SQ3R Study Technique

Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review

SQ3R or SQRRR is a reading comprehension method named for its five steps: survey, question, read, recite, and review. The method was introduced by Francis Pleasant Robinson in his 1946 book Effective Study. The method was created for college students.

However, it can also be used by elementary school students, who can practice all of the steps by once they have begun to read longer and more complex texts (around fourth grade). Similar methods developed subsequently include PQRST and KWL table. SQ3R was based on principles documented in the 1930s.

The SQ3R learning methods are applied for; [visit here for more detail]

1. Reading textbook
2. Reading additional course books or resources

The method can be adapted to

1. Prepare for classroom participation
2. Review classroom activities

SQ3R (Robinson, 1970) is a method for active elaboration of material that you read, say in a textbook. It consists of 5 steps. I'll talk in terms of a chapter from the text, but this can be adapted to almost anything.

1. Survey (1 minute): Before beginning reading look through the whole chapter.
   1. Read the title
   2. See what the headings are, the major ones and the subheadings; hierarchical structures seem to be particularly easy for our brains to latch onto
   3. Notice words that are italicized or bold.
   4. Look at charts, graphs, pictures, maps and other visual material.
   5. Read captions.
   6. Read the very beginning and end of the chapter.
   7. check for introductory and summary paragraphs, references, etc.
   8. Resist reading at this point, but see if you can identify 3 to 6 major ideas in the chapter.
2. Question (usually less than 30 seconds): Ask yourself what this chapter is about:
   1. As you survey the text, ask a question for each section.
   2. Ask what, why, how, when, who and where questions as they relate to the content.
   3. Turn the title, headings or subheadings into questions.
   4. Rewrite the questions at the end of the chapter or after each subheading in your own words.
   5. Write down your questions. Questions help you pay attention, understand the text better and recall the information more easily later on.
3. Read (slower for some of us than others!): Read one section of the chapter at a time looking for the answer to the question proposed by the heading! This is active reading and requires concentration so find yourself a place and time where you can concentrate. Be sure to review everything in the section, including tables, graphs and illustrations — these features can communicate an idea more powerfully than written text.
4. Recite/write (about a minute):
   1. Say to yourself - I do this out loud so I have to study where I don't embarrass myself or
   2. Write down I sometimes do this in the margins of the book itself
   3. A key phrase that sums up the major point of the section and answers the question. It is important to use your own words, not just copy a phrase from the book.
   4. Research shows that we remember our own (active) connections better than ones given to us (passive), indeed that our own hierarchies are generally better than the best prefab hierarchies.
5. Review (less than 5 minutes): After repeating steps 2-4 for each section you have a list of key phrases that provides a sort of outline for the chapter. Test yourself by covering up the key phrases and seeing if you can recall them. Do this right after you finish reading the chapter. If you can't recall one of your major points, that's a section you need to reread.

NOW, there is another R making it SQ4R.

Further reading and references:
SQ3R | SQ4R | The SQ3R Method | SQ4R speed reading tips
The SQ4R Method of Study | The SQ3R Reading Methods
SQ3R: A great reading and studying technique
SQ4R: A classic methods of studying texts
Robinson, Francis Pleasant. (1970) Effective study (4th ed.). New York: Harper & Row.