Scanning

Scanning involves searching for specific information or keywords within a text. The reader moves their eyes quickly across the page to find particular data, such as dates, names, or figures. It’s a highly focused and purposeful way of reading that doesn't involve reading every word.

Example 1: Imagine you have a lengthy report on climate change and you need to find the section that discusses the impact on coastal cities. Instead of reading the entire document, you scan through the headings and subheadings to locate the relevant section. You might also look for keywords like "coastal cities" or "impact" as you skim through the paragraphs.

Example 2: You’re looking for a specific phone number in a phone book or directory. You don’t read every entry; instead, you scan the listings, jumping from one entry to the next until you find the number you need.

Skimming

Skimming involves reading rapidly to get the general gist or overview of a text without focusing on every detail. This technique is used to understand the main ideas or to get a summary of the content quickly.

Example 1: When you pick up a newspaper and want to get a sense of the day's headlines and major stories, you skim through the headlines, subheadings, and the first few sentences of each article to gather a general understanding of the news.

Example 2: If you’re browsing through a textbook to decide if a chapter is relevant to your research, you might skim the introduction, conclusion, and any highlighted or bolded sections to determine if the chapter contains the information you need.