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Kerry has been a teacher and an administrator for more than twenty years. She has a Master of Education degree.
Consider the way you approach reading the news on the internet. How does that compare to the way you read the latest novel? Depending on what we're reading and why we're reading it, we might scan, skim, read, or reread material. Let's examine different reading strategies and determine the appropriate use of each.
Skimming text is quickly glancing through the material to get an overview. When skimming, it isn't necessary to read every individual word or to know every detail. You're simply trying to pick up the overall message. Newspapers, magazines, brochures, and web pages may be skimmed as you're trying to determine which articles are worth your time for more extensive reading. Lots of people skim through several books at the bookstore or library before determining which ones they want to read.
When skimming for information, look at bolded words, illustrations, titles, and headings. You may want to read the first and last paragraph, but just glance over the rest in search of the theme. Skimming saves a lot of time, but the information that's garnered from it is limited.
Scanning a text may be used to find key vocabulary or details. Similar to skimming, scanning doesn't require you to read every word on every line, but rather you'll glance through the text in search of specific information. Scanning is useful when you're searching for definitions or answers to questions in a textbook, searching for your favorite program in the TV guide, selecting a link after an internet search, looking up a word in the dictionary, or reviewing an agenda. Scanning is another time-saver as it allows you to quickly find what you're looking for without getting caught up with unnecessary details.
Intensive reading is used when learning technical information or new content. Intensive reading is a slow process that includes lots of rereading and a strong degree of focus. When doing intensive reading, you will pay close attention to every detail. Intensive reading is used before signing a contract, when studying for a test, when faced with new, complicated material, or when reading instructions to put together a bicycle.
Extensive reading is general reading to improve knowledge or for pleasure. Extensive reading may not require you to read or understand every word, but you'll definitely read most of the words. Extensive reading is used when reading a book for business, reading a novel for pleasure, or reading an interesting magazine or newspaper article.
Let's review what we've learned. Reading strategies are selected based on the type of reading material and the information you hope to garner from the reading experience. We learned about skimming, which involves glancing through the material to get a brief overview, but does not entail reading every word. We also learned about scanning, which is also going over the material quickly, but in search of specific information. We then learned that intensive reading is slowly going through material line by line in order to grasp every detail. And, finally, we learned that extensive reading is general reading for gaining information or pleasure.
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Teaching Strategies for Reading Skills9 chapters | 86 lessons
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