SENG 3: Critical Reading and Writing Skills

Developing Personal Leadership

Personal Leadership 101
Self-Management Checklist

1. Write down your SMART goals.

 SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound.
 Please refer to the attached photo.
2. Make sure that you balance your life by stating goals for every facet of your life.
EG.

 Aspect of life Sample goals

 Academic/intellectual Spend 1 hour everyday reviewing my notes
 Spiritual Spend 15 minutes a day reading spiritual passages
Make sure that you balance your life by stating goals for every facet of your life.
E.G.

 Aspect of life Sample goals

 Physical Exercise for 30 minutes every day
 Social Show your appreciation to people you love every day
Make sure that you balance your life by stating goals for every facet of your life.
E.G.

 Aspect of life Sample goals

 Emotional Keep a journal. Allot 10 minutes a day writing your reflection
3. Make a calendar of activities that will help you achieve your goals.
4. Inform someone about your goal.
5. Think bite size.
6. Reward yourself when you achieve your goal.
7. Constantly monitor your progress.
8. There are days when you do not live up to your expectation. Take heart. You can move on. Backsliding is inevitable,
but do get back to your list of goals and get back on the right track.
Tweat Trick: Mental Rehearsal
By May Ann Lei Camaclang

Mental rehearsal is picturing things in one's mind.

Just when you thought you’re about to hit big time in a public presentation or when you’re simply making less effort in
draining what's left of your brain during those sweat-breaking examinations, something went wrong. Or worse, nothing
could have been more unfortunate. You wonder: you spent long hours talking to yourself in front of the mirror to perfect
that speech and sacrificed a good night s sleep re-doing calculations with a certain equation just to make the results the
way you want it to be. What could be the fault of such sacrifice then? Simple. Your body might be prepared but your mind
is not.
The art of mental rehearsal
People may not be aware of it but before any kind of performance, they tend to picture themselves in their minds on how
they will go about in their activities. This is the process of mental rehearsal: picturing things in one’s mind. In the deeper
sense of the definition, it requires an in-depth analysis of every detail entrenched within that certain presentation or
activity. Besides those sweaty palms and shaky hands, there are these I-hopes and what ifs running around in your heads.
You are mentally rehearsing all right, but there are certain things you have to consider to effectively go through this
visualization process.
The Basics
We gravitate in the direction of our dominant thoughts.
Andrew Matthews, in his book Being Happy said “Positive thinking works because positive thinkers dwell on what they
want. They then necessarily gravitate toward their goals.” The author is clearly trying to say that what one thinks about
the most will be the most feasible outcome. Say, if one kept on thinking that he’ll fail in a subject, then he probably will.
Think about it. With that mindset, how do you think that person will be motivated to give his best shot?
Be gentle on yourself. Choose words that make you feel good.
When someone says: "Don't ever think that the ground before you will crack open and swallow you deep down into the
earth.” What comes to your mind? Of course, (even you have been warned not to think about it) the picture of you flailing
your arms and legs helplessly in the air while shouting “Noooo!!!” The words that pop into mind or come out of the
mouth, once perceived, immediately creates a picture in the mind. It is recommended, therefore, that a performer who is
about to go onstage, should not think or say: "I hope I don’t miss any or my lines. Rather, “I’m going up there and
perform like a professional.”

Classic early study

A classic, early study in Sports Psychology serves as a means to demonstrate the influence of mental rehearsal. In this
study, a group of athletes, who were to practice free throw shooting, was divided by a researcher into four. The first group
was assigned to do physical practice alone. The second was asked to physically and mentally rehearse. The third only did
mental rehearsal. And the last group did not practice by any method.
The results showed that the highest free throw shooting average came from the second group, followed by groups one,
three, and four. Putting other things aside, it was concluded that those who paired mental rehearsal with physical practice
did better than those who practiced physically.

The good in rehearsing mentally

Having this kind of visualization technique enables one to take control of what outcome he wants to achieve in his mind.
(Think about watching a movie wherein you are the main character.) One could scrutinize every point of his preferred
performance, from prelude to finale. He could pick out the things that are potential threats to his performance and replace
them with better details. The scenes could be played over and over again until one sees the desired results. Through this
process, and individual could also condition his mind to think on the positive side of things.
Mental rehearsal is not place and time sensitive. This can be done as preparation for an upcoming game, a speech
presentation, driving lessons, a stage performance, and practically anything. As long as you have the urge to condition
yourself all over, body and mind before the actual activity. It can help you to think healthy happy thoughts instead of
picturing yourselves sliding down the victory lane. With this scheme, people can create in themselves a sense of readiness
and self-assurance in today's modern and busy world where copious and heavy workload are needed to be done efficiently
given only limited time.

TYPES OF LEARNERS

 A learning style is an individual’s approach to learning based on strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. And
knowing yourself as a learner is important if you want to achieve to the best of your ability.
ACTIVE Learner

 An active learner is able to learn the material and teach it to someone.

 Likes to apply lesson to real life situations. They like to discuss with others what they have learned.
 He learns more by actively doing a task.
Tips for you:

 Study in groups
 Teach the material to someone.
REFLECTIVE Learner

 A reflective learner needs time to process ideas or he may need time for ideas to “sink in.”
 They need to see the “forest” as well as the “trees” They appreciate it when the teachers pause and allow students
to make the lesson sink in.
Tips for you:
  Study in a quiet setting
 Stop periodically to summarize details Recognize what is important and how it is relevant to the topic.

VISUAL Learner

 A visual learner learns more if the materials are accompanied by pictures and illustrations.
 Recalls details in terms of pictures and images. They pay more attention to pictures than to words.
Tips for you:

 Create diagrams to organize ideas.

 Create concept map for your notes.
 Color code your notes.
VERBAL Learner

 Recall details in terms of words. When they read texts, they focus more on the words.
Tips for you:

 Create an outline to organize ideas.

 Summarize materials
 Talk about what you have learned.
 Outline chapters
 Recite information while you are reviewing
FACTUAL Learner

 A factual learner easily remembers significant dates, names, places.

 They remember the WH’s of something. Love to learn facts, and they easily remember names and faces.
 Prefer concrete details.
Tips for you:

 Ask teacher to give specific examples.

 Think about how the theories discussed relate to real life
THEORETICAL Learner

 A theoretical learner is more on the “WHYs” rather than the facts

 Good at seeing the forest. They do not like repetition and fact-based learning. They are comfortable with
abstractions
Tips for you:

 Make sure you take time to read questions and directions in exams.
 Look for ways to organize details into patterns.

LINEAR Leaner

 A factual learner easily remembers significant dates, names, places.

 They remember the WH’s of something. Like to solve problems step-by- step.
 Learn better if the details are presented in a list.
 They learn from professors who sequence materials from the easiest to the hardest.
Tips for you:
  Organize random notes in a way that makes sense to you.
HOLISTIC Learner

 A theoretical learner is more on the “WHYs” rather than the facts.

 Initially experience confusion but later, are able to put pieces together. They learn better if materials are presented
as a whole story with embedded details.
Tips for you:

 Be patient with yourself. Don’t lose faith in yourself, you will get it.
 Preview chapters and articles
 Focus on one subject at a time to help you “see” the total picture.

Flexible Reader
Reading Roadblocks
1. Lack of clear purpose in reading
2. Limited vocabulary
3. Lack of concentration
4. Lack of confidence in your reading ability
5. Limited awareness with the use of strategies
CONTEXT CLUES
- Skimming and scanning

READING STRATEGIES
Visualize - create mental images of the characters, settings, and events in the text.
Connect -

What is a FLEXIBLE READER?

A flexible reader is a reader who can adjust the reading skill and reading strategy depending on the type of text.
- Telephone directory

CHARACTERISTICS OF FLEXIBLE READERS

1. They have clear goals.
2. They adjust their reading pace depending on their goals and the difficulty of the text.
3. They are not bothered by difficult words because they believe that they can understand the passage even if
there are some unfamiliar words.
4. They match their reading strategies and reading goals.
5. They know that they do not have to read all the reading passages intensively.
 6. They know when to skim, scan, or preview (you get an overview of the text) a certain text.
7. They read a lot because they want to learn new things.

DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

Definition of Critical Thinking

 It is a misnomer when some people say that a critical mind finds fault with everything. Critical thinking is not
being cynical. It is a useful skill that distinguishes a successful learner from a poor learner.
Consider the following characteristics:
1. Admits a lack of understanding
2. Is not afraid to ask questions
3. Weighs statements with arguments
4. Examines beliefs or assumptions and weighs them against facts
5. Listens carefully before giving feedback
6. Looks at a problem from a multiple perspective
7. Supports opinions with data
8. Is honest with himself or herself
9. Overcomes confusion instead of wallowing in limbo
10. Looks for answers
11. Takes the time to produce many ideas
12. Looks for connections among details
13. Eager to learn from others

Advantages of Critical Thinking

 You can increase your ability to perform thinking processes. For example, when you face a problem, you are
disciplined to use your head rather than let your emotion overrule you. An example is when you lose your notes.
When you let your emotion ruin you, you will sulk and blame everyone. On the other hand, if you use critical
thinking. you will look for ways to get the information in those notes from another source. You might also have a
firm resolve to keep your notes in an envelope or filler.
 You can be a valuable student and employee because you always think of better ways to do a task at hand.
 You can produce knowledge. This does not mean that you have to be Albert Einstein. It means that you make
sense of what you learn in school, and com bine these with your previous readings, and discard those that your
critical mind says are implausible.
 You can increase your creativity. A critical mind always asks questions, explores possibilities, and tries new
ideas. These are the same processes that inventors and business owners go through.
 You can be an effective leader. A person with a critical mind is ahead of his/her league because he/she is
someone who thinks out of the box. While others are just nappy with the status quo, a critical thinker refuses to sit
on the fence and allow dishonesty, mediocrity, and filth to rule the world.
PROBLEM SOLVING PLAN
When you face a dilemma, you can follow this plan.

 State the problem clearly.

Check the facts. At this point make sure you separate the causes and effects from the actual problem.
Sometimes it is easy to think that it is the end or the world, for example after a calamity. However, as Filipinos, we
are gifted with wits to rise above the situation.

 Analyze the problem.

 Now that you have pinned down the predicament, analyze the causes and the effects.

 Brainstorm possible solutions.

Try to generate as many ideas as you can. Think out or the box and do not discard ideas that seem crazy.
Imagine if inventors did not think of ideas that were, during their time, seemed farfetched.

 Explore each solution.

You can make a table with three columns where you list down all your options and their corresponding
plusses and minuses.

 Choose and execute the solution.

Some people love to go through steps 1-4, but they do not progress to step 5. For example, those who want to
improve their grades make elaborate plans, but they do not have the discipline to take action.

 Evaluate the solution.

Do you need to make adjustments? Would you use the solution again? If your solution fails, do not blame
yourself for making the wrong decision. This is part of the game-trial and error. Just charge it to experience and go
through stages I-5 again.

 Do not forget the lessons you have learned along the way. These will help you to become wiser.
READING

 We used to think that reading fast is the goal of successful readers. However, the developments in reading show
that reading fast is not the only indicator of successful reading. Reading flexibility is the goal of many reading
classes. It is the ability to choose appropriate reading skill and reading rate to meet one’s purpose and to match
text type, familiarity with the topic, and the difficulty of the words in the reading text.
 In short, reading flexibility is to ability to adjust the reading pace and rate depending on the type of text.
The following are the characteristics of flexible readers.

 They have clear reading goals. They know when they need to read a text to get the main idea or to get specific
details.
 They adjust their reading pace depending on their goals and the difficulty of the text.
 They are not bothered by difficult words, because they believe that they can understand the passage even if there
are some unfamiliar words.
 They match their reading strategies and reading goals.
 They know that they do not have to read all passages intensively.
 They know when to skim, scan, or preview certain texts.
 They read a lot because they want to learn new things.
Do you have the mentioned characteristics? If not, don’t worry, flexibility just requires practice. One way to start
developing is to address your own reading blocks. These are processes and perceptions that hinder you from
understanding the materials you are reading.

In order to address these obstacles, you need to be conscious of the building blocks in attaining reading efficiency and
effectiveness.

Another way to help develop reading flexibility is to become familiar with different reading skills and their purposes.
READING SKILLS AND PURPOSES

Skills: Rapid reading

Purpose: Fast reading to get the main idea (skimming) or to locate specific information (scanning) in a text.
Examples:

 Skimming for the main ideas in an article.

 Scanning for specific names in a telephone directory.

Skills: Previewing
Purpose: Surveying to get a bird’s eye view of a text.
Examples:

 Checking books you want to buy by predicting its contents through the title and by checking the synopsis at the
back.
 Getting the overview of a textbook by looking at chapter headings.

Skills: Literal reading

Purpose:

 Noting and relating details

 Looking for context clues
 Identifying text patterns and development
Examples:

 Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant points

 Using clues to understand meaning of words.

Skills: Inferential reading

Purpose: Drawing conclusions and predicting the outcome based on information in the text.
Examples:

 Guessing motivation of a character in a text using dialogue or description.

 Generalizing ideas presented in the text.

Skills: Critical reading

Purpose: Distinguishing facts from opinions and evaluating tone, implications, and propaganda tools.
Examples:
 Questioning claims made by the author
 Expressing opinions about ideas in the text.