One method is the SQ3R method, which is a method for understanding and comprehending what you are trying to learn. Each letter refers to one of its five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.
It does not take much time to learn this method, but by applying it in the learning process, you will be able to make the most of it. In this article, we will show you how to use it.
What Is the SQ3R Method?
Whether you use this method to study or just read, it is a way to quickly study, understand, and remember written information. It was first mentioned in 1946 in the book Effective Study by educational psychologist Francis P. Robinson, which has been reprinted several times since then.
This method focuses on helping learners work efficiently and effectively when reading and understanding texts, emphasising educational texts. However, it can be applied to any type of text if you want a deeper understanding of something.
Benefits of the SQ3R Method
The main and obvious benefit of using this method is making optimal use of your reading time. By using its five steps, you can read any text effectively and better remember and explain everything related to the text.
The second benefit is that when you use the first step, you will read more carefully and focus on the most relevant information you want to learn, ensuring that you remember the content better.
There are also some additional benefits, such as:
1. The ability to add an additional R to the method
This R stands for either Relate, which means connecting what you learn to your personal experiences, Record, which means creating a more comprehensive summary for understanding, or Reflect, which means developing a deeper and clearer understanding of the topic.
2. It allows you to become more aware of what you are reading
whether it is worth reading, or what to focus on in the text. You will read faster and more efficiently.
3. You will have a better focus and thoughts about the topic you are reading about
meaning that you will automatically adopt a certain way of thinking to better absorb the information. You will read with a specific goal in mind. You are likely to excel at it.
4. It enables you to transfer new information to your long-term memory more easily and smoothly
Information we take in now is stored in our short-term memory, which is limited and lasts very short. Storing information in short-term memory and then transferring it to long-term memory using this method is truly amazing. We will likely retain and make better use of this information.
5. This method will help you avoid taking in more information
and encourage you to retain information for a long period of time. You cannot force your mind or overload it with information for this method to work. This is very important for many people because information is everywhere, and it is very easy to obtain it.
6. You will spend a little time studying and a lot of time applying the information
Although this method might seem like it will take you longer to study and comprehend, research shows that people who use it spend less time preparing for final exams than people who do not. Outside the academic field, this means that you can absorb information faster than others, enabling you to apply what you have learned faster as well.
How to Apply This Method?
For most people, reading texts or self-improvement books and highlighting key passages is the standard method of studying them. This is not the most efficient or stimulating approach for growth, but it's not bad either. If you want to read texts more efficiently and effectively, try the SQ3R method. It is an abbreviation for the five steps: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. We will mention below a detailed explanation of each of the five steps so that you can apply the method yourself:
1. Survey
Here, you allocate some time to examine the entire text. It is not about dealing with specific pieces of information, but rather understanding the paragraphs, chapters, sections, and words written in bold and italics, in addition to the accompanying pictures and diagrams.
For educational texts, conducting an initial survey will give you an overview, idea, and understanding of the general content. For other texts, this can help you get a general summary of the idea that the author is trying to convey to you.
However, this step will provide you with a foundation for when you get to reading and trying to understand the text.
2. Question
After you've done a general book survey, you'll ask yourself some questions based on that. One way to do so is to look up chapter titles and turn them into questions.
Write these questions down and then ask yourself what you already know about the topics of these chapters.
It is also important to ask yourself about the purpose of reading this book in the first place and compare that to your answers. If you are reading a book for a specific purpose, you need a book that will help you answer your questions. You will also get an idea of the chapters that you need to focus on in order to understand the book completely.
This step is related to how to understand what the writer is trying to convey to the readers. You can write your questions on one margin of the page and record the answers on the other margin.
3. Read
The next step is reading, but do not forget to think about what you did in the previous steps. Keep the idea you got from the first step and the questions you posed in the second step in mind while reading. Pay attention to the chapters and sentences in bold and the explanations below the diagrams and pictures; make reading an effective process.
Furthermore, write down additional questions while reading and searching for answers to the previously asked questions, so that you can write down the answers and explanations in the text.
Don't be embarrassed if you have to slow down. This step encourages you to take your time on complex parts or parts that require more focus from you. Take the time to read the paragraphs again if you need to. At the same time, pay less attention to unimportant information or things that you already know.
4. Recite
This step requires you to remember all the information you have read and repeat it in your own way.
You should use this time to ask yourself questions about the text again and answer them based on the information you have learned. You can also explain what you read to someone else or to yourself. You can create a summary that includes your own approach as additional support.
5. Review
The final step is to review. You might think that reciting is the most important step. However, reviewing is an additional step to reinforce everything you have done. To retain information better, it is important to review and repeat it more than once, regardless of whether it is an educational text or a book that talks about personal growth.
In any case, you will get notes or takeaways from the text and it pays to be looking back at those and build on it. When you first look at a text, you might find difficult parts or parts that you do not fully understand. However, after studying those specific parts several times, you can expand on your understanding and the notes you initially set up.
This step can be very useful if you do it one day after implementing the previous four steps.
Final thoughts
The SQ3R method is a structured method that can provide you with a deep understanding of the text and improve your overall comprehension. By using this method, you will be able to eliminate unimportant information and focus on what is most important. In addition, you will be able to retain information thanks to the various techniques the SQ3R method enforces.
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