Critical Reading and Reasoning

Critical Reading

• Critical reading enhances understanding by questioning the text, rather than accepting it at face value.
• It involves scrutinizing the composition to identify inconsistencies, oversights, limitations, and reasonable arguments others might miss.

Reasoning

• Reasoning, as defined by Merriam-Webster, involves providing statements for justification and explanation.
• It is the ability to defend something with reasons.

Goals of Critical Reading (Prentice Hall)

• Distinguishing between fact and opinion
• Identifying the author's purpose
• Making inferences
• Recognizing the author's tone
• Recognizing persuasive techniques

Reflection Points for Critical Readers

• Determine the text's meaning: Summarize key points by taking notes and paraphrasing in your own words.
• Describe the text: Show confidence in understanding the text by using personal examples and comparing/contrasting it with related works.
• Interpret the text: Fully analyze the text to articulate its meaning as a whole.

Formulating Evaluative Statements

• It's vital to support assertions and counterclaims with valid evidence to craft meaningful evaluative statements.
• Evaluative statements are formed after careful and critical reading, to grasp of the text's essence and identify potential fallacies.
• The process mirrors other writing but focuses on your judgment of the text's content and characteristics.

Identifying Assertions

• An assertion is a declaration made as if true, reflecting a strong belief, even without proof, and expresses ideas or feelings.
• Effective assertion means thorough reading or viewing the work to identify points of agreement or opposition.
• Gather evidence from other literary sources supporting that same premise.

Types of Assertions (Ramones)

• Ramones identifies types of assertion usable in formal or informal writing.

Basic Assertion

• A basic assertion expresses feelings, beliefs, and opinions directly.
• This type is common in formal papers like theses and dissertations.
• Example: The presence of developed government, social structure and ancient writing proves The Philippines had an advanced civilization before Spanish colonization.
• It is the first sentence of the example, with the second giving supporting evidence

Emphatic Assertion

• An emphatic assertion expresses empathy and understanding.
• Two parts: Recognize situation/feelings and state your stand.
• Example: Knowing pre-colonial Philippines had "baybayin" proves Filipinos were literate before the Spaniards.
• The first part recognizes the situation and the second details the writer's opinion.

Language Assertion

• A language assertion expresses the writer's feelings and preferences using "I."

• This suits reviews or reflections, especially with negative feelings, consists of three parts.

• The Three Parts;

  • Mention the literary topic they disagree with
  • Mention it's affect
  • Recommend their preference

• Example: Feeling proud of stratification, but sad over social classes, wants me to do more research on all current social structures.

• It is divided into three sections to include the author's feelings and preferences.

Assertion Examples

• Basic Assertion: Before the Spaniard's arrival, Filipino culture was completely still pure with a structured Government
• Emphatic Assertion: A pre-colonial Filipino civilization was established. it is completely FALSE to to believe Spain made the Philippines civilized.
• Language Assertion: While may think the Spanish civilized them, historical evidence shows that The Philippines was already thriving.

Assertion Examples Continued

• The Earth revolves around the Sun
• Water boils at 100°C under normal atmospheric pressure.
• Exercise is beneficial for maintaining good health.
• Everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities, regardless of their background!
• Climate change is real, and immediate action is necessary to protect our planet!
• Hard work and perseverance are key factors in achieving success!
• Respect for online learning can exist, however, face to Face is more effective.
• Understand that some like the city, I prefer the peace of the country
• While tech is useful, it does lower human connections.

Types of Assertion According to the Degree of Certainty

• Source: www.elcomblus.com/identifying-assertions

Fact

• It can be objectively proven with direct experience, witness testimonies, verified observation, or research.
• These statements are checked for accuracy.
• Example: The Sampaguita root is used for medicines, such as sedative and anesthetic.
• It is verifiable as research confirms this.

Convention

• Convention are traditions and norms
• It depends on law, rules, and general customs, with truthfulness based on common definitions.
• Example: The Sampaguita belongs to the family Oleaceae.
• Classifying science is acceptable by scientists

Opinion

• These assertions are based on fact but are difficult to objectively prove
• Ambiguities create disputes
• Example: Sampaguita flowers are popular at worship
• Its popularity is proven because it has too many observations but studies are needed

Preference

• The assertions are subjective
• They cannot be objectively proven
• Example: Sampaguita flowers are pretty
• This means that the preference is about the flavor of flowers, and isn't comparing flowers across the board.

Examples

• Preference: I only drink coffee
• Action movies are my taste over romantic
• Music by classics than new pop
• I would rather read
• Climbing is my exercise

Formulating Counterclaims

• Counterclaims present opposing viewpoints to the central claim.

• Including them strengthens writing, proving your opinion is well-supported.

• Addressing counterclaims demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the topic.

• Effective critical thinkers surpass identifying claims and assertions via www.elcomblus.com

• Analyzing the argument is essential, to show how it is objective to engage points of view from their own

• It recognizes reactions as personal

Introducing the Counterclaim

• Begin the counterclaim with phrases such as:
  • The opposing view is that….
  • Some people think…
  • Some may say that….
  • Others may believe…
• After introducing the counterclaim, explain its flaws using phrases like: Despite this information…, Nevertheless…, or However…
• This demonstrates the opposing side is wrong

Examples

• "Social studies is the fav student class." However science can do more. With science, you can dissect instead of reading

Claims

• Give counterclaim base
• Issue: The tracker on phones is a good idea to know where kids are
• Good idea depending on the did crime

Determining Textual Evidence

• Developing personal ideas, questions, and claims from a text is natural for critical readers.

• Citing textual evidence is essential to support these thoughts.

• Supporting assertions/counterclaims with textual evidence is important.

• Using information coming from the text is essential to prove an argument

• An author has a position and uses evidence, with textual evidence at play to debates those

• Textual evidence helps show facts that are precise

Analyzing Textual Evidence

• Data includes source information, giving analysis to conclusions

  • From January 3rd to the 26th of 2021, the Philippines had over 514,000 deaths.

• Testimony is meant to find facts

• Mechanic knows an engine, Doctor has years on training, and Pilot has hours of experience.

• Stats and testimony help analyze data accurately

• Note: Anecdotal advice is factual or non factual

  • Alone, anecdotes are not sufficient, but are useful for engagement

Examples of Anecdotes

-Smoking for 90 years. This overlooks bad symptoms

• Sharing weight loss. Their feeling doesnt help

• Vitamin helping them over others

• "Hot as the sun" analogies offer evidence when sources don't Cutting edge data are given during research starting

• 2 Analogies; using cell phones indicates sizes, seeing films is another

• Analogy only has parallels and shows the films aren't boring!

• analogical evidence is the weakest format

Analogy Examples

• Concepts are hidden. Understanding what you cant do at once.
• Friends are like a sturdy tree
• Comparing traditional ways with online
• Garden startup requires plants

How to Cite Textual Evidence

• State your idea about the text for a specific question.
• Support it with quotes or paraphrased sentences from the text, along with signal phrases like " in the first paragraph…"
• Explain how quoted support and idea given shows the answer

Sample Answer

• The writers question is that a bird killer asks 3 to seven questions in the states.

• Use evidence in the text to show support. It is like an eye catcher due to the number

• They want people to not hunt the cats with evidence given to help support.