How do I skim and scan when reading comprehension passages?

Answer 1

This is a great question; skimming and scanning text is an essential skill to master when considering pursuing higher education. More than one of my professors would state at the beginning or end of class that they did not expect us to read the entire passage assigned to us for homework. At first you might react with confusion and defiance. "No, I'm going to read the whole thing and impress my professor." Then as you commence the reading assignment, you find yourself losing focus, your attention straying. Maybe you just find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of homework, work, and life you're trying to cram into your day. Whatever the motivation may be, you're not alone, and at this point you might decide that it's time to start scanning.

So where to begin? Here is a useful tip from one of my professors: read the first sentence or two of a paragraph. You can usually tell if you need to read the whole paragraph just by reading the first sentence. Then allow your eyes to breeze quickly over the remainder of the paragraph. You'd be surprised by how much material your brain can retain by employing this method. A trick that I use when skimming is to train yourself to pick out keywords. These can be bolded terms if you're scanning a text book, place names, proper names, or simply terms with which you are unfamiliar. If you come across one of these, then that section bears more scrutiny.

In essence, scanning material is relatively simple. In practice, it can be a little intimidating. If you let doubts bog you down then it's easy to become overwhelmed. Trust me, I can relate. I remember the first time I really scanned something. I was inordinately proud of myself! My advice is to use the methods I described above, and honestly just do it. I know how inane that sounds, but once you grasp the purpose of scanning a document - and that is to grasp the key terms, phrases, or ideas while leaving out the fluff - then it becomes second nature.