The SQ3R method was first championed by educational psychologist, Francis Robinson, in his book Effective Study. I love learning and want to be more effective at it – and SQ3R works.
The steps to SQ3R are:
Survey: Read the book synopsis. Review the chapters, pay attention to pictures or graphs, scan the sections you may want to give special focus. Familiarize yourself with the book layout.
Question: Why are you reading this material? Does it provide the answers to the questions that prompted you to want to read it? What do you believe the writer is trying to convey?
Read: Get to reading the material. Continue to pay attention to sections that resonate with you and ask questions. Pay closer attention now to any pictures, graphs and supplemental materials in context.
Review and Recite: Ask and answer more questions. Is there another angle or lens with which to review the material? Outline the notes and takeaways from the text. How do they expand your understanding? Does it relate in anyway to your personal experience? Can you apply any principles to your life?
SQ3R allows a person to absorb vast amounts of information and find useful ways of integrating that knowledge for immediate self-improvement and proper application.
