Analysising and Evaluating
Stage 5 NON FICTION
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What is Critical Thinking in Reading?
It is a skill set that allows the reader to go beyond the message that has been delivered. The reader looks behind the actual meaning of the sentences (what we were focussing on in Stages 3&4) and now looks for the structure of the writing (the big picture), looking for the patterns and techniques that are used. Having understood the structure, the reader is now in a position to evaluate the text - make judgments about the quality of the writing.
Critical reading involves the reader posing questions or applying models and theories to a text. As a result, the reader will have a clearer understanding of what the text is saying, what it's trying to say and what it means.
Rather than just skimming a text, critical reading takes a deeper look at it and takes it apart - it allows us to understand how it works and find out what makes it tick.
Having a critical eye when reading doesn't mean we're looking for the faults and flaws in a piece of writing. It means we're analysing and evaluating what we read, rather than simply taking it at face value.
Why should we read critically?
Critical reading is an incredibly important skill. It allows us to advance our understanding and learn more from what we read.
To read critically means to use your own judgement when you're reading. If you only take things at face value without taking the time to consider the context, what it means beneath the surface, and so on, you can miss important details.
You can also be misled, depending on the type of text. For example, authors of persuasive writing can heavily emphasise their points and hide the opposing side to create an unbalanced argument, all in an effort to persuade you to take their side. This happens most often in advertisements. It's essential to have a critical eye and analyse if what you're being told is the whole truth.
In other texts, such as fiction stories or articles, the author's own interpretation and viewpoints also come into play. Opinions are subjective, so it's important that we read them carefully and understand both sides by reading critically. There might be omissions, inconsistencies and oversights in the writing that can influence the argument or message the text is trying to make. We should take care to look for these and see the big picture.
Critical reading also allows us to form our own thoughts and opinions. If we all took the things we read at surface level, we'd all have the same opinions about everything. How boring! It's important to analyse, evaluate and be critical, so that we can interpret texts for ourselves and form our own ideas and opinions.
Being a critical reader is a skill that can take time and practice. But there are key things that you should reflect on when trying to read critically. These are:
The key points. What are the main points that the text is trying to make? At this stage, it doesn't matter if you agree with them or not, just that you completely understand what the author is trying to say. This helps you to understand the purpose of the text.
The target audience. Who was the text written for? Identifying the intended readers of the text can help us to understand its purpose on a deeper level.
The style of writing. How has the text been written? Looking for persuasive writing techniques, such as exaggerating the key points, is a good way to see if the author is taking a balanced approach or not. Analysing language, style and structure is an important part of critical reading.
Your own interpretation. One of the most important parts of critical reading is forming an opinion or interpretation based on the text. Consider the points that the text is making and think about whether they're accurate, truthful, exaggerated, making omissions, untrue, or something else.
When critically reading something, evidence is used as support for an argument or opinion. Evidence is used to show that you've carefully read the text that you're talking about. It's used to prove your point, so that arguments and opinions aren't just taken at face value or without question.
If you critically read a story, for example, you would need to use quotes from that story to show what you're talking about. It's no use saying that the story discusses the themes of bravery and courage if you've got no way to prove it!
Using evidence in critical reading also means that you can analyse it on a deeper level. You can discuss the exact words and techniques that are used, strengthening your argument.
However, it's important to remember that evidence isn't good enough on its own. Interpretations and opinions are what give evidence meaning and value.
Evidence can appear in many forms, such as:
quotes from interviews;
extracts from a text;
diagrams or charts;
measurements;
timing and equipment.
The type of evidence needed depends on what it is that's being critically read.
Critical thinking is a key foundation for critical reading - the two are closely linked.
Before you can read something with a critical eye, you have to be critical of the way you think. Critical reading involves making judgements and interpretations based on your thoughts about what you've read, so it's important that the way you think is free from bias and allows you to take a critical, objective view.
Critical thinking also helps you to organise your thoughts and use your previous knowledge to inform your opinion.
Text section
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Analysis is breaking something down to understand how it works (the "what" and "why"), focusing on components, causes, and structure, Analysis is inquisitive and objective,
while evaluation is judging its worth or effectiveness (the "so what"), assessing quality, value, and implications against criteria. While evaluation is judgmental and can be subjective, leading to conclusions and recommendations.
Analysis
Focus: Deconstruction, understanding components, uncovering reasons, interpreting meaning.
Asks: "How does it work?" "Why did this happen?" "What are the parts?".
Nature: Objective, detailed examination, breaking things apart.
Evaluation
Focus: Assessing value, quality, effectiveness, merit, and significance.
Asks: "Is it good/bad?" "What's its worth?" "What are the implications?".
Nature: Judgmental, subjective (based on criteria), concluding, prescriptive.
Key Difference in Action
Analysis explains how an author uses rhetoric to persuade you (e.g., analyzing word choice and structure).
Evaluation judges if the author successfully persuaded you or if the argument is valid and effective (e.g., evaluating the strength of their claims).
While this has a huge impact of the reader's ability to process text WHILE they are reading, it also has spin-offs for their own text creation.