Forum -1

Skimming and scanning

Skimming and scanning

by Sumiya Islam Mithila -
Number of replies: 1

Skimming and scanning are reading techniques used to quickly find or understand information from a text, but they serve different purposes.

1. Scanning: To locate specific information without reading the entire text.

Example 1: We have a 10-page research paper and we need to find the date when a certain experiment was conducted. We  can simply scan through the pages looking specifically for numbers or dates.

Example 2:To find out a specific student score,we don't need to check exam papers.We can scan the list of results to find out score.

2.Skimming:To get the general idea of a content without focusing on every detail.

Example 1: We’re deciding if we want to read an article in depth. We can skim through the first few paragraphs and read the headings and subheadings to determine if it’s worth our time.   

Example 2: Sometimes we receive a lengthy email from our teacher about a new project. We quickly skim it to understand the general topic and important points before going back to read it in detail.