Reading Effectively. Evelyn Yeap Ewe Lin. Active readers use reading strategies to help save time cover a lot of ground

Transcription

1 Reading Effectively Evelyn Yeap Ewe Lin When to Use What Active readers use reading strategies to help save time cover a lot of ground Your purpose for reading should determine which strategy or strategies to use. 1

2 Four Reading Strategies Previewing Using Contextual Clues Skimming Scanning Intensive Previewing a text means that you get an idea of what it is about without actually reading the main body of the text to get an overview. When to use? Decide whether a book or journal is useful for your purpose; Get a general sense of the article structure, Locate relevant information; Identify the sections of the text you may need to read and the sections you can omit. To preview, start by reading: the title and author details the abstract/synopsis (if there is one) the parts that jump out - main headings and sub headings, chapter summaries, any highlighted texts any illustrations, graphs, tables or diagrams and their captions, as these usually summarise the content of large slabs of text the first sentence in each paragraph (topic sentences) 2

3 Skimming and scanning are especially valuable when there is only one item of information that you need to find from a particular passage. Skimming and scanning are very rapid reading methods in which you glance at a passage to find specific information. These reading methods make it easier for you to grasp large amounts of material, especially when you're previewing. They are also useful when you don't need to know every word. Skimming involves running your eye very quickly over large chunks of text. It is different from previewing because skimming involves the paragraph text. Skimming allows you to pick up some of the main ideas without paying attention to detail. It is a fast process. A single chapter should take only a few minutes. When to use? Locate relevant sections from a large quantity of written material. Especially useful when there are few headings or graphic elements to gain an overview of a text first (previewing). Adds further information to an overview. How to skim: Note any bold print and graphics. Start at the beginning of the reading and glide your eyes over the text very quickly. Do not actually read the text in total. You may read a few words of every paragraph, perhaps the first and last sentences. Always familiarise yourself with the reading material by gaining an overview and/or skimming before reading in detail. 3

4 Scanning is a reading technique to be used when you want to find specific information quickly. In scanning you have a question in your mind and you read a passage only to find the answer, ignoring unrelated information. Examples of Scanning: A google search list on the internet. A bus / airplane schedule A conference guide A graph How to Scan? After gaining an overview and skimming, identify the section(s) of the text that you probably need to read. State the specific information you are looking for. Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and what visual clues you might use to help you locate the answer. For example, if you were looking for a certain date, you would quickly read the paragraph looking only for numbers. Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify which sections might contain the information you are looking for. Selectively read and skip through sections of the passage. 4

5 Scanning Practice Here is some information you are looking for on the BC Hydro website. Read the questions and then on the next slide, find the answers, as quickly as possible: 1. Who is handling inquiries? 2. What is the after hours media line? 3. What is a good example of BC Hydro Clean Energy Project? 5

6 Scanning answers Remember it s important to quickly find the information you need. You don t need to understand every word, or read every word. Your eyes should quickly scan the document for the information you seek. In other words, when you are skimming and scanning 1. Cover everything 2. Check entire page 3. Notice visual clues 4. Notice graphs, charts, titles, captions 6

7 Intensive reading is detailed, focused, study reading of those important parts, pages or chapters. When you have previewed an article and used the techniques of skimming and scanning to find what you need to concentrate on, then you can slow down and do some intensive reading. How to read intensively: Start with underlining any unfamiliar words or phrases, but do not stop the flow of your reading. If the text is relatively easy, underline, highlight or make brief notes. If the text is difficult, read it through at least once (depending on the level of difficulty) before making notes. Be alert to the main ideas. Each paragraph should have a main idea, often contained in the topic sentence (usually the first sentence) or the last sentence. When you have finished go back to the unfamiliar vocabulary. Look it up in an ordinary or subject-specific dictionary. If the meaning of a word or passage still evades you, leave it and read on. Perhaps after more reading you will find it more accessible and the meaning will become clear. Conclusion Reading Strategies are used when reading all types of documents. We preview to get an overview We skim to get the idea of what a document is about and typically skim all documents before we actually begin reading to add to an overview We scan for specific information. We work quickly when we skim and scan. 7

8 Conclusion We scan for specific information. We work quickly when we skim and scan. We read intensively when you want to know the article in detail. We read thoroughly and repetitively for understanding. Remember! When approaching reading at university, you need to make intelligent decisions about what you choose to read, be flexible in the way you read, and think about what you are trying to achieve in undertaking each reading task. 8

9 Reference Reading comprehension skills: Skimming and scanning. [Power Point Slides]. Retrieved from ID=12691&DepartmentID=20039&SubDepartmentID=&SubP=&Act=Download& T=2&I=