1. Reading Comprehension Skills
Skimming and Scanning
Hi … welcome to EPA Reading Module one. This is a ppt on skimming and scanning, a key reading comprehension skill
Notice the image of the stop watch. It’s there because skimming and scanning is about working quickly to get the information you need from a document.

2. Skimming and scanning are especially valuable when there is
only one item of information that you need to find from a
particular passage.
Skimming and scanning are very rapid reading methods in which you glance at a passage to find specific information. These reading methods make it easier for you to grasp large amounts of material, especially when you're previewing. They are also useful when you don't need to know every word.

3. Run your eyes over the text, noting important information.
Skimming is used to quickly gather the most important
information or ‘gist’. It’s not essential to understand each
word when you are skimming.
Run your eyes over the text, noting important information.
Use skimming to quickly get up to speed on a current business
situation.
AS you run your eyes over text, notice key vocabulary words, not worry about grammar words. What do the key words make you think about. Do you already know something abut this? When we skim, we prepare to read.
An example of skimming is…current business situation

4. Examples of Skimming:
The Newspaper – to quickly get the general news of the day
Websites – to quickly discover which articles you would like to read in more detail
Business and Travel Brochures – to quickly get informed
Browse through a book to see if you want to read it
Look through the television guide to see what’s on one evening
Other examples

5. How to Skim? Read the title if there is one.
Working quickly…
Read the title if there is one.
Read the introduction or the first paragraph if there is one.
Read the first sentence of every other paragraph.
Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs.
Notice any italicized or boldface words or phrases.
Read the summary or last paragraph if there is one.
We skim all sorts of documents. Here are some tips on skimming. As you skim, make connections with the information – what do you know about this? Can you compare it to something you know? Think of it as preparing to read in depth. When a house is constructed, the builders need to have an idea about the house – they need to know what the house will look like before they start looking at the details of the plan.

6. Skim these articles- which would be most useful to you if you want to run a fundraiser for our school? Why?
You have thirty seconds starting now…

7. Scanning is a reading technique to be used when you want
to find specific information quickly. In scanning you have a
question in your mind and you read a passage only to find
the answer, ignoring unrelated information.
Examples of Scanning:
A google search list on the internet to find the right website to answer your question
To find a date, amount or specific fact that you know is in an article
A bus / airplane schedule
A graph
Look up a word in a dictionary or index
Find an address or a phone number in a directory
Check what time your programme is on television
Look up details or prices in a catalogue
You know what information you want before you start to read.

8. How to scan State the specific information you are looking for.
Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and what clues you might use to help you locate the answer. For example, if you were looking for a certain date, you would quickly read the paragraph looking only for numbers.
Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify which sections might contain the information you are looking for.
Selectively read and skip through sections of the passage.

9. Scanning Practice
Here is some information you are looking for on the BC Hydro website.
Read the questions and then on the next slide , find the answers, as quickly as possible:
1. Who is handling inquiries?
2. What is the after hours media line?
3. What is a good example of BC Hydro Clean Energy Project?
You have 30 seconds starting now

10. 1. Who is handling inquiries. 2. What is the after hours media line. 3
1. Who is handling inquiries? 2. What is the after hours media line? 3. What is a good example of BC Hydro Clean Energy Project?

11. Scanning answers Remember it’s important to quickly find the information you need. You don’t need to understand every word, or read every word. Your eyes should quickly scan the document for the information you seek.
Who is handling inquiries
What is the after hours media line
What is a good example of a BC Hydro clean energy project

12. In other words, when you are skimming and scanning…
Cover everything
Check entire page
Notice visual clues
Notice pictures, graphs, charts, titles, captions
Once again – prepare to read… by doing this you will understand the text more quickly.

13. Application- http://miratech
Skim- what is this article about? what is the overall conclusion? Would you trust it? Why/why not? Scan- What percentage of people recall an article they’ve read in the newspaper? What percent on an ipad? How long does it take to read an article on ipad and from a newspaper on average?

14. Goal reflection- summarise skimming and scanning- how many of these points did you include?
Skimming and scanning can be used when reading all types of documents.
As we skim and scan, we…
are working quickly
think about the topic
think about what we already know about the topic
start to guess or anticipate the details we are going to read about.
We skim to get the idea of what a document is about and typically skim all documents before we actually begin to read.
We scan for specific information.