Skimming & Scanning Strategy Protocol

1 What is “Skimming & Scanning”?

Skimming & Scanning is a style of reading and information processing. There are some
who argue that skimming and scanning is more of a searching technique than a reading
strategy. But it all depends on the purpose for reading.
For example, one could read for pure enjoyment, while in another situation, one could read for
inquiring about information or to successfully complete a proposed activity/task.

2 What is “skimming?”
It is a strategy that can be taught to students to help them identify the main ideas in
text. It is important to correlate “skimming” to reading, making it clear that it is not word-by-
word reading. Rather it is three to four times faster than normal reading.
Generally, skimming is used to get through text very quickly. Consequently, skimming is
used when students have a lot of reading material to get through, or have been assigned a task
in an activity that requires some quick reading first, prior to completing the task. Skimming has
also been used as a strategy in research when the student wants to determine if a text/article is
a resource than can be used.

2.1 How is skimming done?

When seeking specific information related to a topic/theme or an answer to a question
or a prompt, it is best to employ skimming. The skill of skimming allows for you to read the
headings, titles, subheadings and illustrations with captions, as well as reading the first and
last paragraph of a text/article. Indeed, skimming works well to identify dates, names, places
or specific items. It also allows for the reader to quickly review charts, tables and graphs.
2.2 Skimming Three Types of Skimming:
 Pre-‐read skimming refers to preparing to read.
 Skim reading refers to situations in which skimming is the only coverage you
plan to give the material.
 Review skimming assumes you have already read the material and are going
back over it as a means of study and review.

2.3 Skimming Uses:

 Familiarize yourself with a chapter by looking at the headings, pictures, graphs, etc.
 Preview a new textbook to find what information is inside by looking at the front
and back covers and table of contents.

2.4 How Do I Use Skimming?

 Read the title. If it is an article, check the author, publication date, and source.
 Read the introduction. If it is very long, read only the first paragraph completely.
Then, read only the first sentence of every paragraph. That sentence will usually be
the main idea of that paragraph.
 Read any headings and sub-‐headings. The headings, when taken together, form an
outline of the main topics covered in the material.
 Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs; they are usually included to emphasize
important dates or concepts.
 If you do not get enough information from the headings, or if you are working
with material that does not have headings, read the first sentence of each
paragraph.
 Glance at the remainder of the paragraph.
a. Notice any italicized or boldface words or phrases. These are key terms.

b. Look for lists of ideas within the text of the material. The author may use
numerals, such as (1), (2), (3) in the list, or signal words such as first, second,
one major cause, another cause, etc.
  Read the summary or last paragraph.

3 What is Scanning?
Scanning is a method of selective reading, when searching for a particular fact or
answer to a question. Scanning can best be described as a looking rather than a
reading process. It allows students to search for key words/concepts/ideas. More often than
not, the student knows exactly what he/she is looking for. So the assigned task is finding out
specific information, such as finding the name of an individual in a telephone directory or
looking for a word in a dictionary.

3.1 How is scanning done?

When a student is asked to employ scanning in a task, this process involves moving the
eyes quickly through the text (or down a page) looking for specific words and/or phrases.
Scanning can also be used in a research project, where the student can scan the text to
determine whether it will provide the information he/she is looking for. It is important to note,
once you have scanned a text, you might go back and skim the text to identify the main ideas.
Remember to emphasize with your students that scanning involves using the author’s use of
organizer’s (i.e., numbers, letters, steps, or the sequence words of First, Second, Third…You can
also encourage your students to look for words that are bold faced, italicized or in a different
font size, style or color. It is also important to point out that authors can place important
information in the text’s margin.

3.2 Scanning Uses:

 Use scanning to locate quotes in a text you have previously read.

 Find specific words you are looking for on a worksheet by moving your eyes quickly across the
page.
 Use scanning to find answers to questions on a worksheet.
3.3 How Do I Use Scanning?
 State in your mind specifically the information for which you are looking. Phrase
it in question form, if possible.
 Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and what clues you might use to
help you locate the answer.
 Determine the organization of the material; it is your most important clue to
where to begin looking for information. Especially when looking up information
contained in charts and tables, the organization of the information is crucial to
rapid scanning.
 Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify which sections might
contain the information for which you are looking.
 Selectively read and skip through likely sections of the passage, keeping in mind
the specific question you formed and your expectations of how the answer
might appear. Move your eyes down the page in a systematic way.
 When you have found the needed information, carefully read the sentences in
which it appears in order to confirm that you have located the correct
information.