Skimming, scanning and reading closely
English · Key Stage 2 · The School
Three speeds, three purposes
Skimming is fast, for what a text is broadly about — headings, first lines, any pictures. Scanning is a hunt for one thing, like a date or a name. Close reading is slow and every word counts. Good readers switch between all three; weak readers use one speed for everything and run out of time.
Let the question choose the speed
“What is this page mostly about?” wants skimming. “In which year did it happen?” wants scanning — your eye is looking for digits, not sentences. “Why did she change her mind?” wants close reading, because the answer is built out of particular words rather than sitting in one place.
Scanning is looking, not reading
To find a name, run your eye down the page for a capital letter. To find a measurement, look for digits and units. You are not reading the sentences at all until you have found the shape you want. Trying to read every word while scanning is what makes it slow and unreliable.
Close reading means proving it from the text
When a question asks why or how you know, the answer must be pointed at: which words in the passage tell you? “She hesitated at the door” tells you she was uncertain, and the word doing the work is hesitated. Quoting the word that carries the meaning is what turns an opinion into an answer.