)Readthetitle.Ifthepieceisanarticle,checktheauthor,publicationdate,andsource.
2)Readtheintroduction.Ifitisverylong,readonlythefirstPara.Carefully.Readthefirstsentenceofallotherparagraphs.Usuallythefirstsentencewillbeastaementofthemainideaofthatparagraph.
3)Readanyheadingsandsubheadings.Theheadings,whentakentogether,formanoutlineofthemaintopicsthatarecoveredinthematerial.
4)Noticeanypictures,charts,orgraphs;theseareusuallyincludedtoillustrateimportantideas,concepts,ortrends.
5)Ifyoudonotgetenoughinformationfromtheheadingorifyouareworkingwithmaterialthatdoesnothaveheadings,readthefirstsentenceofeachparagraph.
6)Glanceoverremainderoftheparagraph.
a.Noticeanytheitalicizedorboldfacewordsorphrases.Thesemaybekeytermsusedthroughouttheselection.
b.Lookforanylistofideaswithinthetextofthematerial.Theauthormayusenumerals,suchas(1),(2),(3),inthelist,ormayincludesignalwordssuchasfirst,second,onemajorcause,anothercause.
c.Lookforunusualorstrikingfeaturesoftheparagaph.Youimaynoticeaseriesofdates,manycapitalizedwords,orseverallarge-figurenumbers.
7)Readthesummaryorlastparagraph.