Critical Reading

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Critical Reading Master Program of Literature Study on Translation Gunadarma University

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Critical Reading. Master Program of Literature Study on Translation Gunadarma University. L earning O utcomes. By the end of this lecture , EXPECTEDLY student s will: Better understand what critical thinking and critical reading are - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of Critical Reading

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Critical Reading

Master Program of LiteratureStudy on Translation

Gunadarma University

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Learning OutcomesBy the end of this lecture, EXPECTEDLY students will:

• Better understand what critical thinking and critical reading are

• Know why critical thinking and critical reading are important

• Have some knowledge of model of critical thinking and elaboration on critical reading

• Accept the challenge to think critically in reading text

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Part 1:

On Being Critical and

Critical Thinking

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The use of the term “critical”

• “Critical” in this context means

– “to analyse and evaluate” –

• It does not mean

– “to make unkind remarks”

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“Disciplined, self-directed thinking . . . ”*

T H I N K I N

G

The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, 1987.

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“ (Thinking) . . . which exemplifies the perfections of thinking. . .”*

T H I N

K I N G

The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, 1987.

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In “everyday” language:

• Thinking “outside” the box

• Thinking about thinking

• “Unlimited” thinking

• Divergent thinking

T H I N K I N

G

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T H I N K I N

G“The intellectually disciplinedprocess of actively and skillfullyconceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information.”*

* The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, 1987.

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T H I N K I N

G

“Critical thinking is the art of analyzingand evaluating thinking with a viewto improving it.”*

*The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts And Tools, 5 ed. The Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2008.

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T H I N K I N G

“Critical thinking is . . .

• Self-disciplined• Self-monitored• Self-corrective thinking.”*

*The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools, 5th ed. The Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2008.

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T H I N K I N

G

It concerns itself with 8 elements of thought

• Point of view• Purpose• Questions at issue• Implications and consequences• Information• Interpretation and Inference• Concepts• Assumptions

*The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools, 5 ed. The Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2008.

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Point of View What are the . . .

– Frames of reference– Perspectives– Orientations

And how do they influence “point of view”?

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Purpose

What are the

• Goals

• Objectives

And how do they relate to point of view?

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What does critical thinking involve?

• Making logical inferences(based upon the information presented)

• Drawing logical conclusions(based upon the information presented)

• Higher levels of thinking, such as . . .

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•Conceptualizing•Applying•Analyzing•Synthesizing•Evaluating

• Conceptualizing— developing a “mind picture”

• Applying—putting conceptual info to use

• Analyzing—closely examining, tearing apart or breaking down to really look at

• Synthesizing—pulling things together in a

well- organized logical way

• Evaluating—making decisions about; reviewing; assessing; rtc.

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ACTIVITIESTIME PERMITTING, WORK THROUGH ACTIVITIES

IN YOUR BOOKLET. BE SURE TO THINK CRITICALLY!

Why is Critical Thinking Important?

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Why Is Critical Thinking Important?

. . . it underlies the basic elements of communication

. . . it plays an important part in social change. . .

. . . it is a path to freedom from half-truths and deceptions

Critical thinking helps us develop:

• Intellectual Humility• Intellectual Autonomy• Intellectual Integrity• Intellectual Courage• Intellectual Perseverance• Confidence in Reason• Intellectual Empathy• Fairmindedness

. . . traits important to the development of a multi-cultural world view and the diminishing of irrational thought!

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Characteristics of “cultivated” critical thinkers

Cultivated critical thinkers . . .

Goal: to become cultivated critical thinkers

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• Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;

A well cultivated critical thinker . . .

Raise vital questionsFormulate questions and problems clearly, precisely

By : --raising vital questions --formulating questions clearly and precisely

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• Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively,

•Gather information

•Analyze and assess it

• Evaluate it

By: --gathering information, then --assessing it and determining what it means and what it is worth

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• Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;

Draw conclusionsFind solutionsUse relevant criteria to test them

By: --drawing conclusions from the information presented --finding possible, plausible solutions and testing them with relevant criteria

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Keep an open mind

By --maintaining an open mind

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• Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.

Network w/others;keep lines of communication open

By networking with others and maintaining open lines of communication with them and others.

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Dare to think outside the box!

To become a cultivated critical thinker:

• Develop a sense of observation and curiosity• Become interested in finding new solutions• Share ideas• Ask pertinent questions• Assess statements and arguments• Seek understanding and information

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Also . . .

• Examine beliefs, assumptions, and opinions; wei gh them against

truth

• Listen to others, think about what they say, give feedback

• Become an open-minded listener and reader

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Part 2:

On Reading and

Critical Reading

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reading: a differentiated practice

No text is neutral. All texts position readers to accept certain views of the world. Readers, however, have the reciprocal power to counter that positioning.

1. Dominant: reading in agreement with the text.

2. Alternative: reading in mild disagreement across the text.

3. Resistant: reading in opposition to the text. Johnson (2001) & Moon (2001)

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Good Reader vs. Poor Reader

• Read with purpose• Read and assimilate

thought• Read critically and ask

questions to evaluate the author arguments

• Read a variety of books• Enjoy reading

• Read aimlessly• Get loss in the muddle

of word• Swallow everything

• One tracker reading• Hate to read, reading is

boring

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What is “critical reading?”• Preface – “Critical” is not intended to have a negative

meaning in the context of “critical reading.”• Definition: An active approach to reading that

involves an in depth examination of the text. Memorization and understanding of the text is achieved. Additionally, the text is broken down into its components and examined critically in order to achieve a meaningful understanding of the material.

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Passive vs. Active Reading• Passive Reading: - (4 traits)• 1. Largely inactive process.• 2. Low motivation to examine the text critically or at

an in-depth level.• 3. Important pieces of data and assumptions may be

glossed over and missed. • 4. Data and assumptions that are perceived by the

passive reader are accepted at face value or are examined superficially, with little thought.

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Passive vs. Active Reading

• Active Reading: - Active reading involves interacting with the text and therefore requires significantly more energy than passive reading.

• Critical reading ALWAYS involves active reading. The active reader invests sufficient effort to understand the text and commit important details to memory.

• The active reader identifies important pieces of data, the assumptions underlying arguments, and examines them critically. They rely on their personal experiences and knowledge of theory to analyze the text.

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What Is Critical Reading?

• To non-critical readers, texts provide facts. Readers gain knowledge by memorizing the statements within a text.

• To the critical reader, any single text provides but one portrayal of the facts, one individual’s “take” on the subject matter. Critical readers thus recognize not only what a text says, but also how the author convey the message.

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Critical Reading

The critical reader acknowledges that writers make choice; the critical reader makes judgments about the text.

– Content: e.g., evidence, examples, details– Language: e.g., “politicians” or “senators”– Structure:e.g., comparison/contrast, analogy

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A critical reader

• attempts to understand and analyse the reasoning in the text

• evaluates the evidence offered• recognises assumptions• takes a challenging and questioning attitude

towards the text

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A critical reader doesn’t• accept the authority of the text without

question• take a passive and purely receptive role

towards the text• ‘write off’ the text immediately if the

writer’s meaning is not immediately clear• quickly dismiss the text because the views

do not match his/her own

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To what extent do these everyday reading tasks require a critical reading approach?

• reading the instructions to set the thermostat on your • heating boiler• reading a local newspaper report about an attack on an Asian

shopkeeper• reading a primary school prospectus for your child• reading a course outline• reading descriptions of 2 sofas in different furniture

catalogues• finding out the train times on a website

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Critical Reading

So all texts, to a certain extent, require critical reading. It is not about criticising everything you read - it’s about asking questions about the text: its purpose, the claims made and the evidence presented.

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Some general questions to think about

• Can I believe everything I read?• Are experts always right?• What makes me take more notice of one academic

writer and less of another? • What makes a scholarly, rigorous piece of research,

and what makes research findings weak or strong?

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Some questions to think about when surveying a text

• Who is the writer writing for?• Who is the publisher?• Is it in the interests of the author/publisher to make a

particular claim?• Which sources has the writer cited?• What sort of adjectives are used? • How does the writer rely on authority? • What does the writer present as fact?• How does the writer select evidence?

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Some questions you can use to interrogate the text…

Does this follow? How do you know? Where is your evidence?Who exactly said this and when?Is this a fact or an opinion? Why? Why not? What exactly?Are you assuming x is true here? Where can I check this out?What’s been missed out?

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Interacting with the text

You don’t have to fully agree or disagree with what the writer is saying but you can raise questions about the claims that s/he makes based on the evidence there is to support you.

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Part 2.1.

Goals of Critical Reading

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Goals of Critical Reading

1. to recognize an author’s purpose 2. to understand tone and persuasive elements 3. to recognize bias

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More specifically;

1. recognizing purpose involves inferring a basis for choices of content and language

2. recognizing tone and persuasive elements involves classifying the nature of language choices

3. recognizing bias involves classifying the nature of patterns of choice of content and language

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On Recognizing Author’s Purpose

• Understanding the way a passage is organized may help you determine the author’s purpose.

• Consider the italicized introduction, the main idea, and the tone; by examining them together, you may discover what the author’s purpose is.

• Think about what point the writer is making, how he or she organizes ideas, and the words used, which will reveal tone (attitude/possible feelings).

!

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On Recognizing Attitude, Mood, and Tone

1. The terms attitude, mood, and tone often refer to the author’s slant on a subject, or the author’s emotions or feelings.

2. Attitude and tone are related in that the tone of a selection often reflects his or her attitude.

3. Think about how “tone of voice” reflects feelings and attitude.

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Tone• Tone is often described as the way an

author feels about both the topic and the reader.

• The tone in a selection can be formal, casual, playful, serious, sarcastic, or any other attitude one can imagine.

• Connotative and denotative language is a very useful tool for expressing attitude and tone.

• Writers use words on purpose to create a desired effect.

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Helpful HintsPay attention to the author’s choice of details.

The author has a purpose, and the reader must determine what that purpose is.

The author’s purpose can be found in the choice of details which reveal attitude or tone.

In order to fully understand author’s purpose, it is important for the reader to recognizing the details provided by the choice of words the author uses.

As stated before, purpose and tone are closely related, so if you immediately recognize the author’s purpose, you may easily identify his/her tone.

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Typical Attitude, Mood, and Tone Questions:

1. What is the author’s attitude about this subject?

2. Which description best portrays the author’s feelings?

3. Which of these words adds to the mood (tone/attitude) of the selection?

4. What is the author’s overall tone in the last paragraph?

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A few more important notes about Critical Reading Questions

• Some of the passages are short, some are long, and some are paired. – If you take the time to read a long passage, try to

answer all the questions for that passage. (Time management!)

– It may be easier to preview the questions when approaching a shorter question because you will hopefully recognize the answer quickly.

– When given two passages together, try this strategy:• Read the first passage, and answer the questions for that passage. • Then, read the second passage, and answer the remaining

questions, some of which will deal strictly with the second passage and some of which will deal with both passages.

• Preview the questions might help as well!

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One Last Thing…

• Always annotate the text:– Circle tone words– Underline important details– Note transitional phrases/words– Circle definitions provided– Write summary phrases after each paragraph

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On Recognizing BiasGood critical readers must be aware

of their own biases and the biases of others.

 A bias is a strong leaning in either

a positive or negative direction.  

A bias is very similar to a prejudice.  

Sometimes writers simply state their biases; however, most biases are implied by the writer.

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Subjective material generally places more emphasis on opinions than facts,

and it is more likely to display a strong bias.  

A critical reader will study the author’s line of reasoning, notice whether opinions are supported by facts and reasons,

and then decide if the author’s bias has hindered the making of a good argument.

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As you are reading textbook material, keep in mind that the authors also have biases.

 Their biases will influence the way they present the material.

 Although textbooks primarily deal with factual material,

authors must decide what facts to include and omit, and what facts to emphasize.

 Pay attention to the author’s tone and choice of words

to determine if a bias is present.  

Such caution is especially important when the material deals with a controversial issue.

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Denotative and Connotative Language 

When you look a word up in the dictionary, you are determining its exact meaning without the suggestions or implications

that it may have taken on.  

This is called the denotative meaning of a word.

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The connotative meaning of a word refers to the ideas or feelings suggested by the word.

 Words that have the same denotative meaning can have much different connotative meanings.

 The connotation of a word can tell you a lot about

what the speaker of the word means by it. 

Not all words have connotative meanings.

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Words that are heavily connotative are often referred to as

“loaded” or “emotionally charged.”  

Writers who have a particular point of view and want to persuade you to accept that view often make use of loaded words or phrases.

 Thus subjective material is more likely

to rely on connotative, rather than denotative, language,

and it is more likely to display a strong bias.

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Euphemism 

The word euphemism is derived from the Greek word euphemos,

meaning “to use a good word for an evil or unfavorable word.”

 The Greek prefix eu means “good,”

and phemi means “speak.”

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When someone substitutes an inoffensive word or phrase for one that could be offensive to someone,

they are using a euphemism.  

Most of the time euphemisms are used to be polite or to avoid controversy.

 Euphemisms can also be used

to purposely mislead and obscure the truth.

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Propaganda Devices  

Webster’s dictionary defines propaganda as“a systematic effort to promote a particular cause

or point of view.”  

Thus by definition, propaganda is not evil or deceptive.

However, some of the techniques used are questionable because they appeal primarily to our emotions

rather than to our intellect.

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Slogans

The slogan is equally effective in advertising

and political campaigns.

In the latter, it usually takes the form of a chant that can unite large crowds into one common emotion.

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Name-Calling

Name-calling is a device used widely in political and ideological battles

as well as in commercial advertising campaigns.

It tries to make us form a judgment without examining the evidence on which it should be based.

Propagandists appeal to our instincts of hate and fear.

They do this by giving bad names to those individuals, groups, nations, races, or consumer products

that they would like us to condemn or reject.

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Glittering Generalities

Glittering generalities are broad, widely accepted ideals and virtuous words that are used to sell a point of view.

Like name-calling, glittering generalities urge us to accept and approve something without examination.

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Transfer 

Some advertisements use symbols of authority, prestige, and respect

that arouse emotions to sell a cause, a candidate, or a consumer product

through the process of subconscious transfer or association.

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Testimonial

A testimonial is an endorsement

of a product or an individual

by celebrities or

other well-respected persons.

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Plain Folks

The plain-folks device creates the impression

that the advertisers

or political candidates

are just ordinary folks like you and me.

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Card Stacking

Card stacking is the technique by which facts, illustrations, and statements

are carefully selected to make the maximum impact

and sometimes give misleading impressions.

The cliché that “statistics don’t lie, but you can lie with statistics”

applies to this technique.

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Bandwagon

The bandwagon device is based on the idea that “if everybody else is doing it, so should you.”

“Jump on the bandwagon,” “follow the crowd,”

“be the first in your neighborhood,” and

“don’t throw your vote away by voting for a loser” are clichés associated with this device.

The psychology behind this technique makes political polling important at election time.

The fact that each candidate needs to project the image that he or she is a winner often leads to some conflicting polling results.

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Sex Appeal

We don’t ordinarily think of sex as a propaganda device, but it sells products in many ways.

In recent years, emotional appeals based on sex have been used more and more in product advertising.

Sex appeal is used to stimulate emotions and sell consumer products to both sexes.

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Music

The last device in our list is also seldom thought of as a propaganda device,

yet it is one of the most effective techniquesin radio and television commercials.

Music is an excellent tool for creating specific moods,and it can be used effectively for product identification.

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Part 3

On Analyzing Reading Text Critically

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Three types of reading and analysis:

• Non-critical reading is satisfied with recognizing what a text says and restating the key remarks.

What a text says – restatement What a text does – description What a text means – inference

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Inference: Reading Ideas as Well as Words

Consider the following statement: “The Senator admitted owning the gun that

killed his wife.”What can be inferred from this statement?

• There is a Senator. • He owns a gun. • He is married. • His wife is dead. • That gun caused her death. • The Senator admitted owning that gun.

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“The Senator admitted owning the gun that killed his wife.”

Now, what can’t be inferred?• We do not necessarily know if the

Senator's admission is true. • We do not really know whether the

Senator is in any way responsible for his wife's death, nor do we know that she died of gun shot wounds.

• We do not even know if it was murder—it might have been suicide or an accident.

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Read the following story.

A man and his son are driving in a car. The car crashes into a tree, killing the father and seriously injuring his son. At the hospital, the boy needs to have surgery. Upon looking at the boy, the doctor says (telling the truth), "I cannot operate on him. He is my son.“

How can this be?

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Analysis and Inference: The Tools of Critical Reading

• A critical reader know what to look for ( analysis ) and how to think about what to

find ( inference ) .• The first part —what to look for— involves

recognizing those aspects of a discussion that control the meaning.

• The second part —how to think about what you find— involves the processes of inference, the interpretation of data from within the text.

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Correlation to Student Performance

Correlation between poor critical reading skills and:• Poor performance on legal writing assignments – critical

reading ability influences analytic, critical thinking, problem solving, and writing skills

• Poor performance on traditional multiple choice questions

• Poor performance on analytical examination questions

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Critical Reading Process: Four steps to read efficiently and proficiently

A. Place material to be read into context.• Determine why material is being read -What is the purpose of the

material within the class or subject being approached?• Use other parts of reading material to determine context (table of

contents, chapter headings, definitions for unknown words)

B. Skim materialC. Actively read material, taking notes, looking up words and

concepts for basic understandingD. Complete post-reading exercise to confirm understanding

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Classroom Strategies Teaching students to read efficiently and proficiently

A. Pre-reading Techniques: Context 1. Discuss the reason that the material exists, the

source and who created it 2. Discuss different ways information could have

been presented or is available to reader3. Understand where reading materials fits with

course or subject matter objectives4. Gather information to prepare for active reading

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Classroom Strategies Teaching students to read efficiently and proficiently

B. Reading Techniques: Skimming1. Students skim material to get overview/overall sense of material2. Encourage multiple reviews of material at different depths

C. Reading Techniques: Active Reading1. Students read and annotate material2. Focus on content and language of text3. Students clarify unknown meanings with resources4. Students annotate by underlining, questioning and outlining material, including briefing

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Classroom Strategies Teaching students to read efficiently and proficiently

D. Post Reading Techniques Reinforce understanding through objective examination and subjective written exercises

a. Summarizeb. Evaluatec. Synthesized. Hypothesize

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Goal of critical reading is to make material CLEAR• Claims:

• Logic:

• Evidence:

• Analysis:

• Rebuttal:

• What are the claims and issues? • Is presentation/organization

logical?

• Do facts support the argument?

• Is analysis sound and based on legal reasoning?

• Are there counter-arguments and counter-evidence?

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Techniques of Critical Reading

1. Previewing2. Writing3. Critical Reading (at least two times)4. Summarizing5. Forming a Critical Response6. Finding a Focus for Your Paper

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Previewing• Form meaningful expectations about the reading.• Pace yourself – decide how much time you will

dedicate to the reading.• Skimming.

– Look for Title, Section Headings, Date– Expectations about the Author (previous works)– Define the important vocabulary words– Brief summaries of chapters– The goal is to obtain a general grasp of the text

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Writing

1. Writing While Readinga. Marginb. Divided Page Methodc. Landmark/Footnote Methodd. Reading Journale. Online Documents

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Writing - Margin

• Mark, highlight, or underline parts of the text that you think are very important.

Option 1 - Write a few words in the margin that capture the essence of your reaction.

Option 2 – Write a few words that will help you to remember the passage. This is useful for learning definitions or parts of a theory.

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Divided Page Method

• On a separate piece of paper, divide your page into two columns.

• Label one column “text” (meaning from your reading) and the other “response” (meaning your response).

• Write down a part of the text you think is important in the “text” column and then write a reaction to it in the other column.

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Landmark/Footnote Method• On a separate piece(s) of paper or in your reading

journal, dedicate an adequate amount of space to an article, book, chapter, etc, you are reading.

• Highlight, mark, or underline a critical part in your reading. In the margin, indicate that you are going to write a footnote. For example, write a 1 or a (or whatever you want).

• In your reading journal, write a ‘1’ or ‘a’ (or whatever symbol you chose) and then write your critical response.

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Reading Journal• In addition to the other uses described above, use the

reading journal to track what you are reading and to form critical responses to articles, chapters, etc you have read in their entirety.

• Try to summarize the entire article, describe the main points, define key terms, and express your reactions.

• Remember, do NOT refer back to the text until you absolutely have to! Give your memory a workout! Force yourself to learn the material as you read and be able to write it down clearly afterwards.

• Also, put concepts into your own words. • A general rule is 3-5 pages of notes per 100 pages of text.

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Online Documents

• Two ways to write while reading online documents…

1) Reading Journal2) Cut and Paste in Word Processor, then insert

comments• For example…

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Read #1

• Read in an environment where you will be free from distractions.

• Read steadily and smoothly. Try to enjoy the work.• Write notes, but do so sparingly.• What works best for you?• We suggest avoiding your cell phone, television,

computer, and most music (besides instrumental).

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Read #2

• Re-read the material more slowly than during your first read.

• The two most important objectives are:1. Understand the content of the material2. Understand the material’s structure

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3 Responses to Texts

Restatement- Restating what a text says; talking about the original topic.

Description- Describing what a text a does; identifies aspects of text.

Interpretation- Analyze what a text means; asserts an overall meaning.

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Summarization

• Summarization: Pull out the main points of the text and write them down.

• The summary’s complexity and length will vary according to the complexity and length of the text you have read!

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Forming Your Critical Response

• Analysis• Interpretation• Synthesis• In forming your critical response, you will now

go beyond what the author has explicitly written to form your impressions of the text.

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Analysis

• Analysis is the separation of something into its parts or elements, which helps to examine them more closely.

• To analyze reading, you can take at least these two approaches:

1) Choose a question to guide analysis.2) Look at the author’s argument structure.

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Analysis (continued)

• Examine the argument structure.• Claims: Statements that require support by

evidence.• Assumptions: The writer’s underlying beliefs,

opinions, principles, or inferences that connect evidence to the claims.

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Analysis (continued)• Types of evidence

– Facts: Verifiable evidence.– Opinion: Judgments based upon facts.– Expert Opinion: Judgments formed by authorities on a

given subject. – Appeal to Beliefs or Needs: Readers are asked to accept a

claim in part because they already accept it as true WITHOUT factual evidence or because it coincides with their needs.

– Appeal to Emotion: A claim that is persuasive because it evokes an emotion within the reader, but may or may not rely on factual evidence.

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Analysis (continued)

• To judge the reliability of evidence, look at the following areas:– Accuracy– Relevance– Representativeness– Adequacy

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Analysis (continued)• Logical Fallacies: Errors in reasoning.• Examples:

– Red herring-introduction of an irrelevant issue in an argument.

– Non sequitur- linking two or more ideas that have no logical connection.

– Making broad generalizations without proven empirical evidence.

• Learn to identify logical fallacies by visiting: http://www1.ca.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/index.html

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Interpretation• After breaking down the text into its components

and examining them, ask yourself about the conclusions you can draw from this evidence.

• What claims does the author make?• What evidence supports these claims?• Can you infer anything beyond what the author has

explicitly written that either strengthens or weakens the claims made by the author?

• See Critical Reading Checklist Handout

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Synthesis

• Now that you have broken down the text into its parts, analyzed them, and interpreted it all, you should make new connections with what you know.

• Ask yourself again: What are the main points of this text? Were my expectations for this article met? If I “read in between the lines” do I learn anything else about what the author is saying? Overall, what can I conclude from this text?

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Delivering Your Critical Response

• By this point, you will have everything you need to create a critical response.

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Finding a Focus for Your Paper

If you are delivering a critical response in the form of a written paper, here are some tips for finding a focus for your writing and getting started.

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Step 1:Finding Your Focus

• Start early. Give yourself enough time.• Understand the assignment requirements.• Know the material.• Choose a topic that interests you & has potential

future value.• Make sure the topic is relevant and researchable

(appropriate available research).• Develop a controlling idea that is congruent with

your angle on a topic or what you read.

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Step 2:Developing your angle and establishing a controlling idea

• Developing an angle and establishing a controlling idea is important for every type of paper.

• Be as specific as possible.• Use it to focus & direct the paper.• Make a statement instead of a question• State a point that you can further develop,

explain, or substantiate.

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Developing Your Focus:Examples

Angle Controlling IdeaHomelessness. The causes of homelessness

Cultural bias in testing. Problems, solutions, & theclinician’s role

Professional Ethics. Bridging the gap betweenprofessional ethical standards and personal morals

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Step 3:Getting Started

Start-up Styles:• Outline: Intro, body, conclusion• Brainstorm: Write down points & ideas you have

regarding your topic.• Find relevant research & writing regarding your topic

and highlight important quotations.• Start writing & organize it later.

Different strategies work for different people!

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The Writing Process

• Rough Draft• Final Draft• Edit• Edit Again• If you need assistance you can bring your

paper to the Academic Support Center (room 631) for review.

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Bibliography

Adler M. J., & Van Doren, C. (1972). How to read a book. Touchstone: New York.

Barbara Glesner Fines, Preparing for Class, available at http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/profiles/glesnerfines/Success2.html (visited June 1, 2010)

Chitra Varaprasad, Some Classroom Strategies: Developing Critical Literacy Awareness, 35 Eng. Teaching Forum Online 24 (July-Sept. 1997)

Critical Reading Checklist: http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/critical/2b.htmlfrom the Unilearning site (an Australian website on academic skills) – a useful list of questions

Critical Reading Skills Sheet, compiled by Craig M. Klugman, www.unr.edu/homepage/cmk/cread.htm (visited June 1, 2010)

Critical Thinking: An Introduction. Alec Fisher CUP 2001 – an easy- to-read overview

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Bibliography continuedFowler, H. R., & Aaron, J. E. (2001). The little, brown handbook. Longman: New York.

General advice on reading academic texts, including questioning: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/celt/sldc/materials/reading/reading.htm

Godfrey, A., & Krauss, P. (2006). The art of essay writing: back to basics. Presented in March and July, 2006. The Chicago School: Chicago.

Kurland, D. (2000). How language really works: The fundamentals of critical reading and effective writing. Retrieved 5 July 2010 from http://www.criticalreading.com

Mather, Peter and Rita McCarthy. (2005). The Art of Critical Reading. Ohio: The McGraw-Hill Companies

Reading Academically: University of Southampton 2003 Section 5 Being a Critical Reader: Find the link on this page: www.studyskills.soton.ac.uk/studytips/reading_skills.htm

Stover, A. (2005). An introduction to critical reading. Presented October, 2005 and March, 2006. The Chicago School: Chicago.