Grade

11/12
Self-Learning Module in READING AND WRITING SKILLS
Lesson: Critical Reading as a form of reasoning
Quarter: IV Week: 2 Day and Time: See Class program

Learning competency/ies:
Learning Competency 5: Explain critical reading as reasoning (S2 Q4 EN11/12RWS-IVac-8 )

Learning Tasks:
Study Notebook Activity Sheet
 Pre-Test-p. 2  Developmental Activity-pp.6
 Post-Test- pp.6-7

 WORKSHEET- p. 9

I. INTRODUCTION
Being a critical reader also involves understanding the texts for you to be able to come up
with a certain constructive analysis, conclusion, reasoning or judgement.
Do you believe and agree with the statements after reading them? Would you question
their veracity? How would you react after reading the statements? If you question the validity
of the statements by asking the person to give the basis for his/her assertions, then you are one
step closer to becoming a critical reader. On this topic, you are going to learn about critical
reading and its importance.
By the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
1. to explain critical reading as reasoning;
2. to identify situations that promote critical thinking;
3. explain the importance of critical reading in your personal and academic life
4. apply basic principles of critical thinking in various situations; and
5. identify the types of fallacy.
II. PRE-TEST:
Activity 1: Critical –Passive

Directions: Write C if the activity in each item influences you to think critically and P if passively.

____1. reading magazine.

____2. watching investigative reports

____3. listening to music

____4. talking to friends about their school concerns

____5. Watching K-drama

____6. playing online games

____7. Reading bible verses

____8. planning research

____9. listening to politicians

____10. Drawing

III. DISCUSSION OF CONCEPTS

Critical reading involves scrutinizing any information that you read or hear. Critical reading means
not easily believing information offered to you by a text. “Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe
and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider” as Francis Bacon stated in
The Essays.”

Critical reading is an active process of discovery because when you read critically, you are not just
receiving information but also making an interaction with the writer. The interaction happens when you
question the writer’s claims and assertions and/or when you comment on the writer’s ideas.

A critical thinker possesses the following characteristics. (Adapted from skillsyouneed.com)

1. Understands the relation of one idea to another
2. Determines the importance and relevance of ideas and arguments.
3. Recognizes, builds and appraises arguments.
4. Identifies inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.
5. Approaches problems in a consistent and systematic way.
6. Reflects on the justification of his own assumptions, beliefs and value

Critical thinking on the other hand, is the ability to think clearly and rationally, and the ability to
understand the relation of ideas presented. Similar to a critical 3reader, you as a critical thinker should be
able to question ideas and assumptions and should not just accept them without analyzing if there is truth
to them or not
When we read something, we do not just accept everything as it is. We need to read critically, ask
questions to verify if the statement is true. In this lesson, you are going to learn some of the common logical
fallacies. These are just some and there are still more to these. So what are logical fallacies?

Logical Fallacies are errors in reasoning that invalidate an argument. As a critical reader, you have
to identify and examine fallacies and manipulative language found in the text. It is therefore important that
you know some of the common fallacies which are found in the table below

Fallacy Description Example

False Dilemma/ False Dichotomy Despite the presence of multiple Either I continue always buying in
possibilities an arguer presents online shopping or I’ll stop
his/her argument as one of only working
two options
Appeal to Ignorance Just because it is not proven to Since you do not have a tattoo,
be false, and vice versa, you must not be a criminal.
something is instantly concluded
to be true
Slippery Slope When a series of increasingly If I did not teach you the logical
superficial and unacceptable fallacies then you will never know
consequence is drawn that these fallacies exist.
Complex Question The reader is expected to either Have you stopped begging for
accept or reject both two or more money?
points that are rolled into one at
the same time
Appeal to Force Instead of reasoning, a threat is Lend me P5000 or else I’ll tell all
used to argue. your secrets to your mother
Appeal to Pity Pity is used instead of logical Please don’t arrest me. I have 10
reasoning children to feed and my parents
are old and very sick
Appeal to Consequences To show that the belief is false, I don’t believe that my boyfriend
there is an unpleasant is seeing other girl because if he
consequence of believing did we would break up and I am
something are pointed out. not ready for it.

Bandwagon Just because it is what the In a survey conducted, 9 out of 10

majority thinks, an argument is say that upon using this Korean
considered to be valid glass skin set their face become
radiant.
Attacking the Person Instead of attacking the ideas of I cannot accept your idea
the argument, you attack the because, unlike me, you did not
character of the person have your doctorate degree in
Oxford University.
Appeal to Authority Occurs when a person is not The facts in my article are correct
actually a legitimate expert on the because I have been a journalist
subject matter; occurs also when for three decades already
you assert your own expertise

Anonymous Authority The authority in the statement is Athletes say that exercising can
not mentioned or name make you live longer.
Hasty Generalization The sample is not significant or Lee Da Hee, the foreigner from
enough to support a South Korea, is very impolite.
generalization about a population Koreans are mean and rude

False Analogy When a writer assumes that two Love is like coffee. Bitter yet
concepts that are similar in some sweet
ways are also similar in other
ways
Accident Even if a general rule should be You should not talk back to your
an exception, it is still applied to a kuya no matter what; he is always
situation right because he is older than
you.
Post Hoc A is the cause of B since event A Shine said that whenever I sing it
happened before event B rains. Since I’m singing now then
it will rain after a while.
Wrong Direction There is reverse in direction Lung cancer leads to cigarette
between cause and effect smoking.
 Complex Cause Even when there are other We were not able to create an
factors which also contributed to advertisement for our class
the event, the explanation is because we were only given
reduced to one thing three days to do it. The time was
too short for us.
Irrelevant Conclusion The argument which is supposed The number of positive cases in
to prove something concludes our city is rising even if we are in
something else instead ECQ. Therefore, we must lift
ECQ.
Straw Man The position of the opposition is You said that horoscope is not
twisted so that it is easier to scientific, so why should we
refute believe in it?
Affirming the Consequent If argument A is true then If you are in a dating app that
argument B is true; or If argument means you are looking for a
B is true, therefore argument A is partner who is a foreigner.
true Therefore, if you marry a
foreigner that means you met
him/her on a dating app.
Denying the Antecedent If argument A is true then If you did not finish college then
argument B is true; or if argument you will not have a successful
A is not true then argument B is future. If your future is not
not true successful therefore you did not
finish college
Inconsistency The arguments contradict one Anna is taller than Ely. Ely is taller
another than Elsa. Elsa is taller than
Anna.

Critical reading is engaging yourself in a text or any material that you are reading. Although the
word ‘critical” means to express criticism or disapproval about something like a book, movie or piece of art,
etc., critical reading does not necessarily mean that you have to be “critical” of something that you read.
Critical reading is more engaging yourself about what the author or writer is trying to tell you in his or her
writing, or being focused on the intention or the argument being presented in the material. 6 It is exercising
your judgement about the material being read, and not just accepting or being satisfied with everything that
is presented by the author without analyzing the points, especially the author’s opinions whether true, valid
or acceptable.
The critical reading strategies are:
1. Annotating. It is the first strategy that you can use as a critical reader. It is underlining or highlighting the
important ideas or points in a text like thesis statement, topic sentence, supporting details, body of the
material and the conclusion.
2. Contextual Reading. In contextual reading, a reader studies the author of the text, the time or period
when the author wrote it and the important events that occurred during the time the text was written.
3. Outlining. It’s an overview of a document in which information and ideas are arranged according to
hierarchy-the main idea being at the top followed by the rest of the supporting ideas or subtopics.
4. Summarizing. It’s the condensing or writing of a material in the reader’s own words.
5. Paraphrasing. One way of understanding a text better is to paraphrase it. Paraphrasing is putting or
writing a text in your own words but maintaining the original information as given by the author.
6. Comparing and Contrasting. It’s naming the similarities of two or more ideas or information.
7. Evaluating an Argument. A critical reader must not accept anything on face value; instead, he or she
must evaluate whether the claim or the argument that the author is presenting is true and can be supported
by evidence.
8. Reflecting on Challenges to your Beliefs and Values. There are reading materials that will affect your
emotions.
9. Looking for Patterns of Opposition. This strategy should not be confused with number 8 strategy.
10. Judging the Writer’s Credibility. You ask questions to check if the writer of the text is credible enough
to get your approval of what s/he has written.
11. Exploring the Figurative Language. This refers to the language that uses words or expressions with a
meaning different from the literal interpretation.
12. Recognizing Emotional manipulation. Some writers become emotionally manipulative if they want
their readers to agree with them or to believe what they are saying and resort to false and exaggerated
statements or appeals.

A critical reader and a critical thinker therefore, must not depend on the use of their instinct or
intuition when reading. Both must know how to observe, identify, analyze, interpret, infer, evaluate, explain,
solve problems and make decisions. These 7 are the necessary skills a “thinking” reader should possess.
Critical thinking and critical reading therefore, go hand in hand in helping you develop into a more active
learner rather than being passive to the information

V. Developmental Activity:
Directions: Take a look at the picture on the right side and
answer the questions

that follow.

1. What does the picture mean?

2. Have you ever encountered such message? Or did you

ever receive such message?

3. What did you do? Did you send it to others? Why?

Pre- Test

1. C 2. C 3. P 4.P 5.P 6.P 7. C 8. C 9. C 10. C

V. POST-TEST
Directions: Identify the type of logical fallacy present in the text. Write the letter of the correct answer.

1. If we let students have phones in the classroom, they will never pay attention to the teacher, and won’t
learn anything at school.

a. Bandwagon b. Post Hoc c. Hasty Generalization d. Slippery Slope

2. We can either go to a park or waste our day off. You don’t want to waste a day off, do you?

a. Straw Man b. Post Hoc c. False Dilemma d. Slippery Slope

3. I have met two students from that class and they said that the teacher is really inefficient.

a. Accident b. Hasty Generalization c. Post Hoc d. Inconsistency

4. Mina saw a black cat when they went home. Along the way, they crashed into a tree. The black cat must
be the reason why they met an accident.
 a. Post Hoc b. Straw Man c. Hasty Generalization d. Wrong Direction

5. Please do not fail me with your subject. I am taking care of my sick father and I am busy with my part-
time job so that we will have food to eat.

a. Appeal to Authority c. Appeal to Force

b. False Analogy d. Appeal to Pity

6. If you are cheating on me, you are partying. Therefore, if you are partying, you are cheating on me.

a. Affirming the Consequent c. Denying the Antecedent

b. Irrelevant Conclusion d. Complex Cause

7. Give me P10 000 or else I’ll tell all your secrets to your family.

a. Appeal to Pity c. Consequences

b. Appeal to Force d. Bandwagon

8. “We now have spent five dates together. We have gotten along splendidly. It is clear that we are well-
matched.”

a. Attacking the Person c. Hasty Generalization

b. Accident d. False Analogy

9. Either you clean your room or you leave this house.

a. Attacking the Person c. Appeal to Ignorance

b. Slippery Slope d. False Dilemma

10. Businessmen are rich people; so you must be very rich.

a. Accident c. False analogy

b. Hasty Generalization d. Consequences

VII. REFERENCES 
Books
Jessie S. Barot, Academic Reading and Writing for Senior High School Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc., 2016, 88-90.

Grace M. Saqueton and Marikit Tara A. Uychoco. Critical Reading, English for Academic and
Professional Purposes Manila: Rex Bookstore. 2016, 17-19.

Jessie S. Barot, Essentials of Studying, Reading and Writing, Reading to Think, Thinking to Write
Manila:Rex Bookstore, 2012, 27-29.

Marella Therese A. Tiongson and Maxine Rafaella C. Rodriguez. Reading and Writing Skills First Ed. Manila : Rex Book Store,
Inc. , 2016 pp.22-23

Maria Teresa M. Antonio, Maria B. Sarte, Maria Edna R. Inigo and Orlando L. Tangonan. READING
and WRITING SKILLS for Senior High School Students Malabon City: Mutya Publishing house,
Inc., 2017 pp64-67
Image
“Rhetorical Fallacies and Propaganda”, Dalton’s Dynamic Daily Endeavors, last accessed July 3, 2020,
https://sites.google.com/site/daltonsdynamicdailyindeavors/rhetorical-fallacies-propaganda.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmbbrad4d.medium.com%2Fone-of-gods-messengers-sent-me-a-
chain-letter-
574656d7e8b8&psig=AOvVaw366tX5TesSNabOz_ziQjMt&ust=1622309631406000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRx
qFwoTCLCTusT07PACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
 ROSALES NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SENIOR DEPARTMENT
Don Antonio Village, Rosales, Pangasinan
WORKSHEET
Name: READING AND WRITING
Subject:
SKILLS
Grade/Section:
Subj. Teacher: Week: QUARTER IV(WEEK 2)

I. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Test/Activity Score
A. Pre-Test

II. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Activity 1
Directions: The following is a paragraph taken from “Letter to His Father” by Franz Kafra.
After analyzing the letter, identify the explicit and implicit points and the inference based on
the explicit and implicit information taken.(10pts)

Dear Father:
You asked me recently why I maintain that I am afraid of you. As usual, I was
unable to think of any to answer your questions, partly for the very reason that I am afraid
of you, and partly because an explanation of the grounds for this fear would mean going
into far more details that I could even approximately keep in mind while talking. And if I
now try to give you an answer in writing, it will still be very incomplete, because even in
writing this fear and its consequences hamper me in relation to you and because 9anyway)
the magnitude of the subject goes far beyond the scope of my memory and power of
reasoning.

The explicit information:

1. _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

The implicit information:

1. _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Inference:
1. _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITY 2
Directions: Write at least 3 Proverbs and then explain what does it means. (5pts each)

Proverbs 1: __________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

Meaning:_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Proverbs 2: __________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

Meaning:_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Proverbs 3: __________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

Meaning:_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

REFLECTIVE ASSESSMENT :

1. What concepts or skills did you learn well?

___________________________________________________________________________

2. What concepts or skills was difficult to understand?

__________________________________________________________________________

3. What activities did you enjoy the most?

___________________________________________________________________________

4. What activity was hard to execute?

___________________________________________________________________________

5. Did you ask help from your teacher? (Yes or No).

________________________________________If Yes, did you immediately receive the needed
assistance? Was the given assistance helpful for you to understand better the lesson?