Are a specific speed-reading technique, which enable you to cover a vast amount of material very rapidly. Is a method of rapidly moving the eyes over text with the porpouse of getting only the main ideas and a general overviwe of the content.
Skimming is useful in tree diferent 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 right.
- Reading-Skimming: Is most often used for quickly reading material that, for any number of reasons, does not need more detailed attention.
Steps ins Skimming and article:
- Read the title: It is the shortest possible summary of the content.
- Read the introduction or lead: In paragraph.
- Read the first paragraph completly.
- If there are subheadings, read each one, looking for retationships among them.
- Read the first sentence of each remmaining paragraph
- The main idea of most paragraph appears in the first sentence.
- if the author's pattern is to begin with a question or anecdote, you may find the last sentence more valuable.
- Dip into the text lookinf for:
- clue words that answer who, what, when, why, how.
- Proper nouns.
- Unusual words, especially if capitallized.
- Enumerations.
- Qualifying adjectives (best, worst, most, etc.).
Skimming a text using first lines of paragraphs.
In most academic writing, the paragraph is a coherent unit, about one topic, connected to the previous and next paragraphs. Paragraphs are organised internally and the first sentence of each paragraph is often a summary of, or an introduction to, the paragraph. You can therefore get a good idea of the overall content of a text by reading the first sentence of each paragraph. This should help you get a feeling for the structure of the text. In many cases that will be enough, but if it isn't, you will now have a good idea of the structure of the text and you will find it easier to read in detail. Familiar texts are easier to read.
Skimming a text using first and last paragraphs.
In most academic writing, the text is organised clearly with an introduction and a conclusion. The introduction gives you an idea of what the text is going to be about and the conclusion shows that this is what it has been about. You can therefore get a good idea of the overall content of a text by reading the first and last paragraphs of a text. This should help you get a feeling for the content of the text. In many cases that will be enough, but if it isn't, you will now have a good idea of the content of the text and you will find it easier to read in detail. Familiar texts are easier to read.
Skimming a text, using section headings.
In some academic writing, the text is organised through the use of headings and sub-headings. You can therefore get a good idea of the overall content of a text by reading the headings and sub-headings first. This should help you get a feeling for the content and organisation of the text. In many cases that will be enough, but if it isn't, you will now have a good idea of the content of the text and you will find it easier to read in detail. Familiar texts are easier to read.
As reading is an interactive process, you have to work at constructing the meaning of the text from the marks on the paper. You need to be active all the time when you are reading. It is useful, therefore, before you start reading to activate the knowledge you have about the topic of the text and to formulate questions based on this information. The title, sub-titles and section headings can help you formulate questions to keep you interacting with the text.
What Is Scanning?
Scanning is another useful tool for speeding up your reading. Unlike skimming, when scanning, you look only for a specific fact or piece of information without reading everything. You scan when you look for your favorite show listed in the cable guide, for your friend’s phone number in a telephone book, and for the sports scores in the newspaper.
When scanning, look for the author's use of organizers such as numbers, letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or next. Look for words that are bold faced, italics, or in a different font size, style, or color. Sometimes the author will put key ideas in the margin.
How to scan. Because you already scan many different types of material in your daily life, learning more details about scanning will be easy. Establishing your purpose, locating the appropriate material, and knowing how the information is structured before you start scanning is essential.
Intensive Reading
What it is?
- Brown (1989) explains that intensive reading "calls attention to grammatical forms, discourse markers, and other surface structure details for the purpose of understanding literal meaning, implications, rhetorical relationships, and the like." He draws an analogy to intensive reading as a "zoom lens" strategy .
- Long and Richards (1987) say it is a "detailed in-class" analysis, led by the teacher, of vocabulary and grammar points, in a short passage."
- Intensive Reading, sometimes called "Narrow Reading", may involve students reading selections by the same author or several texts about the same topic. When this occurs, content and grammatical structures repeat themselves and students get many opportunities to understand the meanings of the text. The success of "Narrow Reading" on improving reading comprehension is based on the premise that the more familiar the reader is with the text, either due to the subject matter or having read other works by the same author, the more comprehension is promoted.
When it is used?
- when the objective of reading is to achieve full understanding of:
- logical argument
- rhetorical pattern of text
- emotional, symbolic or social attitudes and purposes of the author
- linguistic means to an end
- for study of content material that are difficult
Predicting
What Is It?
Effective readers use pictures, titles, headings, and text—as well as personal experiences—to make predictions before they begin to read. Predicting involves thinking ahead while reading and anticipating information and events in the text. After making predictions, students can read through the text and refine, revise, and verify their predictions.
Why Is It Important?
Making predictions activates students' prior knowledge about the text and helps them make connections between new information and what they already know. By making predictions about the text before, during, and after reading, students use what they already know—as well as what they suppose might happen—to make connections to the text.
Excersice
- Think aloud before reading a book to students, modeling the process of predicting before reading. "I found an interesting book at the library and by looking at the cover I am guessing or predicting the story will be about _____ and _______. When we use what we know to make a guess before we read it is called 'predicting.'"
- Think aloud while reading a book to students, modeling the process of predicting while reading. "Hmmm… my prediction that the story would be about ____ was right, but I did not think that ____ would happen. I'll make a new prediction that _____ will happen based on what we read."
- Think aloud after reading, modeling the process of reflecting on predictions after reading. "My first prediction was _____. After reading part of the story I predicted _____. Now that I am finished reading I think my predictions were close/not close to what really happened because_____."
