READING AND WRITING

is likely a book that delves into the fundamental

aspects of language skills. It could cover various
topics related to reading comprehension, writing
techniques, and the interconnected nature of
these skills. The book might be designed for
students, educators, or individuals seeking to
enhance their proficiency in reading and writing.
 CRITICAL THINKING
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME:
 Define critical thinking.
 Differentiate critical from non-critical thinking.
 Formulate higher-order questions from a text.
 Answer critically the given questions from a text.
 Critical Vs. Non-critical Thinking

 Non-critical thinking happens when you simply accept the things

you are told without examining them. It also happens when you
construct thoughts based on emotions. Moreover, non-critical
thinking leads people to jump to conclusions without proof or
evidence.
 Critical thinking, on the other hand, involves a series of
complex thought processes which allows you to make respond
judgments, assess the way you think, and solve problems
effectively. As a student, you employ critical thinking when you
actively listen to class discussion and formulate questions, when
you write your reports and explain your ideas, and when you make
projects and analyze the processes involved.
To differentiate these more easily, see the following example.
You are prepared for the discussion on global warming by researching
about the topic beforehand. You have print-outs of your online research
as well as two books as your references. All of the materials you have
state that there are essential solutions which could help fight global
warming. However, when the lesson was discussed in class, the
solutions for global warming were overlooked.

What would a critical thinker What would a non-critical

say?
Based on the verified sources I
found, the solutions to global
warming are important, so they
should also be included in the
discussion.
thinker say?
The solutions to global warming must
not be very important despite what my
resources may say, because they
were not discussed.
Levels of Thinking

 In 1956, Benjamin Bloom, an American educational

psychologist, together with a team of educational
psychologists, published Bloom’s Taxonomy of the
Cognitive Domain, which is a system that classifies the
levels of thinking important for learning. Created by Bloom
to promote higher levels of thinking, it is composed of six
levels which follow a successive pattern. This simply means
that to proceed to the next level, the current one must be
mastered first. The six levels are: Knowledge,
Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and
Evaluation.
 Later on in 2001, Bloom’s former student, Lorin Anderson,
and a group of cognitive psychologists published a revision
to the original taxonomy to make it more relevant to 21 st-
century students and teachers. They changed the name of
the levels and used verb instead of nouns to denote an
active process of thinking. Knowledge, comprehension
and synthesis were renamed remembering, understanding
and creating, respectively. Aside from this, Anderson et
al. also restructured the levels because creating is a more
complex form of thinking than evaluating; thus, the
revised taxonomy now features the levels of thinking in
the following order: Remembering, Understanding,
Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.
Exploring the First Three Levels of Thinking

Asking intelligent questions leads to a better understanding

of events and ideas. Note that this is a key factor in thinking
critically. Acquiring this skill already starts with the first
three levels of the revised taxonomy.
 Read this!
In the summer before Pia became a Grade 11 student,
she decided to volunteer in a non-government
organization which ran a shelter for street children.
During her orientation, she was told to report incidents
of street children engaging in illicit activities. One day,
she found one of the children who used to go to the
shelter picking pockets in the market, so she went to
talk to him. He said that his father threatened to beat
him up if he will not hand money by the end of the day.
1. What did Pia do during the summer?

 Answering the question requires you to recall the information

you just read. This is remembering; it involves the retrieval,
recognition, and recalling of information.

 Remember by asking questions which aim to define,

memorize, or state information.
2. What can you say about the situation of
the street child?

 To answer this question, you have to draw your own

interpretation based on what you read. This is
called understanding. It refers to the construction
of meaning from verbal and nonverbal messages.

 Understand by asking questions which discuss,

describe, paraphrase, or explain information.
3. If you were Pia, how would you approach the
incident of seeing one of the children?

 Youhave to draw on the knowledge you learned to

use it on the situation; this is applying. Applying
refers to the use and implementation of knowledge in
various situations.

 Apply
knowledge by asking questions which
demonstrate, solve, or use information.
Higher-Order Thinking Skills

 Critical thinking does not stop at remembering, understanding,

and applying; it also involves analyzing, evaluating, and
creating. These three cognitive processes are considered as
higher-order thinking skills.
 Once you reach the highest level of thinking, you should be
able to look at things from different perspectives, decide
without being manipulated by emotions, and avoid biases and
fallacies. You should be able to let your imagination flourish
and freely accept ideas as they flow in. Moreover, you should
be able to distinguish facts from opinions and link newly
encountered information to previous knowledge.
READ THIS!
Pia reported the incident regarding the street child to her
volunteer organization. They contacted the proper authorities to
help the child and to apprehend his father. However, they were
told that it was already reported months before, and that the
authorities will look into the issue once they have the time, as
they have other priorities.
4. Based on the response of the authorities, what inference can you make regarding
their treatment of the case?
 In answering, you have to examine the causes and make inferences based on them. This
is called analyzing; it focuses on breaking down ideas into parts and relation these parts
to one another.
 Analyze by asking questions which compare, integrate, or structure information.
5. Is the reaction of the authorities justified?
 When thinking of your answer, weigh the pros and cons to judge
the action. This is called evaluating. It refers to making
judgments on the value and validity of ideas and events.
 Evaluate by asking things which judge and test an idea based on
certain rules or standards.
6. How would you illustrate the highlights of the events,
including the first part, through a four-panel comic strip?
 While making the comic strip, you have to synthesize the parts to
turn them into one output. This is known as creating. It involves
combining parts to form a well-designed whole.
 Creating does not only mean making something concrete. You can
also ask questions which aim to produce, design, or construct new
information or ideas.
NOTE that…
Once you are able to think using these levels, you can apply
them both in academic and real-life settings. For instance,
when confronted with a problem, start by describing it;
identify its causes and effects, the people involved, and
how it occurred. Explore and analyze possible solutions and
evaluate the feasibility of each. Choose the best solution
and plan how to apply it. After that, execute your plan and
evaluate its effectiveness.
Qualities of a Critical Thinker
 Someone who thinks critically is inquisitive; he/she asks genuine questions that
lead to a better understanding of things and events.
 He/she does not pretend to know more than what he/she actually knows.
 Moreover, by analyzing and evaluating, a critical thinker does not settle for a
superficial level of interpretations. Instead, he/she investigates and digs deeper.
 A critical thinker knows that critical thinking does not necessarily mean looking
for faults; it is rather about being open-minded to different ideas to arrive at a
better judgment, moreover, a critical thinker examines and evaluates
information. He/she does not accept information until it is verified.
 Lastly, a critical thinker does not let irrational emotions affect his/her thinking;
his/her actions are guided by the application of different levels of thinking.
Importance of Critical Thinking
 In the area of reading, critical thinking makes you recognize
different texts and react to them intelligently. It enables you to
analyze written works, comprehend the message they convey,
and apply the message in real life. Evaluating texts critically also
allows you to maximize the learning experience that reading
provides. This also leads to a better understanding and
enjoyment of the texts you read.
 In terms of writing, a critical approach provides you with the
skills to create well-written texts. By knowing how to analyze
and evaluate, you can write with a clear purpose and position.
Through critical thinking, you can distinguish good and bad
sources and know which information to use. This leads to the
production of good texts with reliable and insightful content.
Thank You!
--ma'am Josol
A. Directions: Write C if the situation reflects Critical Thinking and N if it shows Non-critical Thinking.
__________ 1. Tony evaluates the efficiency of his solution to a problem.
__________ 2. Ariel accepts arguments without supporting information.
__________ 3. Lolita does not change her position despite substantial proofs that
counter her arguments.
__________ 4. Jimboy lets himself be guided by anger when he faces his problems.
__________ 5. Roberta usually looks for mistakes committed by her classmates.
__________ 6. Lennie asks for clarification on some of the contradictions mentioned
by the speaker.
__________ 7. Kendra disregards information which contradicts her beliefs.
__________ 8. Jermaine focuses on literal questions during debate.
__________ 9. Johannes tries to identify the fallacies used by the authors in their
editorial.
__________ 10. Lucy lets herself be guided by anger when she faces her problems.