© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Skimming and Scanning

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers You will learn: To SKIM to get an overview of an article. To SCAN to locate specific information quickly.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Skimming – a fast reading technique Skimming is reading selectively to get a general idea of what an article is about. Read some parts/skip others. Look for the most important ideas. Read for main ideas. Skip facts and details.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Purposes for Skimming Skimming can help readers: 1.Read more quickly 2.Decide if the text is interesting and whether the readers should read it in more detail. Skim a newspaper report if you wish only to understand the main events. Skim a section of a reference book if you are looking for specific information. Skim a movie review to make a decision on seeing a movie.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers How to Skim Read the title. Read the subtitle or introductory byline. Read the headings. Read the first sentence of each paragraph. Read the key words. Read the title or legend of graphics. Read the last paragraph or summary.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Limitations of Skimming Cannot expect to retain facts and details. Expect 50% comprehension rate. Use only when reading for general concepts.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Alternating Skimming and Reading In a given article, you can skim several sections until you come to a section that is of particular interest or that fulfills your purpose for reading.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Skimming Internet Sources Scroll through the document by using the down arrow or page down key. Scroll through the entire document quickly, noticing the major headings, graphics, and length before you read.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Skimming Textbook Chapters Focus on: Chapter objectives and introductions. Headings and typographical aids. Graphic and visual aids. Review and discussion questions.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Skimming Newspaper Articles Read the: Title. Opening paragraphs. First sentences of remaining paragraphs.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Skimming Magazine Articles Read the: Title/subtitle/byline. Opening paragraphs. Photograph/captions. Headings/first sentences. Last several paragraphs. Read Photograph Captions.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Skimming Nonfiction Books Read the: Front and back cover of the book jacket. Author’s credentials. Table of contents. Preface. First and last chapters.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Scanning Scanning is searching for a specific piece of information; your only purpose is to locate that information.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Scanning 1.Check the Organization. 2.Form Specific Questions. 3.Anticipate Word Clues. 4.Identify Likely Answer Locations. 5.Use a Systematic Pattern. 6.Confirm Your Answer.

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Summary Questions 1.What is skimming? 2.What steps should you follow to skim effectively? 3.What are the three types of skimming? 4.What is scanning? 5.What steps are involved in the process of scanning?