Skimming & Scanning

Skimming & Scanning Tips

with

Susie Holman

Skimming

• Quickly identify main ideas of a text
• Skimming is 3 to 4 times faster regular reading
• Used when there is a lot of material and a short amount of time

How to Skim

• Read the first and last paragraph
• Read headings, subheadings, titles, subtitles, and illustrations
• Read the first sentence of every paragraph
• Skimming works well with dates, names and places

Scanning

• Used to search for key terms
• When you know what you are looking for you can through texts to find the information
• Good to use when determining whether a source will have the answers you are looking for

How to Scan

• First look at how the author organizes his information
• Look for bold faces, italics, or different sized fonts
• The author may also put key information in the margins of pages

Quick Reading Tips

1. Prepare yourself

• Set the time length that you will read for
• Collect all your materials
• Find a comfortable place to read
• Relax and focus on what you need to accomplish

Quick Reading Tips

2. Overview

• Look at titles, subtitles, and headings to find what information is there
• Look at charts and pictures and relate them to subtitles
• Ask what you are going to get from the reading

Quick Reading Tips

3. Read During Daylight Hours

• Studies show people are most efficient readers during the day time
• A person will read a passage in half the time if they read in the daylight
• Read during breaks in you day to allot for relaxation during the night when you need rest

Quick Reading Tips

4. Avoid Distractions

• Keep a notebook near you to write down things that come to mind (other assignments, people to call, etc) so you can them later
• Read in place where there is nothing to distract you
• Turn off TV, music, facebook, and anything else that will break your concentration

Quick Reading Tips

5. Take a Break

• Studies show that reading becomes less efficient if you do not take a break to refresh your mind
• A 5 minute break is recommended for every hour of reading
• Do something well defined so it does not drag on and you do not become distracted

Quick Reading Tips

6. Read Often

• Reading often helps build your reading skills
• Reading at the same time everyday turns reading into a habit
• You paid for your textbooks so you might as well read them