It is helpful to be aware of why you are reading a text, what is your purpose. Are you reading for fun? Are you reading because you are looking for details? Do you only want an overview of the text and the main conclusions of the author? You will use different strategies depending on your reading goal. For example, you may need to read the entire text for specific details, but not if you only want to get an idea about the conclusions of a text.
There are several strategies you can use to help improve your reading speed and understanding.
Skimming means reading through a text quickly, horizontally, to get a general understanding of the content and its usefulness.
Before reading an academic text in depth, skimming the text will often help you understand what the text is about or identify key bits of information. This strategy helps you identify the relevance and can lead to a greater depth of understanding.
To skim a text:
Scanning means to read through a text quickly, vertically or diagonally, to locate single words, facts, dates, names, or details.
Scanning is looking for specific information, such as keywords, dates, statistics or authors' names.
To scan a text::
Highlight important key terms and new terms or vocabulary. Keep a dictionary handy to identify key terms as you read.
Reading for detail is when you start to concentrate on the written material, looking to gather specific information or evidence. It will provide you with a more in-depth understanding of the information, facts, positions and views on a topic.
To read for detail:
Active Reading Strategies: Remember and Analyze What You Read
Source : Princeton's McGraw Center for Teaching & Learning