SQ3R - study/reading method

Question

As you do your survey, you should begin to ask yourself questions about the reading material--questions which you hope to find the answers to as you read. One quick way to come up with questions to ask is to turn the headings and subheadings into questions. Asking questions will make you an "active" reader rather than a "passive" reader. It will keep you involved in the subject and keep you thinking about what may be coming up next.

Recite

One of the most valuable parts of the SQ3R method is the reciting step. It is very important that you recite out loud what you have learned from your reading. (Whisper quietly to yourself if you are in a public place.) It is best to stop at the end of each page, section, or chapter to answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions. By reciting this information out loud, you can test yourself on how well you understand what you have read. You can then go back and reread if necessary. Even if you understand the material well, reciting it out loud will help you remember much longer.

Read

Read the assignment carefully from start to finish. Look for main ideas in each paragraph or section. Take notes as you read, or stop from time to time to write a brief summary. Read the difficult parts slowly. (Reread them if necessary.) Use context clues to help you figure out some of the most difficult passages; look up unfamiliar words or ideas. Use your senses to imagine what each subject in your assignment looks, feels, sounds, tastes, or smells like.

Review

The final step in the SQ3R is the review step. You should review or summarize what you have read as soon as you finish. If you have been given some questions to answer about the assignment, do that immediately. If you have no questions to answer, summarize the assignment in a short writing. You can also make an outline, note cards, flash cards, illustrations, etc. to help you review and remember what you have read.

Survey

The first step in the SQ3R study method is survey. When you "survey" a reading assignment, you try to get a general picture of what the assignment is about. To do this, you must look briefly at each page, paying special attention to the headings, chapter titles, illustrations, and boldfaced type. It is also a good idea to read the first and last paragraphs. This should give you a good overall picture or survey.