Purpose-based reading strategies
Light Reading
Scanning
Skimming
Intensive Reading
Study Reading
Main Uses: leisure purposes where content that is found interesting is read.
Techniques: reading is done at a slow pace of only 100 to 200 words per minute. The boring, irrelevant parts of the text is skimmed over.
Benefits: the meaning behind the text can be grasped and we can become emotionally-involved with the text.
Main Uses: information that exclusively relevant to what the reader is searching for, can be found.
Techniques:
Benefits: specific information can be found in a text.
- Figure out exactly what you are looking for
- Determine the structure of the text that you are reading.
- Focus on the word you are looking for and use your finger to guide your eyes down the page to find what you are looking for.
Benefits: the main points or an idea of a text can be determined.
Main Uses: determining what the authors opinion of the topic is; identifying the main elements of something; gaining background information.
Techniques:
- Know what your purpose is
- Thinking about what you already know about the topic from the title
- Look for any subheadings, bold or italic words or anything else that stands out in the text.
- Read the topic sentence of each paragraph.
- Read the last paragraph to have a summary of the text.
- After skimming, decide if you understand the content.
Benefits: Readers will have a thorough and cognitive understanding of the text.
Main Uses: understanding a text fully by analysing it in fine detail.
Techniques:
- Identify the purpose of reading the text
- Scan the text to identify the main ideas and themes
- write down any questions you may have about the text
- Read each line of the text to comprehend the main ideas
- Identify the genre, structure, narrative voice, main themes, tone, literal argument & figures of speech
- Test your understanding of the text by writing a summary
Benefits: Understanding the text and applying the knowledge of the text.
Main Uses:
Techniques:
Finding out an author's opinion on a topic;
Gaining interest on a particular subject;
Writing an essay on a topic;
Presenting an argument on a topic;
Arguing a point on a topic
- Skim the text
- Question the text
- Actively read the content
- Recall the information covered by the text
- Review the text as well as your notes