The ability to read flexibly is the mark of mature readers. The flexible reader reads one selection differently than another, based on the selection's level of complexity, vocabulary difficulty, and the reader's familiarity with the material written about. In selecting a method of reading, the mature, flexible reader also considers his purpose for reading and what he needs to gain from the selection. He also considers the writer's purpose and what the writer wishes to accomplish by having his selection read.

In order to make these assumptions about a selection, the reader must first make these inferences without a complete reading. He must prepare himself for the reading, so that he can select for the reading the proper frame of reference and attitude proper for a particular selection. He does this by previewing, or skimming over the selection. In previewing, the reader looks at the title and the author's name and thinks momentarily about them: what direction could a topic by such a title take? Who is the author? What is his position or direction on such a topic likely to be? Then the reader takes a very short time (probably no more tan 30 seconds a page) to look at the sub-headings, first sentences in paragraphs, underlined words, italicized words, numbered sequences, concluding statements, etc., to further gain information about the writer's purpose and direction. The reader, during the previewing, should ask such questions as 'Why did the writer write this?' 'What is his real purpose?' 'Was this written to inform me of something, or to persuade me relative to a given opinion?' 'Does he want me to take some action after I have read' 'Does his writing seem to be based on opinion or research?' These and many other questions should mentally flow through the pre-viewer's mind as he very flexibly skims over the material page by page.

After the pre-viewing, the reader is now ready to read to answer the questions raised in the preview skimming. His mind is in a readiness state for the greatest comprehension. He can also read more rapidly because he is already partly familiar with the purpose, main idea and intention of the writer. Like pre-viewing or skimming a map before a trip, the reader has prepared his mind to know what turns to take and where special caution or attention should be directed. If, for example, the pre-viewer notes that the selection is political in nature, he will be aware during the actual reading of the probable propagandistic devices that the writer will use. If, on the other hand, the selection is on a particular episode in history, the pre-viewer has time to arrange and order his thoughts in terms of placing the happening sequentially in history, and bringing to bear what other background knowledge he, the reader, may have that bears on this particular episode.

It may be, that after a preview, the reader feels that he is well informed on the subject through previous readings or experiences, and may wish only to scan for a particular detail or two. Scanning means just that: looking for a specific detail or idea in the body of a writing. This skill can be most useful when looking for names, dates, figures, etc., in the body of a writing, when it is not necessary to read the entire selection.

Rapid Reading is a process in the whole concept of being a flexible reader. If, after a preview, it is felt that the complexity of the selection and the reader's needs for the information do not justify a close, careful reading, then a very rapid reading, or a reading-skimming technique may be enough to give the reader all the information he needs. He may not read all the words, in fact, just as he moves along through the selection he can feel whether or not a careful word by word reading is required, or whether a rapid sampling of sentences or words here and there are not enough to serve his purpose. Again, for a particular reading, the reader may indeed need to read slowly and carefully.

This method of reading-reading flexibly-is based on all that is known through research about mature reading.

In the chapter on perception or how vision takes place, it was pointed out that the eye does not take in large numbers of words at a time. But perception works on a Gestalt or configuration principle-that is, the eye ad mind put together through inference the bits and pieces of our environment and conforms them to a reasonable pattern based on past experience and in keeping with our expectations. The more the past experiences and the more specific our expectations, the more quickly Gestalt will form to give meaning. Thus, by skimming or pre-viewing before a reading, we prepare our mind to form ideas from the page when we read based on a minimum of clues-that is, to form ideas from incompletely read sentences, and sampled words from the page. A preview done properly can prepare the mind to react to the reading in this way.