Description: Survey Question Read-Recite-Review or SQ3R is primarily used with selections from textbook or articles with headings. It provides a systematic way to approach informational texts prior to reading. It is designed to improve comprehension of new or difficult texts. Recognized as a study strategy, SQ3R can be used with a number of subjects and is not limited to reading since these skills – questioning, reflecting, reviewing – assist students with comprehending both print and non-print text. Note: When using a lengthy text, SQ3R the first chunk then continue this technique with the remaining text.
Step-by-Step
- Survey: Survey the reading selection, focusing on any major textual features and graphics (e.g., headings, graphs, maps, tables, font size and type) that provide a quick clue to the content. Give special attention to the introduction, especially the opening and concluding paragraphs.
- Question: Formulate questions from chapter and section heading and the surveyed material.
- Read: Read the selection, answering the questions formed in the earlier steps. Questions should be revised as necessary or new ones created as reading occurs.
- Recite: Immediately after completion of the reading assignment students should retell the text in their own words, silently, orally, or in writing. This allows students to process the information and to make deeper connections.
- Review: Survey, summarize, connect, and reflect upon the chapter again. Encourage students to speculate why they could not answer questions (e.g., not well written, not enough information, difficult vocabulary).
Extensions
- As students become proficient with this strategy, they move to higher levels of thinking. To prompt students towards this goal, consider a jigsaw, group or class discussion, and/or writing an entry in their learning logs to reflect on what they learned and how they learned it.
To encourage students this strategy can be used to assist in making meaning from other types of text – pictures, graphs, tables, and/or web pages.