SQ3R Method for Effective Reading

Reading your textbook or assigned texts for classes is an important part of the learning process for most college courses. All that reading can be overwhelming at times! Use the SQ3R method described below to make sure you are getting the most from your time spent reading. It may seem time consuming at first, but as you practice the strategy you will find that it takes you less time to get through your texts and you will gain much more from the process.

SURVEY

• Skim through the material quickly
• Take a “picture walk” – glance at the diagrams included in the material to get a sense of what you will be reading about and what may already be familiar
• Read heading and sub-headings

QUESTION

• Create questions based on the headings: “The gas laws of Boyle, Charles and Avogadro” write “What are the gas laws of Boyle, Charles and Avogadro?”
• Think about what you already know about the material to be covered and ask questions based on what you would like to learn based on your survey of the material to expand your knowledge

READ

• Read the text with your questions in mind, always connecting sections of the text back to the overall topic of the article/chapter
• Write notes in your own words under the questions you created
• Think about only writing short, 3-5 word phrases in your notes as you read
• You are NOT reading to teach yourself the material, you are reading to begin to familiarize yourself with the material and be prepared for class

RECALL (RECITE)– Spend more time here!

• Without looking back at your book or notes, mentally visualize and sketch the main concepts from the reading in your own words
• This forces you to check your understanding, points out what you still don’t yet understand and requires you to THINK about the material you just read

REVIEW

• Look at your questions, answers, notes and book to determine how well you did in recalling the most important information
• Note the concepts that you still don’t understand so you can be sure to get clarification on those ideas later
• End with a picture of the WHOLE – what were the most essential points from what you just read (a concept map may be helpful with this!)

Apply the SQ3R Method

Now that you are familiar with the steps of the SQ3R Method, you may want to apply them to a text you are reading this week. To see how the steps are applied to an actual reading activity, watch the video below. At several points in the video, you will have the opportunity to pause and try the steps in the method. When you are finished the video or reading, go to the next chapter to move on in the workshop.

Apply It

Commit to trying the SQ3R method this week as you complete your course readings. As you do, consider the following questions:

1. How does the SQ3R method change how you approach your reading?
2. How will you adapt and personalize this process to your own learning strengths and the specific requirements of your courses?

Video:

Applying the SQ3R Method

Video Transcript:

Now that you have learned the five steps in the SQ3R method, how will you apply them as you read? In this video, you will view a demonstration of how this method is applied to the type of reading you might encounter in a course textbook. I’ll focus on the first three steps in the method:  surveying the chapter, formulating questions, and reading to find key information. Today I’m going to read a chapter in an Organizational Behaviour Textbook on need-based theories of motivation – the same principles would apply to reading in other courses. My first step is to survey. I’ll skim the chapter quickly to get the main idea.

The first place I will begin is the Learning Objectives. I notice that in this textbook, they are located at the beginning of the chapter. I read these carefully to discover the main concepts that I will learn by reading. The next part of the chapter I’ll review is the key takeaways at the end of the chapter.  Remember – there’s no rule that says that I need to read each page in order. By reading the key takeaways, I gain a sense of the most important information in the chapter. This will help me to focus my reading later.

Now, I’ll go back to the beginning of the chapter, and briefly skim the contents. I’ll pay particular attention to the headings and to any key diagrams. I’m noticing a key diagram for both Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the ERG theory. I also notice two other key headings as I skim: I now know I will read about two factor theory, and acquired needs theory. From the information I’ve gained in the survey step, I’ve determined that my goals for reading are:

• To be able to describe the four theories of motivation.
• To identify how these theories are similar and different.
• And to understand how each theory explains employee behavior.

My next step is to begin questioning and reading. I’ll base my questions on key headings I notice. The first heading I read is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. What questions can I ask about this? You may want to pause this video here, and try to create 3-4 questions you might want to ask. Then, resume the video to see how the questioning process works.

Here are the questions I’ve developed:

1. What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
2. What are the levels in Maslow’s hierarchy? (I remember that there are levels from my survey step)
3. Why are there different levels in the hierarchy?
4. How does Maslow’s theory explain employee behavior?

I’ve added my questions to my notetaking page. I begin reading looking for the answer to my first question. I find the answer here, in the first paragraph. The theory is based on a simple premise: Human beings have needs that are hierarchically ranked. There are some needs that are basic to all human beings, and in their absence nothing else matters. As we satisfy these basic needs, we start looking to satisfy higher order needs.

Now, I want to add this information to my notes. To get the most benefit of this step, I will recite the information in my own words, then write it down. The step of putting information into my own words ensures that I understand it clearly.

I pause and think about how I can express what I’ve read in my own words. I can say it like this: Maslow’s theory states that everyone has levels (a hierarchy) of needs. When our basic needs are met, we move to fulfill our higher levels of need. I’ll now add this information to my notes.

You will notice that I have left a wide margin on my note-taking page. This space allows me to add additional thoughts, images, and questions about the material later on. I may want to add additional information I learn in class.

I’ll move through the same steps to answer my other three questions. You may want to pause this video here, and try these steps out for yourself.

As I’m reading, I will also take note of key terms in bold letters. For example, I see that physiological needs is a key term in this chapter. These are words that I want to be able to define, as they are important to my understanding of the course material.

I will work through the chapter, following the same steps for each main chapter section: create questions, read to find the answers, recite my answer, and write it in my notes in my own words.

Now that you have seen how the SQ3R method might be applied to a textbook chapter, try it!  Notice how this changes your reading process? How do you want to use this information to read in the future?

Licenses and Attributions

Learning to Learn Online by Kwantlen Polytechnic University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

From https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/learningtolearnonline/chapter/apply-the-sq3r-method/

From https://www.asundergrad.pitt.edu/study-lab/sq3r-method-effective-reading