An Introduction to Academic Essays

Maria Kayla G. Pineda                                                                                   STEM 11 – 3

1. What does it mean and take to be a critical reader?

• Summarize what you have read. Make sure to know what the theme of the writing is. You can use this as a starting point to question different topics about the writing. Question the content, question the way it's been written, question the logic. Think about how the values presented in the book conflicts with your own, how did the writing changed your perspective? What message was it trying to send? Was it accurate or was it one sided? Try to be an active reader. Try to determine meaning of unfamiliar words and concepts in the text.

1. Why is critical thinking considered an active process of discovery?

• Critical reading eventually leads to critical thinking. Instead of blindly accepting what is written on an essay, you are able to analyze the text and decide for yourself what is or is not important or logical or right. You do this because you read in your own perspective, experience, education and personal values, as well as your powers of comprehension and analysis. Critical reading is an active process of discovery. You find out whether the author is for or against an issue, you discover the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s statement then you will be able to decide which side overpowers the other. You will be able to understand the issue better and give your own opinions towards the topic.

1. Why is critical reading important? In what way is critical reading related to critical writing?

• Critical reading depends on critical writing and vice versa. Critical reading does not just mean to criticize a text it is “reading in the service of writing”. This means finding out what the text wants to convey and then figuring out how to apply it and what its relations are (to yourself, to other texts or authors, and to other ideas). In order to write your analysis of a certain topic and to be able to construct your own arguments, you need to do critical readings of sources and then utilize them critically to make your own statements.

1. What are the different ways to become a critical reader? Do you agree with them?

• Skim over the whole text quickly. Get an estimate of how much you must read and what it will envelop. Annotate. Underline key points, especially topic sentences. Highlight key words and terminologies

Write key points. Have the main points summarized, paragraph by paragraph. Look up unfamiliar words. If you don’t know what the words mean, you don’t really understand the text. Stop often and ask questions. What is the inspiration behind  the title? Why does the writer write this way? What is the main point of the text? The writer is talking to you through his text, respond with questions.  I agree with the different ways listed above on how a person can become a critical reader. If you are able to complete these while reading through a text, it is said that this method is more effective than just simply reading through the whole text without marking it.