INFORMATION LITERACY: Accessing Information - Skim-Scan-Read

Due to the enormous quantities of information, students must be able to quickly select appropriate resources without  reading every word. Being able to skim-scan-read for relevant information saves valuable time. Each skill has specific criteria that students will look for.
puzzlekids
SKIM
for an Overview
SCAN
for Specific Information

READ
for Suitability

  • title
  • author
  • headings/subheadings
  • different text: bold, italics, etc.
  • visuals
  • vocabulary words
  • first and last paragraphs
  • reviews/synopsis
  • characters
  • setting
  • connections
  • copyright date
  • genre
  • verify that the information is relevant
  • credible
  • valid
  • current
  • purpose: inform, entertain,or persuade

Skim-Scan-Read In Action

Primary Students
Senior Students
Enrichment Activity
  • Choose an article from the local newspaper or any other appropriate text that may be photocopied.
  • Have the students skim for a specific word or consonant blend and then highlight it.
  • Turn the exercise into a game by timing it.
  • Have students skim articles related to a specific subject area.
  • Student teams formulate questions based on the articles.
  • Team 1 asks Team 2 one of the questions they have developed.
  • Team 2 skims the articles for the answer.  Reverse the procedure.
  • Tally and compare times.
  • Teach students how to use the "cached" PDF  RTF section of a web search to determine if the website is a potential resource. 
  • In a cached search, the search words are highlighted in different colours making it easy to skim the site for searched keywords.

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Last Update: 04-Apr-2006 3:52 PM