Skimming and Scanning

TEACHING READING
SKIMMING & SCANNING
Skimming and scanning are reading techniques that use rapid eye movement and
keywords to move quickly through text for slightly different purposes. Skimming is
reading rapidly in order to get a general overview of the material. Scanning is reading
rapidly in order to find specific facts. While skimming tells you what general
information is within a section, scanning helps you locate a particular fact. Skimming is
like snorkeling, and scanning is more like pearl diving.
Use skimming in previewing (reading before you read), reviewing (reading after you
read), determining the main idea from a long selection you don't wish to read, or when
trying to find source material for a research paper.
Use scanning in research to find particular facts, to study fact-heavy topics, and to
answer questions requiring factual support.
Skimming to save time

Skimming can save you hours of laborious reading. However, it is not always the most
appropriate way to read. It is very useful as a preview to a more detailed reading or
when reviewing a selection heavy in content. But when you skim, you may miss
important points or overlook the finer shadings of meaning, for which rapid reading or
perhaps even study reading may be necessary.
Use skimming to overview your textbook chapters or to review for a test. Use
skimming to decide if you need to read something at all, for example during the
preliminary research for a paper. Skimming can tell you enough about the general idea
and tone of the material, as well as its gross similarity or difference from other
sources, to know if you need to read it at all.
To skim, prepare yourself to move rapidly through the pages. You will not read every
word; you will pay special attention to typographical cues-headings, boldface and italic
type, indenting, bulleted and numbered lists. You will be alert for key words and
phrases, the names of people and places, dates, nouns, and unfamiliar words. In
general follow these steps:
1. Read the table of contents or chapter overview to learn the main divisions of ideas.
2. Glance through the main headings in each chapter just to see a word or two. Read
the headings of charts and tables.
3. Read the entire introductory paragraph and then the first and last sentence only of
each following paragraph. For each paragraph, read only the first few words of each
sentence or to locate the main idea.
4. Stop and quickly read the sentences containing keywords indicated in boldface or
italics.
5. When you think you have found something significant, stop to read the entire
sentence to make sure. Then go on the same way. Resist the temptation to stop to
read details you don't need.
6. Read chapter summaries when provided.
If you cannot complete all the steps above, compromise: read only the chapter
overviews and summaries, for example, or the summaries and all the boldfaced
keywords. When you skim, you take a calculated risk that you may miss something.
For instance, the main ideas of paragraphs are not always found in the first or last
sentences (although in many textbooks they are). Ideas you miss you may pick up in a
chapter overview or summary.
Good skimmers do not skim everything at the same rate or give equal attention to
everything. While skimming is always faster than your normal reading speed, you
should slow down in the following situations:
 When you skim introductory and concluding paragraphs

 When you skim topic sentences
 When you find an unfamiliar word
 When the material is very complicated
Scanning for research and study

Scanning, too, uses keywords and organizational cues. But while the goal of skimming
is a bird's-eye view of the material, the goal of scanning is to locate and swoop down
on particular facts.
Facts may be buried within long text passages that have relatively little else to do with
your topic or claim. Skim this material first to decide if it is likely to contain the facts
you need. Don't forget to scan tables of contents, summaries, indexes, headings, and
typographical cues. To make sense of lists and tables, skim them first to understand
how they are organized: alphabetical, chronological, or most-to-least, for example. If
after skimming you decide the material will be useful, go ahead and scan:
1. Know what you're looking for. Decide on a few key words or phrases–search terms,
if you will. You will be a flesh-and-blood search engine.
2. Look for only one keyword at a time. If you use multiple keywords, do multiple
scans.
3. Let your eyes float rapidly down the page until you find the word or phrase you
want.
4. When your eye catches one of your keywords, read the surrounding material
carefully.
Scanning to answer questions

If you are scanning for facts to answer a specific question, one step is already done for
you: the question itself supplies the keywords. Follow these steps:
1. Read each question completely before starting to scan. Choose your keywords from
the question itself.
2. Look for answers to only one question at a time. Scan separately for each question.
3. When you locate a keyword, read the surrounding text carefully to see if it is
relevant.
4. Re-read the question to determine if the answer you found answers this question.
Scanning is a technique that requires concentration and can be surprisingly tiring. You
may have to practice at not allowing your attention to wander. Choose a time and
place that you know works for you and dive in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ounmqBsdgl0 Skimming and scanning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3F8pQLtY_Q Skimming and scanning

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TEACHING READING

SKIMMING & SCANNING

Skimming to save time

 When you skim introductory and concluding paragraphs

Scanning for research and study

Scanning to answer questions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ounmqBsdgl0 Skimming and scanning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3F8pQLtY_Q Skimming and scanning

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