What Is SQ3R Reading Method? [Ultimate 5-Step Guide]
Want to know what the SQ3R reading method is? Then you are in the right place. This is a widely recognised reading method.
It is a proven way of learning where we can enter information and retain it for a long period of time. This is a strategic learning approach developed by Francis Pleasant.
It is appropriate for study by all students be it in highschool, college or even higher level of study. It has found use even outside the classroom and is now used in all learning situations even in the workplace where people want to retain what they learn.
Its success is attributed to its effectiveness to find important facts and knowledge from reading materials, mastering them, and retaining them for a long time.
I suggest this method to you and encourage you to use it in all of your reading. Let’s see what’s involved. SQ3R is really an abbreviation used for survey, question, read, recite and review.
These are the five main areas of action in this reading method.
These five areas assist us in our goal of retaining as much information as possible for testing purposes while at the same time understanding broader concepts to enable us to get the full benefit of our education.
The main purpose of this method is to improve our ability to remember the material we have read. Our brain and talent to remember is greatly enhanced by repetition.
When we repeat something a number of times, the information is permanently stored in our brain. The more we discover something, the easier it’s for us to remember it.
The SQ3R method will take effort and time to master, but once we do, you realize that it’s the best method for reading and revising. Let’s take a deeper look at each of the five steps in this method and what to do at each step.
What is the SQ3R reading method?
1. Survey
This is the first step in this method.
Surveys involve going through the reading material to get a general idea of what it’s. You aren’t reading word for word, but attempting to find some information that will help you understand the contents of the chapter.
We can even call this step skimming or scanning. The purpose of this stage is to remind our brain of what we are preparing to read.
The brain is a complex organ that we do not fully understand yet, but what we do know is that when there’s a sequence in what we do, then we are more likely to understand and understand.
When you survey a particular chapter, the brain tries to get all the information you have ever found about that chapter to use.
It helps in regarding one another which is another strong point in our attempts to remember information. In short, this stage lets you form a mental framework for what you are about to read.
Some of the information you will quickly look up at this step is the chapter titles, are there subtitles? Is there a summary of the chapter with stated goals that learners should achieve? Are there diagrams, bullet points, charts, pictures? Do we have a discussion question at the end of this chapter?
Go through them first at this stage.
What are the applications of the information you are about to read? When we undergo all this information at this stage, we form a good mental picture of what we are about to read and it will greatly aid our understanding.
The survey step should not take up much of your time. It will rely on the breadth and complexity of your subject, but should not take more than 25 minutes. 15 minutes would be ideal.
2. Questions
This is the second stage of our efficient reading method.
This involves writing down any questions you may have about the course material at this stage. The questions will learn by your intention to study that field.
A question may additionally arise from the survey you conducted in step one. The purpose of this stage is to define what you want to attain after your reading session.
Are you reading for the exam? If yes, then what questions might be asked on the exam paper? You can get it from the previous exam papers.
This stage helps you organize your information as you read and know where to emphasise more. When you do this, you prepare your mind for learning by generating interest and curiosity (1).
As you begin the next step which is reading, you are likely to pay more attention to this information.
3. Read
Now this is the next stage where you’ll read to get a deeper and complete understanding of the content of the chapter.
Try to answer your questions and look for key information. If you are reading from one material and fail to fully understand it, then you can seek more information from other sources.
Online sources are diversified and different sources will introduce different points of view on an idea. This will help in understanding better.
You need to make notes at this stage.
We’ve covered some effective note-taking techniques in other articles; use the one best suited for your case.
If the information is complex, do not just assume you understand when you do not. Take your time to fully understand.
It is better to read a little bit of information and fully understand it than to read the entire book and retain nothing.
Remember in most curricula knowledge is built on previously learned knowledge, so when you fail to understand an idea and still read on for more information, you most certainly still do not understand.
However, if it proves to be a challenge to fully understand an idea, do not despair, that’s why you have a few study partners or teachers with you. They will be happy to help you.
Take note of such topics and find someone to help you as early as possible.
4. Read it
This is the next stage.
Reading is answering questions that you set or that are found in your textbook, or from previous papers that you may have on this topic. You answered all questions without referring to your notes.
It will essentially recite or remember what you just read. It is a way of moving information from short-term memory to more permanent long-term memory.
Running through this information in your mind gives you a pretty good idea about whether you have understood what you have read and whether you are ready for the test.
If you find it difficult to remember certain information, you should return to it and read it again. If you see that there’s some important information that was not covered in the question, try reciting it.
When we repeat something, it becomes easier for us to remember (2). It will be very helpful if we recite aloud because now we will activate our other sense which is hearing.
The more senses we use to get information; the longer it sticks in our memory. If you do not disturb anyone else, then read aloud.
If you have study partners, explain to them what you just read. Let them take notes and ask questions. At this point you can summarize your notes in your own words using any abbreviations, mnemonic ideas, diagrams, or pictures.
This will be your own way of remembering this information.
5. Reviews
This is the final step.
This involves going through all the information you have read and taking notes right from the survey stage to the reading stage. We quickly undergo this information to ensure we have covered all the areas we want to study and that we can remember them.
If you aren’t confident about answering questions, this stage is extremely important and you’ll need to spend more time on it. You even have to discuss further
this information with your classmates or your teacher to fully understand it.
They may additionally help you with some suggestions and action points. Try to relate this information to other information learned during the semester.
The review stage is not really a one-time stage.
You need to keep reviewing your notes to keep things fresh in mind. When the exam is near, you will not be in a rush if you review your notes often.
You just need to give them another regular review, and you are good to go.
Thanks for reading this article about what’s the sq3r reading method and I actually hope you take action on my suggestions.
I wish you good luck and that I hope that its content has been a good help to you.
