SQ3R Method of Reading

Among the four skills of English, listening and reading are receptive skills while speaking and writing are productive skills. Reading is such a skill that can take you to the heights of success and happiness. To get maximum output from reading, many methods are being applied; SQ3R method of reading is among the top ones.

What is SQ3R method?

It is such a method of reading which has been devised to increase the retention and understanding level before, during and after the reading process.

Putting simply the definition of SQ3R method of reading, it can be said that surveying the data which you are to read, making questions from the data like pictures, graphs, charts, headings, sub headings etc., reading thoroughly, revising by closing the books and lastly reviewing is SQ3R method of reading.

Now, let us try to understand thoroughly the five steps of SQ3R method of reading.

Five steps of SQ3R Method of Reading

Following are the five steps of SQ3R method of reading:

Survey

In the first step, to know superfluously about the headings, sub headings, graphs, charts, tables, pictures and other things which contribute in the main theme of the topic come under the category of survey.

Like a civil engineer who conducts survey before starting construction, a reader does survey to know about the basics of that specific topic.

After survey, the second step of SQ3R method of reading is making questions.

Questions

Questions are made on the basis of headings, sub headings, graphs, charts, tables, pictures and other things as these points make the essence of the whole topic.

When the reader makes the questions, he develops the sense of that topic being discussed and keeping the questions in mind he starts reading.

Read

When the reader reads the topic, he reads carefully by keeping the questions in mind. This strategy is quite helpful in increasing the focus of the reader. The reader is not just reading but trying to find the answers of the different questions which he himself has made.

This whole process of making questions, and then reading purposefully, is superb as it sharpens the learning capability by making the purpose of reading.

Recite

When the reader reads the topic, he closes the book and tries to find the answers of the different questions which he himself had made before reading. He tries his level best to recall the answers of the different questions by closing the book and if needed, he opens the book to check the answers of the questions.

But, one thing is quite clear that the reader will try to find the answers without consulting the book.

The last but not least point in SQ3R method is review.

Review

Review means revision of the whole topic along with questions. It is among the basic laws of psychology that if you want to make anything the part of your long term memory, keep on revising it time and again.

This is the whole five step process of SQ3R method of reading.

In a nutshell

SQ3R method of reading is one of the best reading methods because this method follows the psychology of learning and reading.