Skimming:

Skimming involves quickly glancing through a text to grasp the main ideas without focusing on every word. This approach is used to get an overall sense of the content by paying attention to headings, subheadings, and key sentences.

Example: If you're tasked with reading a long research report, instead of going through every detail, you could skim through the abstract, introduction, major headings, and conclusion. This will give you a general idea of the report’s main points, helping you decide if you need to explore it further in detail.

Scanning:

Scanning is the process of rapidly searching through a text to find specific details or information. You focus your attention on finding keywords, numbers, or other particular elements.

Example: While reading a history book, you might scan the pages for specific dates or events rather than reading every sentence. You keep your eyes moving over the text until you locate the exact date you need.