Lesson 1.1: Reading with Purpose: Previewing, Skimming and Scanning

Introduction

In the realm of academic study, effective reading is a crucial skill. This lesson, titled "Reading with Purpose: Previewing, Skimming and Scanning," focuses on teaching strategies to navigate longer texts effectively. By the end of this lesson, you will be equipped with tools to set reading purposes, skim texts for main ideas, and scan for specific information—skills that will enhance your academic reading experience.

Learning Objectives

Set a purpose before reading and formulate pre-reading questions.
Skim a longer text for gist and scan for specific information.
Utilize titles, headings, topic sentences, and conclusions to navigate a text.
Choose between extensive and intensive reading based on the given task.
Preview an academic text and generate useful pre-reading questions.

Setting a Purpose Before Reading

Setting a purpose for reading is essential in guiding your focus and maximizing comprehension. It involves determining what you need to gain from a text. There are various purposes, including:

To gain a broad understanding of the topic.
To find specific answers to questions.
To familiarize yourself with new vocabulary.

Example: Pre-Reading Questions

Imagine you are about to read an academic article on climate change. Formulating pre-reading questions can help direct your focus. Here are some examples of questions you might ask:

What are the causes of climate change?
How does climate change affect biodiversity?
What solutions are proposed in the text?

Creating questions like these gives you a framework for understanding and retaining information from the text.

Skimming for Gist

Skimming is a technique used to quickly understand the main idea of a text. During skimming, you should focus on:

Titles and headings
First and last paragraphs of sections
Topic sentences
Emphasized terms (bolded or italicized)

Worked Example: Skimming Practice

Consider the following article about the benefits of exercise. When skimming:

Read the title: The Transformative Power of Daily Exercise
Scan the headings and subheadings and notice key phrases such as "Physical Health," "Mental Well-being," and "Long-term Benefits."
Read the first sentence of each paragraph. This will help you grasp the overall argument without delving into every detail.

In this example, you might determine that the article argues for the myriad benefits of regular exercise by discussing its physical, mental, and long-term advantages, even without reading every word.

Scanning for Specific Information

Scanning is a focused reading technique used to locate particular information quickly. This often involves looking for keywords or phrases.

Worked Example: Scanning for Details

Returning to the previously discussed exercise article, you might need to find specific details about exercise recommendations.

Start by identifying keywords related to your objective, like "weekly recommendations" or "exercise duration."
Quickly move your eyes down the page looking specifically for these words or phrases, rather than reading every line.

When you spot the relevant section, you can read only that part to find the information you need without losing time on the rest of the article.

Using Text Features to Navigate

Academic texts often provide structural features that help readers navigate outcomes effectively. Familiarizing yourself with these can enhance comprehension:

Titles and Headings: Indicate what information is contained in a section.
Topic Sentences: Usually found at the beginning of paragraphs, summarizing the main idea of that section.
Conclusions: Typically highlight the main points covered and may restate the argument.

Example Exercise

Take a short passage and identify the title, headings, and topic sentences. Write down the significance of each in helping frame your understanding of the text. This method will prepare you for more challenging readings by streamlining your engagement with the material.

Extensive vs. Intensive Reading

Understanding when to employ extensive or intensive reading strategies is crucial:

Extensive Reading: Involves reading large amounts of text for enjoyment or general comprehension. This is often used in leisure reading or when acquiring a general understanding of a topic.
Intensive Reading: Focuses on detailed understanding of shorter texts, often used for academic inquiries or when working with complex material.

Choosing the Right Approach

For a research paper, you might use intensive reading to dissect methodologies or arguments. Conversely, when reviewing literature in preparation for an exam, extensive reading may suffice to grasp overarching themes. Consider the context of your reading task to choose the most effective approach.

Previewing an Academic Text

Previewing is a strategy that allows you to get an overview before diving into the details. It includes assessing the layout, looking over the introduction, and glancing through the conclusion.

Example of Previewing

For an academic text:

Observe the table of contents to understand the structure.
Read the abstract if available for a summary of the study.
Look at the keywords and summary at the end of the text to identify key terms and findings.

This previewing process allows you to form preliminary questions that can guide your more focused reading.

Conclusion

In this lesson on reading with purpose, we have explored essential strategies such as setting objectives before reading, skimming longer texts for gist, and scanning for specific information. By understanding how to navigate academic texts effectively, you can enhance your reading skills and better prepare for your studies.

Study Notes

Setting a Purpose: Formulate pre-reading questions relevant to your reading goal.
Skimming: Focus on titles, headings, and topic sentences to grasp the main ideas quickly.
Scanning: Search for specific information using keywords.
Text Features: Use titles, headings, conclusions, and topic sentences to navigate effectively.
Reading Types: Determine between extensive and intensive reading based on the context and objectives.