

Did you have difficulty in answering the brain teasers? What does answering those items require? Did those items force you to think critically?
What is critical thinking? critical reading?

Critical Thinking
is the use of cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome. It is used to describe thinking that is purposeful, reasoned and goal directed Critical thinking is reflective reasoning about beliefs and actions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is always true, sometimes true, partly true, or false.

Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the art of thinking about your thinking while you are thinking in order to make your thinking better: more clear, more accurate, or more defensible - Paul, Binker, Adamson, and Marin (1989)

Uses of Critical Thinking

1. underlies reading, writing, speaking, and listening . . . the basic elements of communication. 2. plays an important part in social change . . . institutions in any society - courts, governments, schools, businesses - are the products of a certain way of thinking. 3. helps us uncover bias and prejudice. 4. is a path to freedom from half-truths and deceptions."

Uses of Critical Thinking

5. the willingness to change one point of view as we continue to examine and re-examine ideas that may seem obvious. Such thinking takes time and the willingness to say three subversive words: I don't know.

Attributes of a Critical Thinker

1.Ask pertinent questions 2. Assess statements and arguments 3. Admit a lack of understanding or information 4. Have a sense of curiosity 5. Are interested in finding new solutions 6. Are able to clearly define a set of criteria for analyzing ideas 7. Are willing to examine beliefs, assumptions, and opinions and weigh them against facts

Attributes of a Critical Thinker

8. Listen carefully to others and give feedback 9. See that critical thinking is a lifelong process of self-assessment 10. Suspend judgments until all facts have been gathered and considered 11. Look for evidence to support assumptions and beliefs

Attributes of a Critical Thinker

12. Adjust opinions when new facts are found 13. Look for proof 14. Examine problems closely 15. Are able to reject information that is incorrect or irrelevant.

What is Critical Reading?

Critical reading is (1) the process of making judgments in reading: evaluating relevance and adequacy of what is read, (2) an act of reading in which a questioning attitude, logical analysis, and inference are used to judge the worth of what is read according to an established standard. .

What is Critical Reading?

.Among the identified skills of critical reading involved in making judgments are those having to do with the authors intent or purpose; with the accuracy, logic, reliability and authenticity of writing; and with the literary forms, components, and devices identified through literary analysis.

Characteristics of Critical Readers

1. Willing to spend time reflecting on the ideas presented in their reading assignments. 2. Able to evaluate and solve problems while reading rather than merely compile a set of facts to be memorized. 3. Logical thinkers. 4. Diligent in seeking out the truth. 5. Eager to express their thoughts on a topic.

Steps in Critical Reading

Before you read Scan the piece to get an idea of what it is about and what the main argument is. This may include reading an introduction if there is one, or the subheadings. While you read Keep a running dialogue with the author through annotation by recording your thoughts, ideas, and questions. Underline, highlight, or circle important parts and points, and write comments in the margins.

Steps in Critical Reading

After you have read Look over your annotations to get an overall idea of the text. You may also choose to write a summary to solidify your understanding. Responding to the text After you have developed a clear sense of the authors argument and line of reasoning, you are able to analyze the authors argument and methods. Then, you can develop your own ideasperhaps into an essay of your own.

Considerations in Critical Reading

1. Consider the authority of the writer 2. Consider the Logic of the Writers Argument 3. Expose the ways in which the writer gets your interest. 4. Consider the writers use of Language and Style 5. Consider the Ideology that informs the text.

Activity Time

Thank You !!