Like other skills, reading requires mastery so you can do it efficiently.
However, if you know when to use specific reading techniques in everyday scenarios, you’ll save a lot of time and energy.
Below are some reading techniques you can adopt and the best ways to use them.
1. Skimming
Skimming involves getting the main idea of the piece you are about to read and looking for points to back it up. Before you skim a material, you need to know the objective of the material, the main idea, and supporting data.
In other words, skimming means you don’t have to read the whole material word for word, just identify what you want to get out of that material and skip some of the rest.
It is not advisable to skim vital materials like contracts or research papers because you will miss important details. However, skimming comes in handy when reading online reviews of a product or going through notes before an exam.
2. Scanning
This is probably the most used reading method. It involves looking for subheadings, names, numbers, or keywords. Scanning works best for materials with a straightforward layout like blog posts, restaurant menus, newspapers, or your inbox.
3. Intensive reading
Reading intensively is time-consuming, but it is necessary sometimes. The primary objective is to assimilate information for the long term. When intensive reading is combined with skimming and scanning, you’ll be able to retain information longer.
Read intensively when you get new contracts or business proposals. Although thoroughly reading contracts may seem bothersome, they are essential, so you know what exactly you’re signing up for. If you want to assimilate even better, try taking notes.
