Reading Skill

READING FAST TO UNDERSTAND THE THEME OF A TEXT: SKIMMING

Skimming means reading through a passage quickly to get a general idea of its content. It requires the reader to note only information and clues which provide an idea of the central theme or topic of a piece of writing. When we skim, we read only selected sentences in order to get the main idea. We should also use textual clues such as italicized or underlined words, headlines or subtitles, spacing and paragraphing. We do not read every word or sentence. To skim efficiently, you should:

1. Read the title of the text.

2. Read the first paragraph.

3. Read the first sentence of each of the other paragraphs.

4. Read the final paragraph.

5. Look for key words.