Unit 7 Critical Thinking

and Reading Comprehension

Instructor: Janine Przybyl

Characteristics of Critical Thinkers

They are honest with themselves They resist manipulation They overcome confusion They ask questions They base judgments on evidence They look for connections between subjects They are intellectually independent

Ask Yourself the Following Questions as You Read:

What is the topic of the book or reading?

What issues are addressed?

What conclusion does the author reach about the issue(s)?

What are the author's reasons for his or her statements or belief?

Is the author using facts, theory, or faith?

Reading Critically

Facts can be proven

Theory is to be proved and should not be confused with fact

Opinions may or may not be based on sound reasoning

Faith is not subject to proof by its nature

Has the author used neutral words or emotional words

Critical readers look beyond the language to see if the reasons are clear

Be aware of why you do, or do not, accept arguments of the author

Pre-Reading Strategies

Strategies to activate your prior knowledge:

Brainstorming: Examine the title of the selection you are about to readList all the information that comes to mind about this titleUse these pieces of information to recall and understand the materialUse this knowledge to reframe or reorder what you know, or to note what you disagree with, for further research

Group discussions:  Group discussions in and out of class will help you to discover what you bring to your reading, what your fellow students bring, as well as shared experiencesIf you find they have new background information, ask for more information from them

Pre-Reading Strategies (Cont.)

Visual Aids:Pictures and other visual material can activate your prior knowledge

Use the Internet to search for pictures related to your title/topic to give you visual images of what you are about to read

Advance Organizers: Relate new reading material to something you already know, to your background or experiences

Reading Rates

Each type of reading has a different rate;an exciting novel is a quicker read than a text in biology.

Text books vary in how well they are written;as a consequence some are more difficult to read.

Each term, time yourself reading a chapter; in each of your text books or e-books. See how many pages an hour you can read. Once you have an accurate estimate of your reading rate, you can better plan your reading time and studying time.

Comprehension Scan the chapter first  

Identify the sections to which the author devotes the most amount of space. If there are lots of diagrams for a particular concept, then that must also be an important concept. If you're really pressed for time, skip the sections to which the least amount of space is devoted.

Read the first sentence of every paragraphmore carefully than the rest of the paragraph.

Take notes on headings and first sentence of each paragraph before reading the chapter itself.. Then close your book and ask yourself what you now know about the subject that you didn't know before you started.

Focus on nouns and main propositions in each sentence. Look for the noun-verb combinations, and focus your learning on these.

Active & Passive Reading

ACTIVE readers fully involve themselves in the reading process, which facilitates greater understanding of the subject matter.

PASSIVE readers simply read the words on the page, but take no positive action to ensure the material is being understood or retained.

Your ability to improve your readingcomprehension depends on at least three factors:

Your MOTIVATION to learn

Your CONCENTRATION skills

The use of a good READING METHOD

SQ3R Technique S = Survey Q = Question R = Read R = Recite R = Review

More details on each coming up!

SURVEY Think about the title –

guess what will be included in the chapter.

Read the intro and main headings to get a picture of the main ideas.

Read the summary. Here is the relationship between the main ideas.

If there are questions at the end of the chapter, read them first. That will help you to identify the important parts of the chapter.

QUESTION Turn each heading and subheading into a questions.

Especially while you are practicing this technique, write the questions down.

You are looking or something rather than simply looking at words – you are looking for answers!

READ & RECITE Read only that section, looking for the answers to your

questions. Sort out ideas and evaluate them – if the content doesn’t relate to your question, give it only a glance. Read Selectively!

Recite – answer the question in your own words. Then write the answer using only key words.

REVIEW Increase retention and cut cramming time by 90% by

means of immediate and delayed review.

Actively review the notes you took – use as many of your

senses as possible to increase retention!

Sight/Reading, Sound/Reciting material, Touch/Writing material. More senses activated = more stuff remembered!

What Do Speed Readers Do…. Preview fast and accurately before reading for high concentration

Select their reading material carefully

Select their reading speed to suit the material

Read groups of words at a time

Use a pacer to help their eyes

Read at thinking speeds

Read important information at high concentration levels

Adapt and adjust their reading speeds WHILE reading

Remember information for longer by using mind patterns

What Well-Trained Speed Readers Do NOT Do ...

Skip or skim read Read everything that is presented to them Read only in the precise order in which the

information is presented Fall asleep when they read Listen to skeptics who think that reading is one

area in which humans cannot possibly advance past 250 words per minute

To-Do For Unit 7 Readings Discussion Board Learning Activities Quiz

See You All Next Week…..