Lesson 5: Critical Reading as Looking for Ways of Thinking

A. Critical Reading Tips (SQ5R METHOD)

The SQ5R study method is one system for active reading. Actively processing
information improves comprehension and retention of the material.

1. Survey - Before reading a chapter or passage, read the introduction and summary.
Skim topic headings, bold-faced
words, pictures, charts, and graphs to get an idea of the general structure and
content before beginning to read.

2. Question - Formulate a purpose for the reading by developing questions from the
topic and headings skimmed in the survey step. Ask who, what, where, when, why,
and how questions: the best questions are general, covering main topics and
important points.

3. Read - Break the material into sections which take about 20 minutes to read and go
section by section. Look for answers to your questions, key concepts, and supporting
details. Study charts, graphs, tables, and pictures which serve to present new
information and tie together concepts from the reading.

4. Respond - After each section, think about the material you have just read and answer
the questions you have asked. This can be done during the reading step, since
response is often automatic. The purpose of this step is to think about the material and
take notice of what is important.

5. Record - Go back and underline key concepts and take notes. This can be done on a
separate sheet of paper, on note cards, in the margins of the textbook, or any way that
works well for you. (Do this after each section.)

6. Recite – Next, look away from the material and try to recite the key information and
ideas in your own words. Reread the material until you are able to recall the most
important points. This may be frustrating at first, but will lead to better understanding
and save review time in the long run.

7. Review - After reading the entire chapter, scan and review the information aloud or in
your head. Discuss the material with a classmate if possible. Identify overall themes
and relationships between concepts. Revise notes or markings so they can be easily
understood later.

B. Explicit and Implicit Claims in a Text

Claims - are synonymous to belief, argument, assertion, or stand. According to

This information can be explicit or implicit. An explicit claim is directly and clearly
stated in the text. It is when you can easily point out the information in the passage.
Meanwhile, an implicit claim is indirectly expressed in the text and you need to look
for clues or make inferences to understand its meaning.
There are three types of claims in written texts. One of which is the claim of fact.
Simply, this claim is a statement that reports, describes predicts, make causal claims,
or whether something is a settled fact.
 Claims of Fact are often qualified by such terms as generally, probably, or as a rule.
And, to
verify whether these statements are claim of fact or not, ask these questions:

• Is it debatable?
• Is it verifiable?
• Is it specific?
• Can it be solved objectively?

Types of factual claims (generally "objective")

1. Factual / historical

2. Relational - causal connections

3. Predictive Proof requires:

• sufficient and appropriate grounds

• reliable authority

• recent data

• accurate, typical data

• clearly defined terms -no loaded language

• a clear distinction between fact and inference

EXAMPLES OF CLAIMS OF FACT

• The oldest known disease in the world is leprosy.

• Generally, obesity causes health problems.

• Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the moon.

• The first Mindanaoan President is Rodrigo Duterte.

• The earth is warming rapidly.

Claim of Policy – Claim is described as a debatable set of words or a concept that allows
the source to influence the receiver for acceptance. It is equated to an opinion, idea, or
assertion.Claim has been associated with words such as belief, argument, assertion or
stand. It can be classified according to method and nature. Explicit claim and implicit claim
are types of claim based on method.

The Claim of Policy calls for some form of action. It states what the reader should or
ought to do about a particular situation/topic.

Claims of Policy are specific statements on procedures or laws that need to be modified
based on certain issues or conditions. Most of the time, claims of policy ask for plans
of action to solve current problems.

Proof requires:
• Making proposed action (clear), need (justification), plan (must be workable), benefit
(advantages) consider opposition / counter arguments. Consider this statement, for example: To
attract more non-traditional students, this college must review and revise its course offerings. The
given statement above is an example of a claim of policy. It calls on action for the college referred
to, regarding its course offerings to arrive at a workable conclusion which is to attract more non-
traditional students. The author may choose to elaborate on this course of action to prove that
this claim can work for the college.
Claim of Value - is an argument based on morality, belief, ethics, or philosophy. It is influentially stated by
combining limited facts and proving them as either good or bad by targeting the reader’s emotion. It is also
called claim of judgment because the reader has to decide whether the argument or proposition is right or
wrong or has to be accepted or rejected. In other words, this type of claim is more appealing to the
reader’s subjectivity. If the argument challenges the decision making or judgment leading to acceptance or
rejection of the reader, then it is considered to be a claim of value.

Some claims of value are simply expressions of taste, preferences, and prejudices. The
most important in proving claim of value is by establishing standards of evaluation.

Proof requires:

• Establishing standards of evaluation (i.e. a warrant that defines what constitutes

instances of the relevant value)

• note the priority of the value in this instance

• Establish the advantage (practical or moral) of your standards

• Use examples to clarify abstract values

• Use credible authorities for support the famous saying, honesty is the best policy, is on
good

example of a claim of value. To prove the statements validity, the author may elaborate on

the examples that show how honesty holds advantage over other policies and how it has

been proven to be effective.

C. Context of Text Development

• Hypertext is a non-linear way of presenting information. Instead of reading or learning about things in
the order predefined by an author, an editor or a publisher, the readers of a hypertext can follow their own
path.
This is accomplished by creating ―links‖ between information. These links are provided so that the readers may ―jump‖ to further
information about a specific topic being discussed (which may have more links, leading each reader off into a different direc tion).
 • Intertext on the other hand, is defined as the connections between language, images, characters, themes,
or subjects depending on their similarities in language, genre or discourse.

Intertextuality, as a literary device, ―is the complex interrelationship between a text and other texts taken as
fundamental to the creation and interpretation of the text‖ (Merriam Webster Disctionary, 2015). Intertext excludes
irrelevant data. It underscores the main point/s of the text by making explicit those data that are only implied or
presupposed in the text, thus defining their relevance. Spurred by this context, a healthy dialogue among different
texts and interpretations, audience, is born.
As readers, the ability to create connections among various texts enhances the meaning of the reading material.

Let us see if you can see the connections between these two literary works: