Reading Techniques: Skimming

• Reading pertains to decoding symbols to construct and derive meaning, making it a complex cognitive process.
• Reading is also a means of language acquisition, communication, and sharing information and ideas.
• A technique is a way of doing something using special knowledge or skill.
• Reading techniques involve styles, systems, or practices in decoding symbols, improving comprehension for communication and information sharing.
• Cognitive processes include operations affecting mental content, the process of thinking and remembering, plus obtaining and storing knowledge.
• Decoding involves finding or understanding the meaning of something, recognizing and interpreting it, or translating a printed word into a sound.
• To derive means to take, receive, or obtain something, especially from a specific source.
• Language acquisition involves humans acquiring the capacity to perceive and comprehend knowledge, and to produce and use words and sentences to communicate.

Skimming

• Skimming is a method of rapidly moving the eyes over text to get only the main ideas and a general overview.
• Skimming is useful in pre-reading, reviewing, and reading situations.
• Skimming is more thorough than simple previewing and gives a more accurate picture of text to be read later, making it useful for pre-reading.
• Skimming is useful for reviewing text that has already been read.
• Skimming is useful for quickly reading material where detailed information is not needed.

Steps in Skimming an Article

• Read the title.
• Read the introduction or lead-in paragraph.
• Read the first paragraph completely.
• If there are subheadings, read each one and look for relationships among them.
• Read the first sentence of each remaining paragraph as the main idea is usually in the first sentence.
• If a paragraph begins with a question, then read the last sentence.
• Stop only at keywords and phrases.

Scanning

• Scanning rapidly covers a great deal of material to locate a specific fact or piece of information.
• Scanning is useful for finding a specific name, date, statistical data, or fact without reading the entire article.

Steps in Scanning an Article

• Keep in mind at all times what you are searching for.
• Anticipate how the information is likely to appear with numbers, proper nouns, etc.
• Analyze the organization of the content before starting to scan.
• If the material is familiar or fairly brief, you may scan the entire article in a single search.
• Quickly run your eyes over several lines of print, and read the entire sentence when you find the information you seek.

Karina Furniture

• The Karina suite is approximately 54% polyester, 46% cotton.
• The text is aimed at people who are buying furniture.
• A home delivery service is available at an unknown cost.
• A 3-seater sofa is £409.95 and is size (W) 215, (D) 108, (H) 96cm.
• Order number 57/402/15
• A 2-seater sofa is £189.95 and is size (W) 168, (D) 108, (H) 96cm.
• Order number 57/404/26
• A large 2-seater sofa is £479.95 and is size (W) 188, (D) 108, (H) 96cm.
• Order number 57/404/98
• An armchair is £232.99 and is size (W) 98, (D) 108, (H) 96cm.
• Order number 57/406/61
• A large armchair is £209.99 and is size (W) 118, (D) 108, (H) 96cm.
• Order number 57/406/02
• A Metal-action sofa-bed is £379.95 and is size (W) 192, (D) 112, (H) 94cm.
• Order number 57/409/22
• A Futon is £359.95 and is size (W) 158, (D) 102, (H) 88cm.
• Order number 57/406/11
• A Footstool is £59.95 and is size (W) 75, (D) 75, (H) 75cm.
• Order number 57/406/72

Phrase Reading

• Phrase reading focuses attention on phrases.
• Read without skipping words.
• Read the material in detail.
• Phrases are a group of words that go together to mean something.
• A phrase is a concept.
• Phrase reading divides a sentence into chunks.
• Phrase reading helps students read and comprehend faster.
• Clustering is a powerful and simple exercise to help develop the necessary skills to phrase read.

Non-Prose Reading

• Non-prose materials or graphic materials are illustrated visual forms that summarize information and ideas through words, symbols, pictures, and drawings.
• Graphs visually represent quantitative information so readers see instantly how gathered data relate to each other, such as bar, pie, and line graphs, and pictographs.
• Diagrams are made up of lines and symbols showing the interrelationships of parts or elements like tree charts, timelines, and process diagrams.
• Charts are visuals summarizing data, explaining a process, or describing relationships in tabular, outline, workflow, or organizational forms.
• Maps are flat representations of the earth that show geographical areas using scales and models.

Analyzing a graph: John’s Weekly Allowance Expenditure

• John spends 35 out of his weekly allowance on jeepney fares.
• He spends 40 on photocopy.
• He spends 100 on snacks.
• Most of John's weekly expenditure is on lunch, at 200.

Looking for a Pen Pal: Mary

• Mary is 24 years old and from Scotland.
• She wants a pen pal from East Europe.
• She likes playing piano and listening to jazz music.
• She is interested in history but dislikes politics.

Looking for a Pen Pal: Kim Lee

• Kim Lee is 19 years old and from Seoul, South Korea.
• He loves to travel and hopes to visit Great Britain in the future.
• He wants a pen pal interested in discussing the differences between life in Europe and life in Asia.
• He loves listening to pop music and playing football in his free time.

Looking for a Pen Pal: Pietro

• Pietro is 42 years old and from Argentina.
• He is a businessman looking for a pen pal who is also a businessperson living in North America.
• He is married with three children and likes using the internet in his free time.