3.

1 Reading comprehension

 skimming for main ideas

 scanning for specific information
 locating main ideas and supporting
details
Learning Objectives:

 Elicit information from a variety of written

text types using appropriate
comprehension skills
In this lesson we will...
 Discuss the skills of skimming and
scanning, locating main ideas and
supporting details based on reading
texts .
 We use different styles of reading for
different purposes.
 Among the reading techniques that we
use for high speed reading is skimming
and scanning.
 Skimming and scanning do not require us
to read all the material in a text.
SKIMMING
 Skimming technique is used to get the
gist or an overview of a text.
 It helps us to read a text 3 to 4 times
faster than normal reading
 We usually skim when we have limited
time to read
 Skimming helps us to review major ideas
after we have studied a topic
To skim a text effectively, we must
 read the title
 read any heading, subheading or
illustrations
 read only the main ideas – ignore all
other details
 look for topic sentences – usually the first
or last sentence in a paragraph/passage
 In skimming we ask questions beginning
with who, what, when, where to find out
what the text is mainly about.
Example:
 Skim through the short extract below in
five seconds
 Read only the heading, subheading and
the words in bold
The Cheetah
The cheetah which has its home in the
grasslands of Africa is the world’s fastest
runner. It can run up to 70 miles per
hour. Because of its speed it is able to
catch its prey with ease. It can go from
a stationary position to a speed of 45
miles per hour within two seconds.
 By reading the heading, subheading
and the words in bold we can say that
the text is about the cheetah from Africa
is the world’s fastest runner.
 Other information supports the general
idea that it is an animal which moves
with great speed
 Refer to Handout 1 (pp 52 – 58)
SCANNING
 Scanning is a technique used to search
for a particular fact or a specific detail to
answer a question
 Scanning is looking for and not reading
 When scanning we don’t have to read
every word
 We usually scan when we are looking for
meaning of words in a dictionary, the
names and telephone numbers or
looking for schedules, tables, charts or
classified ads.
To scan effectively we must;
 Know exactly what we are looking for
 Search for key words or ideas by moving
your eyes quickly down the page until
you find what you need – do not read
any further
 Use headings and subheadings to help
us to identify the sections we need to
locate quickly for the information
needed
 Refer to Handout 2 (pp 41 – 46)
1. Topic of a text:
The topic of a text is what you are reading
about or the general idea
2. Topic Sentence:
A topic sentence is a complete sentence
that states the essential point of the
paragraph. It contains controlling ideas
3. Main Idea:
 The main idea is the summary of essential
points of the paragraph
 The main idea can often be substituted
with a topic sentence with controlling
ideas
 The main idea can either be clearly
stated or can sometimes be implied
4. Supporting details are other sentences
that come after the topic sentence.
Usually there will be sentences that help
to explain, support, illustrate or describe
the main idea in a paragraph
 Usually comes after the topic sentence –
developed from the controlling words
found in the topic sentence
 It can be reasons or details, particular
facts and ideas that prove, explain,
support or give examples of controlling
ideas
 To find supporting details developed
from the controlling ideas of the topic,
you may ask question words like; What,
who, whose, when, where, why, how…
 Finding main idea and supporting details
is helpful because it;
 Is the key to understanding a paragraph
or a passage
 helps you to identify the general point
the author is making
 Helps you to perceive the relationship
between the main idea and what is said
about the idea
 Refer to Handout 3 (pp 65 – 66)
 Source for passages and present the
main ideas, specific information and
supporting details in them.