How Skim Reading Can Boost Productivity & Performance
In the world of reading, skimming and scanning are the bad boys in school. Most researchers, teachers, and probably your parents, would say that skim reading is ineffective and unproductive. Think about how often it was stressed throughout our schooling career the necessity to read in-depth, to read the entirety of a text, and to “not just skim over the text.” From a young age, personally, I can remember this feeling inefficient. Skimming refers to only looking for the general or main idea of a text, and the Cambridge dictionary defines it as, “the act of reading or simply looking over a text quickly in order to get a vague understanding of it.” This quick scan of information is used when your purpose is to identify only main ideas, important elements of the structure of a text, key points, and relevant concepts in a short period of time and without actually reading a single word. Our society has never had the amount of information readily available to us and demanding our attention that it does today. With so much information constantly running through our brains, let alone being thrown at us throughout the day, its no wonder that our brains have learned to form shortcuts and fill in blanks through predictivity in order to cope with the sheer amount of information we receive. Reading, regardless of whether it’s skimming or deep reading, changes our brain’s ability to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate information. Research tells us that reading helps with fluid intelligence, comprehension, and emotional intelligence. But, technology changes our brains as well. We, as a species, as the result of technological advances, have gotten better at parsing information, especially information in a digital context, at the cost of losing the benefits of deep reading, as well as our ability to have our attention held and our focus kept. Due to this change in the way we operate, skimming can be used both practically and beneficially, and when attention and time is limited – skim reading is king. Why Practice Skimming?
First is the why of it – why bother learning to skim if its not a skill you already possess? Well, whether you recognize it or not, it more than likely is already part of your wheelhouse if you spend any amount of time seeking out answers to particular questions or searching for information via search engine or through books. When used correctly, skimming is a precursor to deep reading, but you have to understand when to use skimming in order to make use of it.
Here are some reasons to hone in on the skill of skim reading:
If your time is limited. Especially if you are seeking out an answer that you need immediately or in the near future, skimming allows for you to quickly gather essential information from a body of text or to decide whether the text or article is worth your full cognitive attention through deep reading
If you’re going through a complex text or piece of reading material. For instance, if you’re reading scholarly articles or massive textbooks for work, skimming becomes essential because – I’m sure – you don’t want to spend the next day and a half of your life reading through the entirety of the text.
When you’re trying to determine whether the text or article is worth your time or not. This happens a lot when conducting research and finding sources for a paper or project you’re working on, but it can also be useful when looking for your next fiction book to read while on vacation. With the focus on marketing and graphics, and the inclusion of accolades about a book, the back of a book doesn’t always contain a summary of the story or the text anymore. Skimming can be beneficial and necessary here, as well.
Benefits of Skim Reading
It saves time. Skimming over reading material quickly to extract main concept information is quicker than deep reading an entire section, chapter, or even the whole book. Skimming is a valuable resource in helping decide if a book is going to meet the standards of what you’re seeking to gain knowledge on.
It is efficient. When done right, skimming can be a powerful tool. Learning how to skim and polishing the skill can give your learning and study habits a boost. For example: if you want to explore a topic for research from multiple sources for maximum accuracy, skimming is good way to extract main ideas from several books in a short period of time
Improve reading comprehension. Skim reading is a very reliable framework for upcoming deep reading sessions. Skimming can give you an overview of material you are about to study. Using the skimming method allows you to identify the structure of the content to notice where you will find the most relevant information within the text, when planned out properly, skimming will help you to determine a clear purpose for your reading session.
When used correctly, skim reading can improve productivity, boost performance, and be an effective tool in gathering necessary information prior to committing to a piece of reading material.
How to Skim Read
Determine your goal or intent. It is crucial to know why you are reading the material and what information you are looking for before you start. This is what will guide your skimming strategy and help you to concentrate your attention on what you should be looking for.
Preview the text. Spend a few minutes scanning the headings, subheadings, and any graphs or illustrations before jumping into reading. This will help you to identify which pages to spend more time skimming through.
Read the introduction and the conclusion. Yes, we’re telling you to read the end first. Generally, the introduction and the conclusion are good places to start because they usually include a summary of the key information that is presented, what concepts are explained throughout the text, and key terms associated with the topic that you should be looking for in the rest of your skimming session.
Skim the body of the text. Scan pages for bolded or italicized words, bullet points, headings, and subheadings. Reading the table of contents is usually revealing, as well. This makes finding relevant information easier and, generally, important concepts are introduced in texts this way.
Take notes as you skim. This is what separates the men from the boys – what makes the difference between actually skimming and reading superficially. jot down important information you discover, what you are hoping to learn, and other info you think is relevant. Write down the associated page number alongside each note as well so you can return to it for in-depth reading later if necessary.
Skim is King The beauty of skimming is that, when applied correctly, it can actually aid you in the absorption of information and help you to determine what pieces of reading material are worth your time based on your purpose. While deep reading can be cognitively difficult for many, remember that, because skimming requires very little mental energy, it shouldn’t be used in place of actual deep reading when necessary to gain a thorough understanding of what you’re learning about. Skimming’s necessity comes from the over abundance of information we are constantly given about so many subjects and the need to sift through these options in order to find what actually holds value to us and every minute spent engaging in deep reading is a minute that could be spent elsewhere on the other responsibilities in your life. Reading requires the use of a number of cognitive functions at once – visual and auditory processes, phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension. When you don’t have this much to give – skim first, then commit.
