SQ3R

SQ3R is a well-known strategy to increase engagement in and retention of readings. It works best with non-fiction.

The term is an acronym:

Look over the chapter, skimming any visuals and section headers.

Think about what you already know about this topic.

Make predictions about what you’ll be reading about – even if you’re wrong, engaging with the text makes it more likely you’ll remember what you’ve read.

While you’re surveying….

If you have been provided comprehension questions (by the professor or in the textbook chapter), look over those before reading.

If not, create questions by adding a word or two to each section heading:

Ex. For a section called “Causes of the Civil War” write “What were the causes of the Civil War?”

Other questions might ask why something or someone is important, how someone rose to power, what a theory proposes, etc.

*Before you read, make a list of any words you see that you don’t know and write down their definition before you start reading. This way, you won’t interrupt your reading flow when you encounter those words in the text. (Those definitions are also now part of your study guide.)

Review Your written answers to the comprehension questions can serve as a study guide. (If you want to take additional notes on information you’ve highlighted, see Step 3 in Elizabeth’s general reading strategies for suggestions.)

Research shows that testing yourself several times over a period of time (called distributed practice) helps you to remember information. Once a week, try to answer the comprehension questions on paper without looking at your notes. (You don’t have to write complete sentences, but make sure you get down important points. You’re rehearsing how you’ll respond on exams.)

When it comes time for your exams, you’ll likely find that studying doesn’t take that long because all of that practice should make it easy to recall the information you need to know.

SQ3R is one of many approaches you can use to get through reading assignments more efficiently. For more techniques, read Elizabeth’s highlighting tips and her recommended general reading strategies.

Download all of Elizabeth’s strategies as one document.