Skimming is a reading technique where one quickly scans a text within 5 seconds to get an idea of what it is about without reading every word. When skimming, one should look for clues like the title, first sentence of paragraphs, bulleted lists, pictures, icons, and diagrams. After skimming a passage, one should be able to identify what the text is about, whether it is a story or article, and whether pictures, icons or headings are present.