SKIMMING AND SCANNING TEXT

MINI-LESSON #2 - SCANNING
Rationale:

Students need to be able to scan in order to find specific information

quickly in a text.

Lesson:

Whole or Small Group (15 minutes)

Technique adapted from Whisper Skim and Scan in Super 6
Comprehension Strategies by Lori Oczkus, Christopher C. Gordon
Publishers, 2004.

Materials:
Teachers
The Red Fox passage (located at the end of the lesson)
Document camera
Skim and Scan poster (located at the end of the lesson)
Students:
Paragraph from "Creature Feature" (located at the end of lesson)
Turn and Talk partners
Warm Up/Introduction:
We already learned that when we read we can take a quick look at
text to try to get an idea of what it will be about. It is called
skimming. We practiced skimming text and making predictions
about the text. There are times when we must go back through text
to find specific information, such as when looking up telephone
numbers, looking through the glossary of a book to find a specific
topic, or locating the answer to a test question. This is called
scanning.
Lesson/Activity:
When you scan you dont read every word, but you move your eyes
quickly through the lines of text enough to identify an individual word
or phrase. When scanning, you can use the same finger technique as
for skimming, however your eyes may move more from side to side
as you go searching through lines of text.
Using a document camera, display the paragraph The Red Fox
and read each of the questions aloud. Model a scanning technique
for the students. One version would be by using your index fingers
placed on each side of the text (left and right sides) and moving
your fingers simultaneously down the page, while quickly perusing
the text left to right with your eyes. An alternate version would be
to move your index finger very quickly from left to right through

the text in order to locate the area of the text where the answer
will be found.
For example, read the first question, Where had the red fox
chosen to nestle? Then scan to the word nestled. Note out loud
that since a form of the word nestle (nestled) is in the question,
then perhaps this would be the area of the text where you might
find the answer. Read aloud the sentence, reflect back to the
question, and then confirm the answer by rereading the portion of
the sentence that states the answer (a small hollow beneath a
hickory tree, curled against their mothers plush fur) Repeat this
procedure with the remaining two questions.
Try it Out:
Distribute a copy of Creature Feature with questions to each
student. Use one of the same techniques I modeled and skim through
the passage and questions. Notice when you come to the area where
an answer will be found to one of the questions. When you have
found the answers to the three questions, turn and talk with your
partner and discuss your answers and how you found them. Walk
around and assist students as they do this activity.
Wrap-Up/Link to Independence:
Scanning is one of the best ways to locate specific words that are
found in test questions. By going into the passage and locating these
words, you will be able to discover where the answer to questions
will likely be found.

Teacher Materials
The Red Fox
The red fox couldnt have chosen a worse time to
bring a litter of kits into the world. Nestled in a small
hollow beneath a hickory tree, curled against their
mothers plush fur, the three young kits were warm
and comfortable.

But when the freezing storms

came, the shallow nest would surely let in the snow.

And it would be too easy for predators to find the
babies when their mother left them to search for
food. The fox knew she would have to seek a new
home, and soon.

1.

Where had the red fox chosen to nestle?

2.

How many young kits did the red fox have?

3.

Who might be able to find the babies if the red

fox left them alone?

Source:
FCAT 2008 Sample Test Materials
The Red Fox by Donna Stringfellow

Student Materials

Skim and Scan

Skimming means
to read quickly to
get the general
idea.

Got it!