Discuss readings skills that you have learned in this class, but have rarely used in your reading. Do you think they are really necessary ones for better reading? Why or why not?
After learning so many kinds of reading skills in this class, I found some reading skills are really necessary for better reading, which I have rarely used in my reading.
1. Recall
Reading
We might remember the process of reciting from our early public school days when we had to recite a poem for the class or we had to recite multiplication tables aloud in class. Chances are that these things we've recited intensively remain with you as part of your base of knowledge. In fact, they have probably become such an integral part of our knowledge that we don't even think of them as things we have to remember; instead, we just "know" them. This is what the purpose of recall is in the process of reading too. Recall can be a little difficult, but once we are recalling our material with skill, we will be in terrific shape for reading. Recall involves being able to access the information without being cued. For example, answering a question on a fill-in-the-blank test is a good example of recall.
2. Critical thinking
Critical reading refers to a careful, active, reflective, analytic reading. Critical thinking involves reflecting on the validity of what we have read in light of our prior knowledge and understanding of the world. Critical thinking in reading is like critical thinking elsewhere. Its purpose is to get us involved in a dialogue with the ideas we hear in class so that we can summarize, analyze, hypothesize, and evaluate the ideas we encounter. Critical thinking includes a complex combination of skills. Among the main characteristics are the following:
(1) Open-mindedness
We are thinking critically when we
-evaluate all reasonable inferences
-consider a variety of possible viewpoints or perspectives,
-remain open to alternative interpretations
-accept a new explanation, model, or paradigm because it explains the evidence better, is simpler, or has fewer inconsistencies or covers more data
-accept new priorities in response to a reevaluation of the evidence or reassessment of our real interests, and
-do not reject unpopular views out of hand.
(2) Judgment
We are thinking critically when we
-recognize the relevance and/or merit of alternative assumptions and perspectives
-recognize the extent and weight of evidence
Critical thinkers do not take an egotistical view of the world. They are open to new ideas and perspectives. They are willing to challenge their beliefs and investigate competing evidence.
Critical thinking enables us to recognize a wide range of subjective analyses of otherwise objective data, and to evaluate how well each analysis might meet our needs. Facts may be facts, but how we interpret them may vary.
By contrast, passive, non-critical thinkers take a simplistic view of the world.
3. Retrieving material from long-term memory, comparing, inferring
(1) Recollection: This type of memory retrieval involves reconstructing memory, often utilizing logical structures, partial memories, narratives or clues. For example, writing an answer on an essay exam often involves remembering bits on information, and then restructuring the remaining information based on these partial memories.
(2) Recognition: This type of memory retrieval involves identifying information after experiencing it again. For example, taking a multiple-choice quiz requires that you recognize the correct answer out of a group of available answers.
(3) Relearning: This type of memory retrieval involves relearning information that has been previously learned. This often makes it easier to remember and retrieve information in the future and can improve the strength of memories.
