The document discusses strategies for comprehending, reflecting on, and preparing to write about written texts. It outlines a process that includes previewing a text, understanding its main ideas, summarizing content, annotating passages, journaling thoughts, analyzing claims and evidence, interpreting significance, synthesizing ideas, and critiquing the work. The goal is to break down a text, connect it to outside knowledge, and evaluate it in order to develop informed written analysis and discussion.

1. Writing Matters
by Rebecca Moore Howard
Thinking and
Reading Critically7
©2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1

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Comprehending
Purpose of reading material?
• To inform
• To persuade
• To record
• To interest
Can you name some examples for each?

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Comprehending
Understanding text takes careful thought.
1. Preview/scan
• Title/subtitle
• Abstract/introduction/conclusion
• First sentences and paragraphs
• Key terms
• Headings/subheadings
• Figures/illustrations

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Comprehending
Understanding text takes careful thought.
1. Preview/scan
2. Get the gist
• Read through once from beginning to
end.
• Circle unfamiliar words or phrases.
• After finishing, close the book and
paraphrase (put it in your own words)
from memory.

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Comprehending
Understanding text takes careful thought.
1. Preview/scan
2. Get the gist/paraphrase
3. Summarize in your own words
• Restate main idea and key support.
• 10% to 50% as long as original.
• Helps you remember.
• Provides a helpful reference for later
writing.

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Comprehending
Understanding text takes careful thought.
1. Preview/scan
2. Get the gist/paraphrase
3. Summarize
4. Enjoy
• Think as you read.
• Consider details.
• Note words and phrases.
• Connect to your life.

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Reflecting
Connects reading the text to
understanding it.

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
• Definitions
• Look up words.

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
• Definitions
• Concepts
• Underline all that is interesting,
important, or difficult.

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
• Definitions
• Concepts
• Tone
• Is the writer sincere? Sarcastic?
Witty?

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
• Definitions
• Concepts
• Tone
• Biases
• What is the writer’s opinion?
• What is your opinion?

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
• Definitions
• Concepts
• Tone
• Biases
• Fallacies
• Errors in logic?
• Misleading?

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
• Definitions
• Concepts
• Tone
• Biases
• Fallacies
• Responses
• Ask questions.
• Note your reactions.

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
• Definitions
• Concepts
• Tone
• Biases
• Fallacies
• Responses
• Connections
• Relate to experience or other texts

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
Don’t forget footnotes or parenthetical
text.

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
When annotating an image rather than a
text, follow the steps outlined in the Self-
Assessment checklist on p. 115 to focus
your efforts.

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
2. Journal
• Analyze the writer’s purpose.
• Freewrite your reactions.
• Brainstorm related ideas.
• Outline the text.
• Connect the material to your own
ideas.

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Reflecting
1. Annotate
2. Journal
A double-entry journal will help you
avoid plagiarism by keeping your
own ideas separate from the ideas
you have found in the text.

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
To analyze means to break down—to
tear apart and consider components.
• What do the parts mean?
• How do the parts work together as a
whole?

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
• Consider the major claims.
• Evidence?

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
• Consider the major claims.
• Consider the development.
• Counterevidence?
• Sources?

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
• Consider the major claims.
• Consider the development.
• Consider the organization.
• Patterns?
• Classical
• Rogerian
• Toulmin

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
• Consider the major claims.
• Consider the development.
• Consider the organization.
• Consider the rhetorical appeals.
• Logos?
• Ethos?
• Pathos?

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
• Consider the major claims.
• Consider the development.
• Consider the organization.
• Consider the rhetorical appeals.
• Consider the tone and style.
• What do they indicate about
purpose? Audience?

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
• Consider the major claims.
• Consider the development.
• Consider the organization.
• Consider the rhetorical appeals.
• Consider the tone and style.
• Consider the logical pattern.
• Inductive? Exploratory argument.
• Deductive? Persuasive argument.

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
2. Interpret
What is the significance?

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
2. Interpret
• Assumptions
• Omissions
• Conclusions
• Influences
• Context

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
2. Interpret
3. Synthesize
Connect material to the “real world.”

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
2. Interpret
3. Synthesize
• Compare to other texts
• Compare author’s other works
• Consider outside forces
• Connect various ideas
• Claims as evidence
• Compare to your own understanding

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
2. Interpret
3. Synthesize
4. Critique
A critique is a well-informed evaluation,
positive and/or negative.

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
2. Interpret
3. Synthesize
4. Critique
• Evaluation
• Evidence
• Judgments based on analysis
• Informed by other texts and/or own
knowledge and experience

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
2. Interpret
3. Synthesize
4. Critique the author
• What are the author’s goals?
• What are the author’s claims?
• How credible is the evidence?
• What is the author’s expertise?

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Preparing to Write
1. Analyze
2. Interpret
3. Synthesize
4. Critique yourself
• What is your purpose?
• What judgments do you have?
• What are your readers’ interests?

34. Writing Matters
by Rebecca Moore Howard
Thinking and
Reading Critically7
©2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 34