This document discusses reading techniques for improving reading skills. It introduces skimming and scanning. Skimming involves reading quickly to get the general idea by focusing on titles, introductions, conclusions, topic sentences and first/last sentences of paragraphs. Scanning means searching rapidly for specific details like names, numbers, or dates. The document provides examples of how to skim and scan, including underlining key words. It advises that skimming helps refresh memory and understand text structure, while scanning identifies topics and opinions. Both techniques are useful for organizing information in a text.

1. Reading Techniques
PRÁTICAS INTERDISCIPLINARES DE LEITURA EM LÍNGUA INGLESA
PROFª ESP
. ANA LOURDES PEREIRA

2. HOW CAN WE IMPROVE OUR READING?
SKIMMING SCANNING

3. SKIMMING
To read quickly to get the general idea of the passage

4. Steps to a good SKIMMING
• Don’t read everything but try to
skip the text.
• Read the first and last sentences of
• paragraphs.
• Read the introduction and the
summary.
• Read a few examples until you
understand
• the concepts they are meant to
illustrate.

5. NOT STOPPING
FIRST AND LAST PARAGRAPHS
TOPIC SENTENCES
READ FAST
1
2
3
4

6. HOW TO SKIM?
READ THE TITLE
READ THE SUBTITLE OR INTRODUCTION
READ THE FIRST SENTENCE OF EACH
PARAGRAPH
NOTICE ANY PICTURES, CHARTS OR GRAPHICS
READ THE SUMMARY OR LAST PARAGRAPH

7. Let’s practice!
Choose a heading that best matches the upcoming
paragraph. Remember to underline your key words.
Parents are to blame for the state of children today.
A report with many conclusions and worries about the United Kingdom.
Growing up unhappy generation
There are so many social problems young people face today.

8. SKIM the first and last sentences from the passage.
In recent years, evidence has been collected which suggests that the
proportion of British children and teenagers who are unhappy is higher than
in many other developed countries around the world. For example, a
recently published report set out to measure ‘ well-being’ among young
people in nineteen European countries, found that the United Kingdom
came bottom. The report was based on statistics and surveys in which young
people answered questions on a wide range of subject. The United
Kingdom is a relatively unequal country with a relatively high proportion of
young people living in households. With less than half the national average
income. This seems to have a negative effect on how they feel about
themselves.

9. And now, what’s your answer?
Choose a heading that best matches the upcoming
paragraph. Remember to underline your key words.
Parents are to blame for the state of children today.
A report with many conclusions and worries about the United Kingdom.
Growing up unhappy generation
There are so many social problems young people face today.

10. SCANNING
Search for specific information (key words)
Eg.: particular name, telefone number, date, number, program...

11. SCANNING:get only what you need
Scanning is rapidly running your eyes
over the text in order to locate
specific details.
Three steps to scanning include:
search for key words
move quickly over the page
less reading and more searching

12. Let’s practice!
How many European countries are in first report?
Remember to underline your key words.
your key word: numbers

13. SCAN for the info we selected
In recent years, evidence has been collected which suggests that
the proportion of British children and teenagers who are
unhappy is higher than in many other developed countries around
the world. For example, a recently published report set out to
measure ‘ well-being’ among young people in nineteen European
countries, found that the United Kingdom came bottom. The
report was based on statistics and surveys in which young people
answered questions on a wide range of subject. The United
Kingdom is a relatively unequal country with a relatively high
proportion of young people living in households. With less than
half the national average income. This seems to have a negative
effect on how they feel about themselves.

14. Let’s practice!
How many European countries are in first report?

15. BENEFITS
OF
SKIM/SCAN
to
refresh
we have
read
organiz
ation of
writing
to know
people’s
opinion
identify
topics
in text

16. CONCLUSION
• TO UNDERSTAND THE
GENERAL IDEA OF THE
TEXT
SKIMMING
• FOR SPECIFIC WORDS,
NUMBERS, DETAILS OR
ANSWERS
SCANNING