There are two main reading categories:
- Oral Reading: Reading aloud
- Silent Reading: Skimming; Scanning; Intensive reading; Extensive reading.
The latter will be the focus here.
Skimming is used to quickly gather the most important information, or the gist, of the text.
Process:
- Run your eyes over the text, noting important information.
- Look at the headings and subheadings, quickly.
- It is not essential to understand each word when skimming.
Examples:
- The newspaper - we skim the headlines to get the general news of the day.
- Magazine covers - to discover which articles you would like to read in more detail.
- Travel brochures - to quickly obtain information about the place you are going to visit.
Scanning is used to find a specific piece of information. This might be a keyword or a topic.
Process:
- Run your eyes over the text looking for the specific piece of information you require.
- Eliminate the sections that don't contain the information you need and look further.
- When you find the specific information, read the text around it to find more information.
- Don't stop for words or phrases that you don't understand.
Examples:
- Schedules (bus, train etc.) and timetables - we scan to see which class we need to attend next and where it is situated.
- Meetings and appointments - to find the date, time and place.
- When looking for specific information in a book or webpage.
Extensive reading involves getting a general understanding of a subject and includes reading longer texts for pleasure.
Process:
- Read all of a document or a novel, for business or pleasure.
- It is not necessary to understand every word, but you sometimes work out their meanings.
Examples:
- Magazine articles that interest you.
- A novel you read before going to bed.
- The latest self-help manual for managing your money.
Intensive Reading is used on shorter texts to extract specific information. It involves very close, accurate reading for detail.
Process:
- Can be used in conjunction with Scanning.
- Concentrate on a specific section of text so you understand all the details of a particular situation.
- In this case it is important that you understand each word, number or fact. You may need to look up subject specific words or jargon to help you understand what you are reading.
Examples:
- A scientific report.
- An insurance claim.
- A contract.