1. Can you read
my mind?
Scanning and Skimming
Let us test your reading
speed!
http://www.readingdynamicsrsa.com/speedtest.htm
2. Skimming and scanning are especially valuable when there is
only one item of information that you need to find from a
particular passage.
• Skimming and scanning are very
rapid reading methods in which
you glance at a passage to find
specific information. These
reading methods make it easier
for you to grasp large amounts
of material, especially when
you're previewing. They are also
useful when you don't need to
know every word.
3. Skimming refers to the process of reading only main
ideas within a passage to get an overall impression of
the content of a reading selection. An example of this is
when we read the title of a newspaper to know what
happens everyday.
How to skim:
1. Read the title.
2. Read the introduction or the first
paragraph.
3. Read the first sentence of every other
paragraph.
4. Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs. *
Notice any italicized or boldface words or
phrases.
5. Read the summary or last paragraph.
4. Scanning is a reading technique to be used when you want
to find specific information quickly. In scanning you have a
question in your mind and you read a passage only to find
the answer, ignoring unrelated information.
How to scan:
1. State the specific information you are looking
for.
2. Try to anticipate how the answer will appear
and what clues you might use to help you locate
the answer. For example, if you were looking
for a certain date, you would quickly read the
paragraph looking only for numbers.
3. Use headings and any other aids that will help
you identify which sections might contain the
information you are looking for.
4. Selectively read and skip through sections of the
passage.
5. Skim and Scan this special note
in 30 seconds
Special Note:
• When you skim and scan, you need to cover
everything, even titles, subtitles, side features,
and visuals. That bit of information you need may
not be tidily packaged in a paragraph, so you need
to check the 1. Cover everything the main body
entire page--not just
of the text, there are entire page visual clues that
2. Check also many
help you to find Visual clues Heads and subheads
3. information.
break up the 4. Graphs, charts have content of each
text and identify the titles/captions
part. Where key terms are introduced and
defined, they appear in boldface type. Graphs and
charts have titles and/or captions that tell you
what they are about. These clues will help you to
find information. . . but only if you use them.
6. SW: Skim and Scan the text:
A newly published report indicates that jogging
could have adverse health effects, especially for
those who do it alone. A team of researchers from
Harvard University has suggested that going for a
run on your own is not as healthy as previously
believed and is nowhere near as beneficial as
jogging as part of a group. They suggested it could
actually be detrimental to one’s health. Experiments
conducted on rats indicated that running alone
raises stress levels and stifles brain cell regeneration.
Professor Elizabeth Gould, who led the research,
said: “These results suggest that, in the absence of
social interaction, a normally beneficial experience
can exert a potentially deleterious influence on the
brain.”
7. • The researchers monitored two groups of rats
on exercise wheels. One group exercised
alone, the other as part of a rodent jogging
team. After two weeks, the scientists
conducted tests to ascertain the rate of brain
cell growth in all of the test animals. The results
revealed that the communal joggers had
double the amount of new brain cells as the
solo runners. Professor Gould concluded that:
“When experienced in a group setting, running
stimulates neurogenesis (brain cell growth).
However, when running occurs in social
isolation, these positive effects are
suppressed.” Joggers around the world should
perhaps take the research with a pinch of salt
and remember that jogging is healthier than
the rat race.
8. Part 1: Skimming
1. Answer the following questions using your own words
but taking into account the information in the text.
b. According to the text, is jogging alone beneficial for our
health? Why?
c. Has this piece of research been tested on humans?
2. Choose a, b or c in each question below. Only one choice
is correct.
v. Some Harvard researchers claim that jogging alone
a. is not healthy.
b. is as healthy as it was thought.
c. is not as healthy as it was thought.
ix. Jogging alone..
a. increases the production of brain cells.
b. increases the size of the brain. c. reduces the production of
brain cells.
9. Part 2: Scanning
Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Identify the part
of the text that supports your answer.
b. Jogging with rats stimulates the brain cell production:
________
Evidence:
b. Jogging rats produce more brain cells if they do it in group:
________
Evidence:
Answer the following questions:
c. What does professor Gould says about the results of this
experiment?
d. What were her conclusions?
