Learning Activity Sheet (LAS) for Reading and Writing

I. Learning Competency (MELC)

Explain critical reading as a form of reasoning

II. Background Information for Learners

Critical reading is not just perusing a reading

material, but also absorbing and dissecting it. It is asking
questions about the text: why it happened; how it
happened; what should have been done instead; or what
should be done thereafter.

Once this process is ingrained in you, you now have the ability to read between and beyond the
initial meaning of the text. This aspect of critical reading teaches you to trust in your capability
to think beyond what is first presented, thus, cultivating your critical thinking skills. This skill
should be developed, nurtured, and enhanced so that you will be challenged to provide reasons
and justifications for your insights and decisions. If you are able to master the art and act of
reasoning through critical thinking, it is truly an accomplishment that you can put to practical
use. Understanding a text thoroughly goes way beyond just reading its lines. As a learner,
analyzing both the content and context is necessary to put more significant meaning to the text.

Reasoning is the process of expressing and explaining one’s

ideas and opinions as well as giving justifications to a stand.
Prior knowledge and experiences are needed to make these
decisions.

The evaluation guide that follows will help you in developing your critical reading skills. It is
essential that as a learner, you take into consideration the content, objectivity, and relevance
of the material you are reading and connect these elements to relate their significance in your
life.
 Direction: Read the following text and explain critical reading as a form of reasoning by answering
in a paragraph form the questions that follow. Write your answer on your answer sheet.

Everybody will agree that social media is an innovation that has made a great impact on how we live. It has,
however, its advantages and disadvantages. It is a very accessible tool to connect with friends and loved ones,
but it could also make people drift apart because some would rather spend time with their smartphones than
personally interacting with others. It could be a venue to resolve conflicts real time, and it could also create
misunderstandings. Reconciliation needs personal meetings because text messages or chats can be
misinterpreted. Many netizens use social media as a venue for self-expression. However, not all emotions
should be displayed on social media for this can arouse irritation and annoyance in the people reading your
posts because they constantly absorb your negativity. Social media can help in one’s business. This can be
used for marketing and entrepreneurship purposes, but some people also use social media to advance their
unscrupulous dealings. Also, according to research, social media has an impact on one’s mental health.
Positive attention on social media, for example, affects multiple parts of the brain. Certain parts of the brain are
activated when one receives likes on Facebook, Instagram, etc. The brain also reacts when people, especially
adolescents, are not included in online groups, chats, or events. Posting on social media has its own
motivations. It satisfies certain needs in us like the need to feel love and a sense of belonging or to boost our
self-esteem. On the other hand, the dependence on social media in relation to the immense popularity of social
media applications has received more and more attention in the last five years. Researchers have been
exploring the addictive tendencies of social media users and how they choose the content they post.
Some reasons why people get addicted to social media are low self-esteem and a general anxiety of being
excluded. Because of this, social media also has an influence in shaping one’s identity. Some users develop
new personalities in social media because of one’s capacity to create multiple accounts, so their real identities
are hidden by virtual ones, and people’s perceptions of them may also change because of their altered social
media profiles. Users can, of course, create honest representations of themselves, but their self-image will also
be put under a microscope when they compare themselves with others. In conclusion, social media influences
positively and negatively the psychology of users. One has to be mature, disciplined, and should possess an
incredible amount of self-control in navigating the world of social media.

Guide Questions:
1. Discuss the writer’s motivation to write the paragraph.
2. Express what you think and how you feel about the text.
3. Explain the writer’s disposition in life based on his/her thoughts about social media.
4. Mention and elaborate the central claim of the text.
5. Discuss some sentiments that you have which are the same as the writer’s sentiments.
6. Explain whether the pieces of evidence presented are sufficient and valid to support the
claims?
7. Are there evident flaws on reasoning in the texts? If yes, enumerate them and discuss each.

Remember:
Critical reading means that a reader applies certain processes, models, questions, and theories that result in
enhanced clarity and comprehension. Reasoning is the ability to think logically to formulate fair judgments and
justify a position. In other words, it is about identifying, analyzing, and evaluating arguments.