Best Practice in Skimming a Chapter, Taking Notes, and Understand What You Are Reading

Practise you ever experience similar you lot spend way as well much time reading? Do you have trouble determining which parts of a text are the well-nigh of import? Do you wish you could collect information from books in a quicker and more efficient way? If then, consider skimming the adjacent time you sit downwards to read a text.
text

What is skimming?

Skimming is a strategic, selective reading method in which you focus on the principal ideas of a text. When skimming, deliberately skip text that provides details, stories, data, or other elaboration. Instead of closely reading every word, focus on the introduction, chapter summaries, first and last sentences of paragraphs, bold words, and text features. Skimming is extracting the essence of the writer's main messages rather than the finer points.

Why skim?

Y'all need the "large moving picture" or main points when you lot're reading. Fifty-fifty if y'all're going to do a more detailed reading of the text, skimming every bit a course of previewing can help you better comprehend what you lot read. Knowing when and how to skim will help y'all become a more than efficient, strategic reader. You'll become better at determining what parts of the text are near important. There may also be times when your professor wants y'all to understand the large flick, not all of the little details. In these cases, skimming helps you understand the overall points of the text and its relevance to your course without bogging you downwards.

Make the most of your time. Sometimes y'all don't have time to do everything. With skimming, you'll be able to encompass vast amounts of material more than quickly and salvage time for everything else that you have on your plate. Possibly you don't have time to finish your reading before form, but skimming will help you go the main points and attend class much more prepared to maximize in-grade learning.

You demand to review a text you accept read before. Skimming is also an efficient way to refresh your retention of big amounts of material before an exam. Skimming a text that you accept already read helps you recall content and structure.

Skimming is not…

Skimming can present problems if not done intentionally. Skimming is not simply flipping through a text speedily or paying half attention to it. When skimming, be deliberate and intentional with what you choose to read, and make certain that you are focused. Skimming is not a lazy mode out or a half-hearted attempt at reading. Brand sure that yous use it carefully and strategically and are able to walk abroad with the chief ideas of the text.

Skimming methods

Ancestry & endings: Read first and last sentences of paragraphs, showtime and last paragraphs of major sections, and introductions and summaries of capacity.

Wheat vs. chaff: Read only the amount of text necessary to determine if a section presents a main thought or support for a chief idea.

Visual & exact cues: Lookout for bespeak words and phrases that indicate an writer's direction (east.g., even so, although, moreover, in add-on to). Things to focus on while skimming:

• Introduction and conclusion
• Chapter/section summaries
• First and concluding sentences
• Titles, subtitles, and headings
• Bold words
• Charts, graphs, or pictures
• End of chapter review questions

When to skim

There are certain texts that lend themselves to skimming better than others. It is typically less beneficial to skim novels, poetry, and short stories or texts that do not have text features such as such as tables of content, chapter or section summaries, headings, assuming words, pictures, and diagrams. Non-fiction texts, like textbooks, journal manufactures, and essays are typically total of these kinds of text features and are more suited for skimming.

Skimming can likewise be a good tool for conducting inquiry and writing papers. Typically, when researching or writing, you volition non need to read every word of every text closely, merely volition benefit more from skimming while evaluating your sources or identifying information important to your piece of work.

Finally, know your context. There may exist some texts that you are better off reading closely and thoroughly. Some professors specifically tell y'all that they include pocket-size details from the textbook on exams. You may take some classes that are simply hard to understand, and you may find that reading closely helps you comprehend concepts improve. Before skimming, spend some time thinking about your classes, professors, and needs to determine if you take any texts you may demand to read more closely.

Active reading strategies

When skimming, it's of import to continue to apply active reading strategies. This keeps your encephalon agile, engaged, and focused, and helps you empathise and retain information better and longer. Here are a few effective agile reading strategies to pair with skimming:

Ready a purpose for reading. Instead of approaching the text as something you lot merely have to become through, identify a purpose for this reading. What practice you want to exit of it? Why are you reading it? Keep this purpose in heed as you read.

Preview. Look through the text before started to read and focus on headings, illustrations, captions, highlighted items, end of chapter summaries, etc. These features give y'all an idea of the master concepts of the text and what y'all should focus on while skimming.

Make a prediction. Right subsequently previewing, brand a prediction nearly what you recollect the affiliate or section is going to be well-nigh.

Actuate prior knowledge. Make a list of what you already know virtually the topic and what you want to know almost information technology. Identify and write down any questions you have.

Annotate. Instead of copying downwardly copious notes from the book, jot down brief notes and thoughts (in your own words) in the margins of the text or in a notebook. PDF viewers, such every bit Adobe Acrobat and Preview, also let y'all add notes directly on the page of a digital text. Other possibilities include note-taking apps such every bit Evernote, OneNote, or Google Go along.

Summarize the main ideas. Afterwards a section or folio, stop and write a 1-iii sentence summary in your own words. This keeps your brain engaged and ensures you lot are comprehending what you lot read.

Generate questions. Ask and write down questions that you have every bit you read the text and/or questions that you would enquire a class if you were the instructor. Try using different levels of questions.

Use resources

Make an appointment with an academic coach at the Learning Eye. Our coaches meet one-on-one with students to work through reading, study skills, and whatsoever other bookish issue.

Meet with your professor in office hours about how to arroyo your grade's specific text and content.

Attend a peer tutoring session to get specific help with i of your courses or texts.

Works consulted

Holschuh, J. and Nist, S. (2000). Active learning: Strategies for higher success. Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon.

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