SQ3R

Your Study Guides and Strategies starts here!

Reading and research series
SQ3R reading method

SQ3R is a reading strategy formed from its letters:

Survey! Question! Read! Recite! Review!

SQ3R will help you build a framework to understand
your reading assignment.
Before you read, S urvey the chapter:
the title, headings, and subheadings
captions under pictures, charts, graphs or maps
review questions or teacher-made study guides
introductory and concluding paragraphs
summary
Question while you are surveying:
Turn the title, headings, and/or subheadings into
questions
Read questions at the end of the chapters or after each
subheading
Ask yourself,
"What did my instructor say about this chapter or
subject
when it was assigned?"
Ask yourself,
"What do I already know about this subject?"
Note: If it is helpful to you, write out these questions
for consideration.
This variation is called SQW3R
When you begin to R ead:
Look for answers to the questions you first raised
Answer questions at the beginning or end of chapters
or study guides
Reread captions under pictures, graphs, etc.
Note all the underlined, italicized, bold printed words
or phrases
Study graphic aids
Reduce your speed for difficult passages
Stop and reread parts which are not clear
Read only a section at a time and recite after each
section
R ecite after you've read a section:
Orally ask yourself questions about what you have just
read, or summarize, in your own words, what you
read
Take notes from the text but write the information in
your own words
Underline or highlight important points you've just
read
Reciting:
The more senses you use the more likely you are to
remember what you read Triple strength learning:
Seeing, saying, hearing
Quadruple strength learning: Seeing , saying , hearing,
writing!!!
R eview: an ongoing process
Day One
After you have read and recited the entire chapter,
write questions in the margins for those points
you have highlighted or underlined.
If you took notes while reciting,
write questions for the notes you have taken
in the left hand margins of your notebook.
Complete the form for a critical reading review
Day Two
Page through the text and/or your notebook to re-
acquaint yourself
with the important points.
Cover the right hand column of your text/note-book
and orally ask yourself the questions in the left hand
margins.
Orally recite or write the answers from memory.
Develop mnemonic devices for material which need to
be memorized.
Make flash cards for those questions which give you
difficulty.
Days Three, Four and Five
Alternate between your flash cards and notes and test
yourself
(orally or in writing) on the questions you formulated.
Make additional flash cards if necessary.
Weekend
Using the text and notebook, make a Table of Contents
- list all the topics and sub-topics you need to know
from the chapter.
From the Table of Contents, make a Study Sheet/
Spatial Map.
Recite the information orally and in your own words
as you put the Study Sheet/Map together.
As you have consolidated all the information you need
for this chapter, periodically review the Sheet/Map so
that at test time
you will not have to cram.