SQ3R

It is generally and frequently remarked that our study system is SQ3R based which means that our learning system comprises on a five-step process e.g., Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review. Let us discuss all these steps one by one.

1- SURVEY

This practice involves quickly skimming through the reading material without focusing on each and every word. Titles, headlines, pictures, and key words remain the center of readers’ interest. This step is very important because it provides an overview of the reading substance without which the reader can either lose interest or waste much time on less informative sections. Survey is of two types.

1.1- SURVEY OF BOOK

All books are written with a particular sort of plan. Generally, a plan consists of a title page, preface, table of contents and index etc.

1.1.1- TITLE PAGE

A compact title always tells what the book is about. It is with the title that the reader picks the book from the shelf. Survey with the title page is very essential because it helps getting the essence of the whole book.

1.1.2- PREFACE

Every book starts with either introduction or preface which is also termed as foreword or author’s remarks. In preface, the author talks about his book and tells why he has written it. Like the title page, this information can also be helpful in deciding whether the book is worth reading or not.

1.1.3- TABLE OF CONTENTS

In every book, there is a table of contents which tells very clearly which topics the author is going to deal with. This page of information should never be ignored or taken for granted when making preliminary survey.

1.1.4- INDEX

After choosing the chapter of interest through the table of contents, the reader should visit the index page that provides all topics in alphabetical order with their respective page numbers. With this information, the reader can land quickly on the page of his interest. Robert Lynd once said;

“I hate reading a book without an index. It makes me read the whole book.”

 1.2- SURVEY OF CHAPTER

Before reading every new chapter, first and last paragraphs should be surveyed carefully. This type of survey will help knowing whether the chapter is of interest or not. Because the first paragraph contains the thesis statement and the last paragraph contains concluding statement.

2- QUESTION

In doing survey of a chapter, the reader should focus on the titles and sub headings that can be turned into simple questions using the basic question-words i.e. 5Ws e.g., who, what, where, when, why and 1 H e.g., how. The purpose of this step is to make the reading exercise more active. This step helps concentrating on the reading material as this step prompts you to look for the answers of your self-formulated questions. If you read actively, the benefits will be greater.

3- READ

While reading the selected sections, try to seek out the answers to your questions. In this effort, all the sections of reading material will automatically be covered.

4- RECITE or RECALL

After you have completed first three steps (SQR), you should devote some time to recall the main points of the selected section. If necessary, you can re-read that section until you become able to recite all the main points. It will be a good idea to write down all the questions evolved and their answers on a piece of paper. This step will facilitate the next step i.e., ‘Review’.

Experiments have explored that the students who spent more time in reciting can remember more than those who just read and mere read. The information gathered through SQ2R can be shared with the classmates for the purpose of reciting time and again.

5- REVIEW

Lastly, you should recall again the recited material in order to get a review. This exercise will assist you linking up all the various sections already recited. This will enhance the understanding of the whole material.

To cut the matter short, we may say unhesitatingly that SQ3R method has been very helpful for learning in general and for reading in particular because this involves a universal saying;

‘Practice makes man perfect.’