SKIMMING AND SCANNING
Skimming and scanning are two specific speed-reading techniques, which enable you to
cover a vast amount of material very rapidly. These techniques are similar in process
but different in purpose. Quickly "looking over" an article is neither skimming nor scanning. Both
require specific steps to be followed.
I. SKIMMING is a method of rapidly moving the eyes over text with the
purpose of getting only the main ideas and a general overview of the content.
A. Skimming is useful in three different situations.
• Pre-reading--Skimming is more thorough than simple previewing
and can give a more accurate picture of text to be read later.
• Reviewing--Skimming is useful for reviewing text already read.
• Reading--Skimming is most often used for quickly reading
material that, for any number of reasons, does not need more
detailed attention.
B. Steps in skimming an article
• Read the title--it is the shortest possible summary of the content.
• Read the introduction or lead-in paragraph.
• Read the first paragraph completely.
• If there are subheadings, read each one, looking for relationships
among them.
• Read the first sentence of each remaining paragraph.
a. The main idea of most paragraphs appears in the first
sentence.
b. If the author's pattern is to begin with a question or
anecdote, you may find the last sentence more valuable.
6. Dip into the text looking for:
a. Clue words that answer who, what, when, why, how
b. Proper nouns
c. Unusual words, especially if capitalized
d. Enumerations
e. Qualifying adjectives (best, worst, most, etc.)
f. Typographical cues--italics, boldface, underlining,
asterisks, etc.
7. Read the final paragraph completely.
C. Mastering the art of skimming effectively requires that you use it as
frequently as possible.
D. Skimming can usually be accomplished at about 1000 words per minute.
