Chapter 10. Reading Skills

Purposes of reading: for information, for pleasure, for analysis and for action. Adjust your speed and method to the purpose [15].

Strategies

Previewing: look at the title, headings, images and summary.

Skimming: reading quickly for the general idea.

Scanning: searching for specific details, such as names or dates.

Active reading: annotating, asking questions, summarizing and predicting.

SQ3R method: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review [23].

Levels of comprehension

Literal: what the text says.

Inferential: what the text implies, based on clues.

Evaluative: judging the quality, accuracy and fairness of the text [15].

Main idea and supporting details. The main idea is the central point; supporting details are facts, examples and reasons. Summaries state the main idea in your own words, briefly.

Author’s purpose, audience and bias. Ask who wrote the text, for whom and why. Distinguish fact (can be checked) from opinion (a belief or judgement) [16].

Text structures: chronological, cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, description.

Non-fiction features: headings, captions, graphs, glossaries and indexes help locate information.

Review: What is the difference between skimming and scanning? (Answer: skimming gets the general idea; scanning looks for specific information.)