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Snap Language

Getting Smarter through Language

Advanced Reading Course

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Critical Reading

Reading critically is at the highest level of understanding what you have read. As you manage to understand the writer’s main ideas, understand the details used to support the main ideas, and interpreted the writer’s use of language (e.g., figurative language, irony, and “hidden” messages), you still need to process and evaluate the information.

 

This require critical-thinking skills that you acquire before reading either through experience with the world out there or by having read and learned... a lot.

In this portion of the course, you will get deeper into understanding what you read by using critical-thinking skills to, for example, distinguish between facts and opinions and evaluate the quality of the evidence the writer presents in a passage.

Critical Thinking and Reading

Critical thinking is an essential skill in reading--and in life. In this section, you will learn the definition of critical thinking, how it applies to reading, and how you know you are reading critically.

Video Activity 16

Watch a video on YouTube to learn about critical thinking and reading. This video is an introduction to critical thinking as it applies to reading. You will learn the definition of critical thinking, how you should apply critical thinking to reading, and how you can be sure that you are reading critically. As you watch the video, take good study notes. (Incidentally, critical thinkers tend to be effective note takers.)

Distinguishing Fact from Opinion

Distinguishing fact from opinion and recognizing when they are well reasoned and well supported are important skills in critical thinking and in reading. In this section you will learn how to distinguish between facts and opinions and how to evaluate them.

Video Activity 17

Watch a video to learn about distinguishing fact from opinion. It includes ways to evaluate whether the writer present weak or strong opinions. Take good study notes.

Up Next: Analyzing the Argument

Continue the lesson to learn about analyzing the argument and evaluating the evidence in reading.