READING

STRATEGIES
How to get better at reading

Start Now
INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC

Reading strategies
1. SKIMMING

2. SCANNING

3. PREVIEWING

4. CONTEXTUALIZING

5. VISUALIZING

6. SUMMARIZING
JUAN DIAZ
SKIMMING
HERE WE GO!
INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

Skimming a text involves running SKIMMING

your eyes over it quickly to get the
main idea. It also allows you to
identify which parts of a long text
you might want to read more
closely.
 I N ST I T UT O I N T ERN A C I ON A L DE I DI OM A S UP T C

P RA C T I C E 1 What is the topic of the text?

2 What are its main ideas ?

Read the following text
using the skimming
technique and answer 3 What is its goal ?
the next questions .
 INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

Friday the 13th is considered a day in which bad things occur. It is a superstition. A superstition
is a belief of something ominous without actual reason. The origin of this superstition is unclear.
Both Friday and the number 13 have been considered unlucky for hundreds of years. Bad luck
associated with the number 13 may have biblical roots. Some believe Eve bit the apple from the
Tree of Knowledge on the 13th day. Others point to the idea that there were 13 people present
for Jesus's Last Supper, the day before Good Friday. The number 13 was considered so unlucky,
that many hotels and buildings were built without a 13th floor! It wasn't until the 20th century,
however, that Friday and "13" were paired together in bad luck. In 1907, author Thomas Lawson
wrote Friday, the Thirteenth. The book was about a stock broker who purposely caused the
stock market to crash on that day. The Friday the 13th superstition, however, gained serious
traction with the Friday the 13th horror film series. Originally released in 1980, the story centers
around the "ghost" of Jason Voorhees. In the movie, Jason, with his iconic hockey mask, hunts
the hapless characters who come to vacation at Crystal Lake – the lake he drowned in as a child.
Twelve movies later, the Friday the 13th series remains one of the most successful horror film
franchises in history.
SCANNING
HERE WE GO!
INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

Allows you to quickly search a text

for a particular piece of SCANNING
information. Scanning is ideal
when students need to find a
phone number in a directory, the
date of a historical event or the
time their train is leaving.
 INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

PRACTICE 1 How did he enter to Bolivia?

2 What were his supporters doing?

Read the following text
using the scanning
When did he return to his home
technique and answer 3
country?
the next questions.
 INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

NEWS
Former President Evo Morales returns to Bolivia from exile in
Argentina
Bolivia's first ever indigenous president was met by jubilant supporters as he arrived on foot in
his homeland. Morales' return was prompted after his socialist MAS party won last month's
nationwide election. Former Bolivian President Evo Morales made a dramatic return to his
homeland on Monday as he crossed the border from Argentina, where he had been living in exile
since late last year.

Morales entered Bolivia on foot, crossing the La Quiaca River via the bridge that separates the
two South American countries, where he was seen off by Argentine President Alberto
Fernandez, who embraced him as he departed.
His arrival at the border town of Villazon was met with jubilation among thousands of flag-
waving supporters, chanting "Evo."
PREVIEWING
HERE WE GO!
INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

Previewing is absolutely essential

for students to get a sense of
what the text is about. Elements PREVIEWING
that are usually helpful for
previewing are newspaper
headlines or titles; images or
photos; and signal words or
format.
 INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

1
PRACTICE What would be the text about?

2 What would be the main topic?

Read the following text
using the previewing
Who would be the main
technique and answer 3
characters of this story?
the next questions.
INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ
CONTEXTUALIZING
HERE WE GO!
INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

It is always helpful for students to

learn to place the text within a
context. Is the news article
centered on something that CONTEXTUALIZING
happens everywhere in the world,
or just in one specific location? Is
this something that affects you,
the reader, or other people in the
world?
 INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

PRACTICE 1 What is the text about?

Read the following text 2

Is it something seen in a single
country or the whole world?
using the
contextualizing
How can you relate it with the
technique and answer 3
situation in your country?
the next questions.
INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ
VISUALIZING
HERE WE GO!
INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

Can you see the main character in

your mind’s eye based on the
description? Can you picture the
contaminated river as described in
VISUALIZING
the news article? Visualizing also
involves organizing the
information in a visual way, usually
through the use of a mind map or
other graphic organizer
 INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

PRACTICE 1 What is the text about?

2 Can you imagine and describe what

Read the following text you see? Colors/shapes/sizes

using the visualizing

Can you tell the story by using
technique and answer 3
mostly visual aids?
the next questions.
 INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

The Great Pyramid at Giza is one of the world's most amazing landmarks. Rising high
above the Sahara Desert in the Giza region of northern Egypt, the Great Pyramid
stands some 450 feet into the burning desert sky and occupies an area of 13 acres.
The rough climate of the Sahara has actually caused the pyramid to shrink 30 feet
from its original height. The pyramid was such an amazing feat of engineering that it
remained the tallest structure in the world for over 3800 years! The entire pyramid
was originally faced with polished limestone to make it shine brilliantly in the sun.
Most Egyptologists, scientists who study ancient Egypt, agree that the Great
Pyramid was built around 2560 BC, a little more than 4,500 years ago. It took tens of
thousands of workers twenty years to build. The pyramid contains over two million
stone blocks. Although most of the blocks weigh two or three tons, some weigh up
to 80 tons!
SUMMARIZING
HERE WE GO!
INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

Summarizing includes a very

important skill: getting the gist.
What was the main point in the
story? Summarizing is not
SUMMARIZING
retelling everything that happened
as it happened, and you need to
not only tell the difference, but
also learn to give back information
in a clear concise manner.
 INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

Who are the main characters in

1
PRACTICE the story?

2 What is the main topic?

Read the following text
using the summarizing
technique and answer 3 Can you retell the story?

the next questions.

 INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

Eve is excited to go to her first Dylan Wyman concert in New York. Dylan Wyman is Eve's
favorite singer. In fact, Eve tells her mother Jeannine, Dylan Wyman is her favorite person!
When they are about halfway to New York, Jeannine hears a weird noise. "Oh no," she says,
realizing that they have a flat tire. There isn't much room on the side of the road, but Jeannine
pulls the car over and climbs out. Sure enough, their right rear tire is completely flat. Jeanine
opens the trunk to get the jack and the spare tire. Traffic continues to whiz by at seventy
miles per hour. "Mom, are we going to die?" Eve asks. She is really scared. "Don't worry honey,
I'll be quick," Jeannine says as she starts to jack up the car. "Wow Mom, how do you know how
to do this?" Eve is shocked at her mother's secret talent. Then Jeannine takes off the flat tire.
"Wow Mom, how do you know how to do that?" Eve asks in wonder. Jeannine just laughs. Then
she puts the spare tire on. Eve says, "Mom, who are you?" The entire tire change takes only 10
minutes. They both climb back into the car and Jeannine says, "I'm so sorry honey, but we
can't drive all the way to Albany on this spare tire. We're going to have to stop and buy a new
tire. We might be late for your concert." "That's okay, Mom," Eve says, "You're my favorite
person now!"
INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE IDIOMAS UPTC JUAN DIAZ

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he

dies . . . The man who never reads lives
only one.” - George R.R. Martin

THANK YOU!

That's all!