Skimming and scanning are study skills that save time and help you find the information you need quickly.
Skimming means you run your eyes quickly over material, not reading every word. Scanning is the same, but when you scan you are looking for an exact word or phrase.
Skim the first page of the newspaper to get a general sense of what the stories are about.
- Scan to find something specific like today's date.
- It's a good idea to get into the habit of skimming a news story before reading. That better prepares you to understand the information. Practice this by choosing an article, skimming the headline, the first paragraph and any photos or graphics accompanying the article.