Previewing is getting an overview of the text.
When to do it
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Before reading the text
Reading intention
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Activate prior knowledge
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Check if it matches the reading purpose
Outcome
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Get a general overview of the text—Big picture
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Give an idea of which strategies to use
How to Do It
Text features can quickly and easily give you a general idea of what the text is about.
Easily recognizable features* are:
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Text elements
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Visuals
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Structure & organization
*Keep in mind that the text features used vary according to the text type and purpose.
Give some parts of the text a quick read to get an overview of the topic.
The quick read is more relevant when dealing with the format of opinion pieces, argumentative texts, persuasive texts and informational texts.
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Skim the introduction and the conclusion
The introduction and the conclusion of a text often mention most of the general ideas contained in it.
See Skimming for more information.
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Skim the first sentence of each paragraph
The first sentence of a paragraph often indicates the main topics of a text.
See Skimming for more information.
Activating readies your mind to receive new information and guides your reading focus.
The activating steps are:
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Think about what you already know on the topic, however much it is. It will provide helpful context information for the text.
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Make an educated guess on what the topic will be and what you might learn from the text.
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Set your reading goals.
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Form questions you think the text will answer.
To learn more about a strategy, click its name.
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Previewing |
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Get an overview of the text. |
Quickly search & find information |
Ask yourself questions |
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Create mental pictures |
Relate to the text |
Read between the lines |
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Write down notes & comments |
Understand challenging words |
Sum up main idea & key elements |
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Explore sources to come up with new perspectives |
Form an opinion on the quality of the text |
Look at the structure and techniques used |