SQ3R Reading Strategy

Students, you will be spending a large amount of your time reading for this class. Most of you will just skim the chapters and call that reading. Some of you will fall asleep reading because there is too much to cover. Most of you will have forgotten what you read the next day because you didn’t pay attention to what you were reading. In order for you to be successful in this class as well as in your AP English class you must learn to be an active reader. You have to learn to break down the mass of materials into understandable segments. One of the techniques I would like for you to use is called SQ3R ( Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review). I promise you if you would use this technique in all your reading, your comprehension of the material will increase. Of course this technique will be covered in class! Remember, if you want to understand what you read, you must be willing to be actively involved in the reading material! There is no easy way out of this for some of us. Here are some suggestions to get started:
1. When you are ready to read your text, find a quiet and comfortable place where you can concentrate.
2.Turn off your phone so you will not be distracted.
3. Focus on what you are reading.
4. Take notes as you read. Try jotting down ideas or questions that pop up as you read.
5. Mentally visualize what you are reading. Imagine the scenes, concepts, or ideas being described. Draw pictures of what you are reading.
6. Read each paragraph at a time then ask yourself what is the main idea or point of that paragraph.
7. Go over what you read to make sure you understand the big concepts or ideas.