SQ3R: A Reading
System
Based on D.J. Henry,
The Effective Reader
OVERVIEW
Effective, active reading simply consists of
ASKING YOURSELF QUESTIONS before
you read, while you read, and after you
read, and coming up with TENTATIVE
ANSWERS to those questions, then
REVISING your answers as you figure out
more.
 Active reading requires WRITING. Write
down your questions and answers as you
go.

OVERVIEW

As you read and think about what you
read, your answers will become more
accurate and interesting and you will be
able to tie more of your reading in with
your prior knowledge.
OVERVIEW

The SQ3R system gives you a number of ways of asking
useful questions about your reading, answering them
and remembering the answers. The acronym “SQ3R”
stands for:
Survey
 Question
 Read
 Recite
 Review

S: Survey
BEFORE reading:
 Skim the text, looking for titles, headings,
italicized and bold-print terms
 Read the first sentences of paragraphs
 In longer texts, read the introduction

Q: Question
AFTER Surveying but BEFORE Reading,
ASK YOURSELF:
 What is this passage about? What
possible main point (thesis) might
somebody want to argue about this topic?

Q: Question (Part II)
AFTER Surveying but BEFORE Reading,
ASK YOURSELF:
 What do I already know about this topic?
 What is my goal for reading? Am I
looking for an overall idea about the topic,
or for detailed knowledge? What do I
need to do with the information I will get
from this reading?

R: Read
As you read, ASK YOURSELF:
 How does this new information fit in with
what I already know?
 Do I need to change what I know?
 Why might this information be important
to the point the writer is trying to make?
How is the writer using this information
rhetorically (to persuade me of
something)?

R: Read (Part II)
As you read, ASK YOURSELF:
 Where are points where I don’t quite
understand what I’m reading? What
questions do I have about these points?
WRITE the questions down.
 Also write questions based on headings,
subheadings, bolded and italicized words.
One standard question that often works:

What is an example of this idea or
phenomenon?
R: Recite
As you read:
 ANSWER the questions you’re asking, and
WRITE THE ANSWERS DOWN.
 Try to visualize the reading; turn on the
camera in your head.
 Try to restate the ideas in the reading in
your own words.

R: Review
AFTER reading, go back and look at your
questions and answers. Compare them
with the writing you’ve just finished. ASK
YOURSELF:
 Are there important parts of the writing
which aren’t covered by my questions and
answers? What are they?

R: Review
AFTER reading, ASK YOURSELF:
 If there was a test on this material, what
might some of the test questions be?
 What have I learned? What do I know
about the topic that I didn’t know before?
 How can I extend what I’ve learned?
What other situations can I apply my new
knowledge to?
