Reading: Reading for Summary, Speed and Comprehension for JSS 3

Class: JSS 3
Term: First Term
Week: 6
Age: 13-14 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: English Language Studies
Curriculum Theme: Reading
Previous Lesson: Literature: African and Non-African Myths and Legends
Topic: Reading
Subject Matter: Importance of reading for speed: – The link between reading for speed and comprehension – Scanning, skimming and normal rate reading

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Explain the meaning and purpose of skimming, scanning, and surveying.
• Describe when to use each reading technique.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate how to locate main ideas, keywords, and specific information quickly using reading techniques.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2014 Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable English Language textbook for JSS 3
• FCT ERC/NAPPS Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Selected reading passages (e.g., newspaper articles, short stories, textbook excerpts)
• Whiteboard/Blackboard and markers/chalk
• Projector (optional)
• Stopwatch or timer

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because it equips students with essential reading strategies that enhance their ability to process information efficiently. Mastering skimming, scanning, and surveying improves reading speed and comprehension, which are critical skills for academic success and everyday life. These techniques help students manage large volumes of text, extract key information, and understand content more effectively.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have basic reading skills, including the ability to read and understand simple sentences and paragraphs in English.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Reading

Reading for Speed and Comprehension

Reading for speed and comprehension involves developing strategies to read faster while still understanding and retaining the main ideas and important details of a text. It is not about rushing through a text, but about reading intelligently and efficiently.

The Link Between Reading Speed and Comprehension

Reading speed and comprehension are closely linked. While reading too slowly can sometimes hinder comprehension by making it difficult to connect ideas, reading too quickly without understanding is also ineffective. The goal is to find an optimal balance where one can read at a good pace and still grasp the meaning of the text. Effective reading techniques help achieve this balance by training the reader to focus on essential information.

Reading Techniques for Speed and Comprehension

There are several techniques that can be used to improve reading speed and comprehension, depending on the purpose of reading.

Skimming

1. Meaning: Skimming is a rapid reading technique used to get a general overview or the main idea of a text without reading every word.
2. Purpose:
   1. To quickly determine if a text is relevant or interesting.
   2. To get a general sense of the content before a more detailed reading.
   3. To preview a chapter or article.
3. When to Use:
   1. When you need to decide if an article is worth reading in detail.
   2. When you want to get a quick overview of a document.
   3. When you are looking for the main argument or theme of a book.

Scanning

1. Meaning: Scanning is a rapid reading technique used to locate specific information, keywords, or facts within a text. The reader’s eyes move quickly across the page, looking for particular words or phrases.
2. Purpose:
   1. To find specific details, names, dates, or numbers.
   2. To answer a specific question without reading the entire text.
   3. To locate a particular section or heading.
3. When to Use:
   1. When looking up a word in a dictionary.
   2. When searching for a specific fact in a textbook or article.
   3. When trying to find a particular name in a phone directory.

Surveying

1. Meaning: Surveying (also known as previewing) is a technique used to get a general idea of the structure and content of a text before reading it in detail. It involves looking at headings, subheadings, introductions, conclusions, and any visual aids.
2. Purpose:
   1. To activate prior knowledge about the topic.
   2. To understand the organisation of the text.
   3. To set a purpose for reading.
3. When to Use:
   1. Before reading a new chapter in a textbook.
   2. When preparing for a lecture or discussion on a specific topic.
   3. When you want to grasp the overall scope of a document.

Locating Main Ideas, Keywords, and Specific Information Quickly

These reading techniques are crucial for efficiently finding information:

1. Using Skimming: To locate main ideas, skim the introduction and conclusion paragraphs, topic sentences of each paragraph, and any bold or italicised text. This helps in quickly identifying the central theme or argument.
2. Using Scanning: To find keywords and specific information, identify the exact word or phrase you are looking for. Then, move your eyes rapidly down the page, looking for that specific item. Do not read other words; just let your eyes jump until you spot what you need.
3. Using Surveying: Before diving into a text, survey it by looking at the title, headings, subheadings, captions under pictures, and any introductory or concluding summaries. This gives you a mental map of the content and helps you anticipate where main ideas or specific information might be located.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Explanation, Individual Practice

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Review/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them about their previous lesson. The teacher then introduces the topic “Reading for Speed and Comprehension” and asks students what they understand by “reading quickly.”

Pupils’ Activity: Students respond to the teacher’s questions and listen attentively to the introduction of the new topic.

Learning Point: Prior knowledge activation

Step 2: Introduction to Skimming

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the meaning and purpose of skimming. The teacher then provides a short passage and demonstrates how to skim it to get the main idea, highlighting how to look at titles, headings, and first/last sentences of paragraphs.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen to the explanation and observe the teacher’s demonstration. They may ask clarifying questions.

Learning Point: Skimming meaning and purpose

Step 3: Practice with Skimming

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher provides another short passage (e.g., a newspaper article) and guides students to skim it within a set time (e.g., 1-2 minutes). The teacher then asks students to state the main idea of the passage based on their skimming.

Pupils’ Activity: Students apply the skimming technique to the passage and attempt to identify the main idea. They share their findings with the class.

Learning Point: Applying skimming technique

Step 4: Introduction to Scanning

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the meaning and purpose of scanning. The teacher then provides a passage and asks students to find specific information (e.g., a date, a name, a number) within a short time, demonstrating how to move eyes quickly to locate the specific item.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen to the explanation and observe the teacher’s demonstration. They note the difference between skimming and scanning.

Learning Point: Scanning meaning and purpose

Step 5: Practice with Scanning and Surveying

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher provides a passage (e.g., a textbook excerpt) and asks students to first survey it by looking at headings and subheadings. Then, the teacher gives specific questions that require scanning for answers (e.g., “What is the capital city mentioned?”, “When did the event occur?”). Students work individually or in pairs.

Pupils’ Activity: Students survey the passage, then apply scanning to find answers to the specific questions. They discuss their findings.

Learning Point: Applying scanning and surveying

Step 6: Discussing the Link and When to Use Each Technique

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussion/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads a discussion on the link between reading speed and comprehension, and summarises when each technique (skimming, scanning, surveying) is most appropriate to use, relating it to locating main ideas, keywords, and specific information.

Pupils’ Activity: Students participate in the discussion, sharing their understanding of when to apply each technique and how it helps comprehension.

Learning Point: Technique application understanding

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is the main purpose of skimming?
2. When would you use scanning?
3. How does surveying help you understand a text better?
4. Briefly explain the link between reading speed and comprehension.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Reading techniques understanding

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on skimming, scanning, surveying, and their applications into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Board notes recording

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarises the importance of using skimming, scanning, and surveying to improve reading speed and comprehension. The teacher encourages students to practice these techniques in their daily reading.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen and ask any final questions.

Learning Point: Lesson summary reinforcement

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework/Practice Exercise

Instruction: Read the following passage and answer the questions below using the appropriate reading techniques.

1. Skim the passage and write down its main idea in one sentence.
2. Scan the passage to find the year Nigeria gained independence.
3. Scan the passage to identify two major ethnic groups mentioned.
4. Survey the passage and list any three headings or subheadings you would expect if it were a longer article.

Passage:

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world. Nigeria is a multinational state, inhabited by over 250 ethnic groups speaking 500 distinct languages, all identifying with a wide variety of cultures. The three largest ethnic groups are the Hausa in the north, Yoruba in the west, and Igbo in the east. The capital is Abuja. Nigeria gained full independence from British rule on October 1, 1960. The country has experienced significant economic growth and challenges since then, with its economy being the largest in Africa, primarily driven by oil production. Despite its vast resources, Nigeria faces issues such as poverty, corruption, and insecurity, which the government is working to address through various policies and initiatives.

Lesson Keywords

• Skimming – Reading quickly to get the main idea.
• Scanning – Reading quickly to find specific information.
• Surveying – Previewing a text to understand its structure.
• Comprehension – Understanding what is read.
• Speed reading – Reading at an accelerated pace.

Differentiation

For students who struggle with reading, the teacher can provide shorter, simpler passages and work with them in small groups, guiding them step-by-step through each technique. More advanced students can be given longer, more complex passages and challenged to summarise the main ideas more comprehensively or find more subtle details through scanning.

Suggested Lesson Videos

Search on YouTube for: skimming scanning surveying jss3