What study skill is Mr. Sutton demonstrating by instructing his students to read various components of their social studies textbook?

Mr. Sutton demonstrates the skill of previewing when he instructs his students to read various components of their social studies textbook. Previewing is an essential study skill that involves looking over materials before engaging in a deeper reading or analysis. This helps students gain an understanding of the content structure, identify key concepts, and formulate questions that they may want to explore further.

By directing his students to engage with different elements—such as headings, subheadings, images, and captions—in the textbook, Mr. Sutton is encouraging them to gather background information and contextualize what they will learn. This method effectively prepares students for more focused reading and comprehension, as they become familiar with the organization and main themes of the text.

In contrast, summarizing involves condensing information after reading it, skimming is a reading technique used to get the gist of the material quickly, and annotating is the practice of making notes or comments in the margins of a text as one reads. Each of these skills serves its purpose but does not align with the activity Mr. Sutton is facilitating with his students.