Reading Techniques
1 7 Reading Techniques for Increasing Learning & Knowledge:
Reading is a method of communication that enables a person to turn writing into meaning. It
allows the reader to convert a written text into a meaningful language with independence,
comprehension, and fluency, and to interact with the message.
➔ 7 Reading Techniques or Styles are the following:
a. Scanning
b. Skimming
c. Active reading
d. Detailed
e. Speed
f. Structure – Proposition – Evaluation
g. Survey – Question – Read – Recite – Review
Reading is a great habit that can change human life significantly. It can entertain us; amuse us
and enrich us with knowledge and experiences narrated.
There are some reading techniques, which if mastered at a growing stage can help us, be better
and far more comprehensive readers.
These skills might not necessarily be learned as rigid theories or rules but if understood well once
they can definitely enhance the reading skills and increase the quality and quantity of output that we
get from after reading.
The followings are seven styles/techniques of reading used in different situations:
A Scanning – Scanning through the text is a reading strategy that is used for getting some specific points by
looking at the whole text. For highlighting the important points of a book the readers can skim through
the summary or the preface or the beginning and end chapters of that book. For example, This technique
is used for looking up a name from the telephone guidebook.
B Skimming – This reading technique is used for getting the gist of the whole text lead. We generally use this
technique at the time of reading a newspaper or magazine. Under this technique, we read quickly to get
the main points and skip over the detail. It is useful in getting a preview of a passage before reading it in
detail or reviving understandings of a passage after reading it in detail.
C Active Reading – Active reading aims to get an in-depth understanding of the text. Under this technique,
the reader actively involved with the text while reading it. Getting in-depth knowledge of the text at hand
is not possible by reading to skim through or scan through the text.
D Detailed Reading – This technique is used for extracting information accurately from the whole text. Under
this technique, we read every word for understanding the meaning of the text. In this careful reading, we
can skim the text first for getting a general idea and then go back to read in detail. We can use a
dictionary to find the meaning of every unfamiliar word.
E Speed-Reading – Speed-reading is actually a combination of various reading methods. The aim of speed-
reading is basically to increase the reading speed without compromising the understanding of the text
reading. Some of the strategies used in speed reading are as follows:
1. Identifying words without focusing on each letter;
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2. Not to sounding-out all words;
3. Not sub-vocalizing some phrases;
4. Spending less time on some phrases than others;
5. Skimming small sections.
F Structure-Proposition-Evaluation – This is an interesting reading technique suggested by Mortimer Adler in
his book How to Read a Book. This reading technique is mainly applicable to non-fiction writing. This
technique suggests reading as per the three following patterns:
1. Studying the structure of the work;
2. Studying the logical propositions made and organized into chains of inference;
3. Evaluation of the merits of the arguments and conclusions.
G Survey-Question-Read-Recite-Review – This method aims to facilitate a clear understanding of the text
that the reader would be able to teach whatever he has learned during the process of reading. The
process involves five different steps, which are as follows:
1. Survey – The survey involves getting a quick idea of the whole writing piece. For example, reading
the introduction or summary of a book will be enough to get an idea of that book.
2. Question – We are not just reading the words or looking at the words but are actually trying to
make out the underlying meaning of the text. So, we should prepare questions in our mind and
look for the answers while reading the text.
3. Read – The reader should read selectively if they are looking for any specific.
4. Recite – The reader should answer the questions in his own words using only the keywords that are
required to sum up the complete idea.
5. Review – The reader should review the entire things in his mind.
Reading is the basic foundation on which academic skills of individuals are built. As we know the
paramount importance of reading, it is given the top priority in primary education. Many believe that
reading is a true measure of a person’s success in academics. Most of the subjects taught to us are based
on a simple concept – read, understand, analyze, synthesize, and get information.
