Critical Reading and Thinking

• Critical reading involves actively looking for ways of thinking and reasoning within a text.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the difference between simple and critical reading.
• Differentiate between explicit and implicit presentation of claims.
• Identify claims of fact, claims of policy, and claims of value.
• Determine how the context influences a text.
• Explain critical reading as reasoning.
• Be able to formulate assertions about the text.
• Formulate meaningful counterclaims.
• Determine textual evidence.

Simple vs. Critical Reading

• Simple reading identifies the basic meaning of a text, including what is knows what the text saying and main ideas.
• Critical reading is an advanced form that recognizes the writer's purpose, reflects on the text, and analyzes evidence.

Critical Reading and Thinking

• Critical reading promotes critical thinking by reflecting on ideas presented by the writer.
• Encourages readers to assess claims for truth or acceptability before accepting them.
• Involves finding deeper meanings and applying personal experiences.

Claims Explained

• A claim is a statement of something as true, though not yet proven.
• Determining if claims are explicit or implicit is important for correct interpretation.

Explicit Claims vs. Implicit Claims

• Explicit claims are clear, direct statements, easily identified in a text.
  • Example: "She was very angry about the situation."
• Implicit claims are not directly stated but can be inferred, requiring careful analysis.
  • Example: "She suddenly walked out and slammed the door."

Claims in a Text

• A claim is the author's main argument or point.
• It represents the central idea the author wants you to believe.

Types of Claims

• Claim of Fact
  • A statement that is true or false, proven or disproven with evidence.
  • Used to persuade an audience to accept or reject an idea.
• Claim of Policy
  • A proposed course of action to address a problem or issue.
  • Often argumentative and includes a solution.
• Claim of Value
  • Argues whether something is better or worse than something else.
  • Used to describe something as more or less desirable.

Context of Text

• Context forms the setting for an event, statement, or idea.
• This allows it to be fully understood and assessed
• It surrounds a situation or event.

Hypertext and Intertext

• Hypertext presents information using clickable links, connecting related text, pictures, audio, and video.
• Intertext is a literary theory describing how texts relate to each other, including coding and decoding digital media.

Evaluative Statements

• Evaluative statements are judgments based on evidence and criteria, with suggestions for improvement.
• Considers something as good or bad, right or wrong.
• Steps to formulate:
  • Formulate assertions about the text.
  • Formulate meaningful counterclaims.

Assertions

• Assertions are statements expressing a belief, backed by evidence.
• Formed through critical thinking and relating personal thoughts/knowledge to the text.
• Types: fact, convention, opinion, and preference.

Types of Assertions

• Fact
  • Verified through direct experience, witnesses, observations, and research.
• Convention
  • Socially accepted at a certain time and place, based on laws, rules, customs.
  • Not easily verified due to differing interpretations.
• Opinion
  • Based on facts, but open to arguments and harder to verify.
• Preference
  • Subjective, based on personal choice.
  • Varies from person to person, requiring no evidence.

Counterclaims

• Counterclaims are claims filed against an opposing party.
• Hedges are used to provide a courteous tone.
  • Hedges are words/phrases that minimize criticism (modals, adverbs of frequency/probability).
• Examples include a claim about cows considered sacred in India countered by questioning how an animal chewing its cud could be considered sacred could be a valid thought.

Formulating Counterclaims

• Steps Involve:
  • Identifying points of disagreement.
  • Determining the writer's strongest argument.
  • Researching the writer's views.
  • Looking for weaknesses in the argument.
  • Checking for hidden assumptions.
  • Determining supporting lines from the text.

Determining Textual Evidence

• Use keywords and clues in the text to support ideas, with quotes or paraphrasing.

Types of Textual Evidence

• Statistical Evidence
  • Uses numerical data and statistical analysis.
  • Used in health, risk messaging, and criminal trials.
• Testimonial Evidence
  • Testimony from someone about their experiences.
  • Used in court, writing, and interviews.
• Anecdotal Evidence
  • Based on personal experience or observation.
  • Considered unreliable proof.
• Analogical Evidence
  • Compares similar things to draw an analogy.
  • Helps explain ideas and strengthen arguments.

Standards for Textual Evidence

• Textual evidence needs to meet certain standpoints
• Sufficient: Multiple pieces of supporting evidence.
• Relevant: Directly connecting to the claim.
• Accuracy: Representing the claims well.

Quiz Time - Identify These

• A type of reading that involves recognizing the writer’s purpose, reflecting on the text, and analyzing evidence. (Critical Reading)
• A statement that something is true but has not yet been proven. (A Claim)
• A claim that argues whether something is better or worse, or more or less desirable. (Claim Of Value)
• A type of textual evidence that uses numerical data and analysis to support a claim. (Statistical Data)
• A type of claim that proposes a course of action to address an issue. (Claim Of Policy)
• A statement or argument in a text that is not explicitly stated but can be inferred. (Implicit Claim)
• A counterargument that opposes a previously stated claim. (Counterclaim)
• A type of assertion that is socially accepted in a certain place or time, influenced by laws, traditions, or customs. (Convention)
• A type of evidence that is based on personal experiences or observations rather than . (Anecdotal Evidence)