SQ3R:
A Reading
Technique
• SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite,
Review. It is a proven technique to sharpen
textbook reading skills.
• In college, you'll frequently be assigned multiple
chapters for several different courses in books that
can be quite complicated. SQ3R helps make reading
purposeful and meaningful, so that you use your
time most effectively.
• Here's how this strategy works…
SQ3R: Survey
• Get an idea of what the chapter is about by
reviewing the highlights:
• Read the title, headings, and subheadings.
• Take note of words that are italicized or bold.
• Look at charts, graphs, pictures, maps, and other
visual material.
• Read captions.
• Read the very beginning and end of the chapter.
SQ3R: Question
• As you survey the text, ask a question for each
section. Ask what, why, how, when, who and where
questions as they relate to the content. Here's how
you can create questions:
• Turn the title, headings, or subheadings into
questions.
• Rewrite the questions at the end of the chapter or
after each subheading in your own words.
• Write down your questions. Questions help you pay
attention, understand the text better, and recall
the information more easily later on.
SQ3R: Read
• Read one section of a chapter at a time,
actively looking for an answer to your
question for that section.
• Pay attention to bold and italicized text that
authors use to make important points.
• Be sure to review everything in the section,
including tables, graphs, and illustrations, as
these features can communicate an idea
more powerfully than written text.
SQ3R: Recite
• At the end of each section, look up from the text
and in your own words recite an answer to your
question for that section. Then write down your
answer. Be sure to provide examples that support it.
• Now repeat the Question, Read, and Recite steps
for each section of the chapter or assigned reading.
First ask a question for the next section. Then read
to find the answer. Finally, recite the answer in
your own words and jot it down. The written
questions and answers will help you study in the
future.
SQ3R: Review
• After completing each chapter or reading
assignment, review your notes. Identify the
main points of the reading by looking for the
most important idea in each section. Recite,
or write, a brief summary of the chapter or
assignment.
• Review your study notes every week to help
you remember the information.
That’s the SQ3R Reading Technique!
Reading Primary and Secondary Sources
• Primary Source
material written in
some original form;
more difficult reading
level.
– Autobiographies
– Speeches
– Research Reports
– Government
Documents
– Scholarly Articles
• Secondary Source summarizes or
interprets primary
sources
– Magazine Articles
– Textbooks
Developing Your Vocabulary
• Jot down unfamiliar terms and find the meaning using
a dictionary.
– Consider the context around new and challenging words.
– Analyze terms to discover the most meaningful part of the
word.
– Take the opportunity to use new terms in your writing and
speaking.
• Use Vocabulary software on the computers in the
Learning Center or Computer Labs.
• Read scholarly journals in areas of your interest and
read the newspaper more often. Ask the librarian how
to find these.
A Reader’s Glossary
Cause-effect
How one thing causes another to happen
Compare-contrast
How things are similar and how they are different
Draw a conclusion
Context clue
Implied
To make up your mind about an idea
Inference
Main idea
Objectivity
To guess or speculate to draw a conclusion
Prior knowledge
What you already know
Supporting details
Specific items that elaborate on the main idea
Getting the meaning of a word from the words around it
Suggested without being directly stated
The primary subject of a passage or paragraph
Not influenced by personal feelings or prejudice
Reviewing
• Review to remember the main
points of the material.
• Test yourself on your
comprehension.
• Some ways to review:
–
–
–
–
–
notes
study questions
flash cards
visual maps
outlines
• Make reviewing every week a
study goal.
Tips for Improving Reading Ability
• Find a quiet study location.
• Read in 25-minute blocks with 5
minute breaks in between.
• Take notes, recite key ideas or jot
down questions in the margins.
• Focus on key issues in the text.
• Experiment with your reading
rate. Can you speed up?
Highlighting Text
• Highlight:
– Topic sentences, Key words, Conclusions
• But, watch out!
– Highlighting too much can cause you to
re-read everything because you don’t
know what’s important.
– Highlighting doesn’t show you why you
highlighted something
– You need to have the entire text with you
to review.
Important Points About
College Reading
• You are expected to read the
material and understand it on your
own.
• Successful students complete
assigned readings before class to
help them understand the lecture.
• Connections and overlaps
between lecture and reading
reinforce learning.
• Instructors do NOT always cover
the reading material in lecture.
One Minute Paper
What reading techniques can you use to
enhance your studying success?
What resources can you use at Oakton
for Reading help?
What questions do you still have?