One strategy you can use to become a more engaged reader is the SQ3R strategy, a step-by-step process to follow before, during, and after reading. You may already use some variation of it.
Watch the following video to get an overview of the SQ3R method:
In essence, the process works like this:
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Survey/skim the text in advance.
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Form and ask questions before you start reading.
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Read the text.
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Recite and/or record important points during and after reading.
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Review and reflect on the text after you read.
Before you read, you survey, or skim over, the text. As noted earlier, reading introductory paragraphs and headings can help you begin to figure out the author’s main point and identify what important topics will be covered. However, surveying does not stop there. Look over sidebars, photographs, and any other text or graphic features that catch your eye. Skim a few paragraphs. Preview any boldfaced or italicized vocabulary terms. This will help you form a first impression of the material.
Next, start brainstorming questions about the text. What do you expect to learn from the reading? You may find that some questions come to mind immediately based on your initial survey or based on previous readings and class discussions. If not, try using headings and subheadings in the text to formulate questions. For instance, if one heading in your textbook reads “Medicare and Medicaid,” you might ask yourself these questions:
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When was Medicare and Medicaid legislation enacted? Why?
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What are the major differences between these two programs?
Although some of your questions may be simple factual questions, try to come up with a few that are more open-ended. Asking in-depth questions will help you stay more engaged as you read.
The next step is simple: read. As you read, notice whether your first impressions of the text were correct. Are the author’s main points and overall approach about the same as what you predicted—or does the text contain a few surprises? Also, look for answers to your earlier questions and begin forming new questions. Continue to revise your impressions and questions as you read.
While you are reading, pause occasionally to recite or record important points. It is best to do this at the end of each section or when there is an obvious shift in the writer’s train of thought. Put the text aside for a moment and recite aloud the main points of the section or any important answers you found there. You might also record ideas by jotting down a few brief notes in addition to, or instead of, reciting aloud. Either way, the physical act of articulating information makes you more likely to remember it.
After you have completed the reading, take some time to review the material more thoroughly. If the textbook includes review questions or your instructor has provided a study guide, use these tools to guide your review. You will want to record information in a more detailed format than you used during reading, such as in an outline or a list.
As you review the material, reflect on what you learned. Did anything surprise you, upset you, or make you think? Did you find yourself strongly agreeing or disagreeing with any points in the text? What topics would you like to explore further? Jot down your reflections in your notes.
Instructors sometimes require students to write brief response papers or maintain a reading journal. Use these assignments to help you reflect on what you read.
CC Licensed Content, Shared Previously
Content adapted from “Reading and Writing in College”, section 1.1 from the book Successful Writing (v. 1.0), licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.
Video Content
“SQ3R Reading Method” by Jen Jonson