The
goal of skimming is to follow the writer’s train of thought
and understand the main ideas. Try to filter out extended discussions,
extra examples, and supporting details. While
there is no foolproof method for what to read and what to skip,
here are some guidelines.
1. Read
the introductory material in a chapter. The
extent of introductory material
varies from book to book. It
may be just a paragraph, or it can be a page or more.
2. Read
the first sentence or two of the remaining paragraphs. Do
this to try to
determine the topic sentence (the sentence
containing the main idea of the paragraph),
which is often at the beginning
of the paragraph.
3. Read
a sentence that contains a key
concept word from either the book as a
whole
or from the specific chapter. Read
such a sentence regardless of where
it appears in the paragraph - beginning, middle,
or end.
Key
Concept words
are the words that are particularly important to the
writer, because they express the main ideas. These
words can be common words used in special ways by the
writer, or they can be uncommon words. A
reader needs to note what the special meaning is for
any of these words.
4. Read
sentences containing signal
words. Again,
read these sentences, no
matter where they appear in the paragraph.
A Signal
word signals emphasis, a shift in thought, or a connection
between one idea and another. It
helps the writer follow the train of thought or connect
the main ideas, giving a pattern to the writing.
An
example of a signal word is a word that indicates a particular
item in a list or place among units, such as: one,
the other, another, the next.
These signal
words indicate time
order:
- First,
second, etc.
- Before,
after
- Then,
last, finally
- At
the same
These signal
words indicate cause
and effect:
- because,
the cause
- as
a consequence, the effect, the result
- therefore
These signal
words indicate contrast:
- in
contrast, on the other hand
- in
comparison, the difference
- yet,
however, but, therefore, nevertheless
Most
of these signal words come
at the beginning of a sentence, or at the beginning of the
second part of a compound sentence (a sentence containing
two independent clauses joined by a connective word such
as but, yet, or however; for
example, “Read the principle, but skip
the illustration.”). This
makes spotting them a little easier.
A
small but very significant signal
word is the word “not.” It
can appear almost anywhere in a sentence, so it may be a
little more difficult to spot. Since “not” signals
the opposite or negation, it can affect the entire thrust
of an idea. When
skimming, watch for the word “not,” and read
any sentence in which it appears.
To
skim systematically:
1. Prepare
yourself. Know
the key concept words for the book (found by analyzing the
book) and for the chapter
(found by previewing the chapter). Know the topics and general
general sequence of
the chapter
2. Use
your hand as a guide. Combine
the following pacing and scanning motions:
- Pace
underneath the first sentence or two of paragraphs
- Then
pull your hand in a diagonal line down through the paragraph;
- Reverse
the diagonal in longer paragraphs.
The
diagonal motion helps you scan, as you pass over material quickly
until you spot a target item. Then
pause to read material containing the target. For
skimming to follow the train of thought, the diagonal
motion moves you away from reading straight through an entire
paragraph. Instead, it allows you to spot key words. Stop
and read sentences in which the key word appears. When
a key concept word comes in the middle of a sentence, return
to the beginning of that sentence to get the full thought.
(Adapted
from the Learning Resources Center at
Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY)
Niagara University
Office of Academic Support
| 
