Reading techniques

Scanning

Scanning is used to get an overview of any given text. You’re looking at the text as a
whole. Focusing on the shape, the subject of each section, you are getting a general
idea of the topics that are addressed within the body of the text.

If you were to scan this article, for instance, you would see that we focus on personal
reading skills and various reading techniques.

By scanning this article, you can find out whether or not the information is going to
be useful to you! Scanning can also involve reading the first two or three sentences of
each paragraph to get a further idea of what the article is about.

Skimming

This technique helps you pull specific information out of a text instead of just getting
a general idea. A way to skim a text for specific information is to scan the document
for a key-word and only read the parts surrounding that key-word.

If you were reading a scientific journal, you could skim for words like research or
statistics. Pick words that help you gather useful information.

You can choose any number of words within an article. Just make sure that you’re
choosing a word that will help you collect the information that you need from that
piece.

This technique helps you boil away the useless parts of an article fairly quickly and
helps you get the gist of a piece of work quickly.
Focused Reading

While both scanning and skimming help you get an in-depth understanding of an
article focused reading is slightly more suited to this purpose.

Focused reading is a slower reading method that allows you to absorb a material
piece by piece.

This naturally allows the reader time for active thinking. Active thinking while
reading and gives them time to process the information; this can be enhanced by
taking notes or asking and answering questions around the presented material.

Combination Reading

Focused reading is more an intense approach to absorbing material, because of that,

it’s better for the reader to only engage in a focused read for short bursts of time.

Your brain can only absorb information to a certain extent. So I recommend using a
combination method of scanning skimming and focus reading to get the most out of
an article while still protecting your poor brain from a potential headache!

Next time you read an article for research try reading it three times (it’s not as bad as
it sounds). First scan the information, get the general idea of what the article contains
to make sure it has the information you’re looking for! Then try skimming the article
for key-words that you would like to focus on, highlight those sections. Third time
around read the highlighted sections using the focused reading method.

Using a combination method will make sure that you get the information that you’re
looking for without having to sift through endless prose and irrelevant facts. I hope
this helps you with your researching, and as always, I cannot wait to see you on the
bookshelf!
Reading Comprehension Strategies

It is nearly impossible to imagine a life without reading. Can you? We read for pleasure, and
we read to gain new knowledge and skills. However, it is often difficult to gain the full benefit
of what we read. We either read too fast, lose focus and concentration, do not fully
comprehend the meaning of the material, or miss out on the ideas and suggestions an
author wants to convey.

What makes reading comprehension so difficult sometimes?

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand the text that you read, to see the
context within which individual words and phrases are used, and the ability to relate the new
information that you read with other knowledge that you already have.

You may experience a problem with reading comprehension if your vocabulary is limited or
if you are not familiar with the idiom of the language that you are reading. However, this is
not a weakness it is rather an area you can work and focus on.

Focusing on speed or comprehension?

You may want to learn how to read faster to get through more material in a shorter time. At
the same time, however, you want to understand the text that you read. Luckily this is not a
matter of choosing between speed and reading comprehension.

The answer is to approach your training in a balanced manner. Slowly increase your speed,
but at the same time, implement reading comprehension strategies. Do not get frustrated or
discouraged if you do not experience immediate results. It will take time and some effort
from your side. Your efforts will, however, be well rewarded!

Not all authors are created equal.

It is good to know that having trouble understanding a matter is not always a reading
comprehension problem on your side. There are published authors ignoring the reader’s
perspective, thus making a text unnecessarily difficult to understand or read.

As a result, they might not be able to convey their meaning in their text or properly structure
their material. In some cases, authors might even have issues logically develop an idea in
full detail by discussing too many new concepts. Therefore, difficulties in comprehending
what you read is not always your failure by default.

There are many tips, techniques, and strategies that you can use to increase your reading
comprehension. Let’s have a look at what it is that people with exceptional reading
comprehension skills have. This should help identify those strategies most suitable to
achieve your studying and learning goals.

Vocabulary – They have an extensive vocabulary and they understand the rules of the
English language. Not only do they understand the meaning of words but they can also
differentiate between the many meanings that a word can have when used in different
contexts.

Subtext – They are able to read between the lines and interpret the subtext. What authors
do not say explicitly is often as important as the actual text.

Intonation – They can interpret the tone of the text and often even gain a better
understanding by interpreting the use of punctuation within the text.

Awareness – They keep the subject matter of the text in mind at all times. Reading with the
bigger picture in mind definitely improves reading comprehension.

Reading Comprehension Strategies – 5 Tips To Improve

Having read the four key points above, it is obvious that anyone can improve their reading
comprehension. Here are 5 basic strategies to get started.

1. Use meta-cognition strategies.

Meta-cognition sounds like something only people with degrees in rocket science will
understand, but it is actually simply the art of “thinking about thinking”. The first step is to
understand what it is that you do not understand. Once you know where your reading
comprehension difficulty lies, you can act and apply strategies.

Let’s see if there are examples that will better explain the text causing you difficulty.
Otherwise, go back and re-read the text preceding the difficult parts and make sure that you
understand the text leading up to the difficult parts.

2. Improve your language skills.

You will be amazed at how the skillful use of a semi-colon, for example, can completely
change the meaning of a sentence. Improving your grammar will certainly boost your
reading comprehension. The same holds true for improving your vocabulary. It is not only
worth learning more words but also learn the different ways and contexts those words can
be used to convey utterly different meanings.

By the way: improving your language skills will certainly improve your comprehension.
However, your self-confidence will also improve. You may become a better
conversationalist and public speaker or will be able to make a much better first impression.
This is definitely my favorite reading comprehension strategy.

Research Tip: Find a list with the most common and used pre- and suffixes. You will be
surprised how often you can deduce the meaning of a word from a prefix.

3. Read with a pencil and paper.

When you summarize whilst reading, you are forcing yourself to test your own
understanding of the text you have just read. If you cannot summarize, it probably means
that you did not fully comprehend the material or subject. Learning how to use brain maps
and other graphic summary techniques will definitely be a big advantage too. It may
certainly sound a bit old-fashion but taking notes is still one of the most effective reading
comprehension strategies recommended by teachers.

4. Ask questions and discuss your reading.

One of the very best strategies to improve your reading comprehension is to ask yourself
questions. Firstly, before you even start reading, ask yourself: “What am I going to read
about, and what do I expect to learn from it?” This will focus your thoughts.

A good strategy then is to occasionally stop reading and ask yourself: “What exactly is the
meaning of what I have just read?” and “What is my opinion about the text right now?”
When you finished a session, summarize it aloud to yourself. Even better, discuss your
understanding of the text with others that have gone through the same text. This will quickly
identify problem areas.

5. Be aware of problematic text.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when reading is to ignore difficult-to-understand
text and to hope that you will better understand at a later stage. Well-written material
develops new ideas and knowledge gradually, building upon the preceding text. If you fail to
comprehend a specific concept, you will almost certainly struggle with the subsequent
concepts. When you do not understand or comprehend a phrase, word, or concept, resolve
that issue before you continue.
Purposes for reading

People read different kinds of text (e.g., scholarly articles, textbooks,

reviews) for different reasons. Some purposes for reading might be

 to scan for specific information

 to skim to get an overview of the text
 to relate new content to existing knowledge
 to write something (often depends on a prompt)
 to critique an argument
 to learn something
 for general comprehension

Strategies

Strategies differ from reader to reader. The same reader may use different
strategies for different contexts because their purpose for reading
changes. Ask yourself “why am I reading?” and “what am I reading?” when
deciding which strategies to try.
Before reading

 Establish your purpose for reading

 Speculate about the author’s purpose for writing
 Review what you already know and want to learn about the topic (see
the guides below)
 Preview the text to get an overview of its structure, looking at
headings, figures, tables, glossary, etc.
 Predict the contents of the text and pose questions about it. If the
authors have provided discussion questions, read them and write
them on a note-taking sheet.
 Note any discussion questions that have been provided (sometimes
at the end of the text)
During reading

 Annotate and mark (sparingly) sections of the text to easily recall

important or interesting ideas
 Check your predictions and find answers to posed questions
 Use headings and transition words to identify relationships in the text
 Create a vocabulary list of other unfamiliar words to define later
 Try to infer unfamiliar words’ meanings by identifying their
relationship to the main idea
 Connect the text to what you already know about the topic
 Take breaks (split the text into segments if necessary)

After reading

 Summarize the text in your own words (note what you learned,
impressions, and reactions) in an outline, concept map, or matrix (for
several texts)
 Talk to someone about the author’s ideas to check your
comprehension
 Identify and reread difficult parts of the text
 Define words on your vocabulary list and practice using them