Reading Textbooks - SQ4R

Although every student has their own approach to study reading, there are some general approaches which lead to good results. These generalities have been condensed into a very well-known and usable formula: SQ4R. The term SQ4R is a mnemonic device (memory aid) designed to help you remember the six general steps for good study reading. Learn these six steps in the following order:

S = Survey
Q = Question
R1 = Read
R2 = Recite
R3 = Repeat
R4 = Review

There are many variations of this formula. But it is important that you remember each of the six steps and the proper sequence of each step.

S = Survey

The first step toward good study reading is to survey or focus your attention on what you are going to read before you try to read closely.

The reasons you should survey or preview before reading are:

  1. It will control your attention so that your mind won't wander to other things after reading for a short time, especially if the material is boring.
  2. It prepares you so that you know what the material will be about.
  3. It awakens your subconscious to things you may already know about the subject being read.
  4. It provides you with an idea of the length of the material to be read and an idea of the time needed to read the assignment.
  5. It gives you a purpose and direction for reading, a purpose other than the fact the instructor assigned it.

To survey correctly look at the following information in the chapter:

  1. Bold print headings
  2. Subheadings
  3. Italicized words of importance
  4. List of special points
  5. Illustrations
  6. Summary of chapter contents
  7. Bibliography with brief descriptions

Q = Question

The best way to get more from reading assignments is to ask yourself questions about what you are going to read. Questions aid study reading because they focus attention on the subject matter. They provide a personal purpose for reading -- a purpose beyond the fact the material is assigned. Looking for answers to questions also keeps the mind from wandering to other things as we read and therefore speeds up the studying process.

Surveying, if done properly, provides a natural setting for asking questions. Here are some examples of the kinds of questions you might ask yourself while surveying or after surveying. Learn them; they are important.

  1. What does the title of the chapter mean?
  2. What do I already know about the subject?
  3. What did my instructor say about this chapter or subject when it was assigned?
  4. What questions do the headings and subheadings suggest? (Some study skills experts recommend that you turn the chapter title and headings into questions.)
  5. Are there questions at the beginning or end of the chapter? (These questions are often skipped by students when they should be read carefully since they ask what the author obviously thinks is important.)
  6. Are there questions in the workbook that may go with the textbook?
  7. What do I want to know about the contents of this chapter when I am finished reading?

R1 = Read

The third step of the SQ4R formula is to read. Here is how you should do your close reading.

  1. Read to answer the questions you raised while doing the survey/question routine; or read to answer the questions at the beginning or end of the chapter if there are any. Remember, reading to answer these questions gives you a purpose and a sense of direction.
  2. Read all the added attractions in the chapter. Most textbooks have pictures, maps, graphs, tables, and other illustrations.
  3. Read extra carefully all the underlined, italicized or bold printed words or phrases. Study such terms carefully. Usually they are quiz or test items.

R2 = Recite

The fourth step is to recite. For the purposes of the formula, recite means to go over what you read in step three (R1=Read) by either orally summarizing what you just read, or by making notes of some type. Studies reveal that students tend to forget as much as 80% of what they learned from reading within two weeks after studying! When students recited immediately after reading, they forgot only 20% during the same time period. Recitation reinforces what you read.

Here are a few points about the R2 = Recite step:

  1. Don't stop to recite after every paragraph or two. This will break the continuity of the section you are reading.
  2. You should use your own judgment about places to stop and recite. Don't wait to recite if a section from one heading to another is too long.
  3. Mark only key ideas or terms. Don't underline long paragraphs.
  4. Mark only after you have read the passage and understand it. Don't underline or mark as you read.
  5. Try to recite the answers to your questions without looking at the book. Use your own words and think of an example. If you jot down key phrases in outline form as you do this, you will have an excellent basis for later review and study.

R3 = Repeat

Repeat steps 2, 3, & 4 -- question, recite, review until you have finished the assigned reading. Turn each heading into a question, read to answer that question, and recite the answer by jotting down key phrases in an outline. Read in this way until the lesson is completed.

R4 = Review

The sixth and last step of the SQ4R study formula is to review. Most students do review what they have read just before taking a test. But there is more to it than that. It consists of surveying what you have read again, only this time you already know what the material is; and you are surveying to see what you remember about the title, headings, and subheadings. It also consists of using your notes or markings to refresh your memory regarding the key points you already found when you read and recited.

Here are the proper steps for review:

  1. Review immediately after reading a chapter. This means reading over your notes and putting together all the different sections of the chapter so you have a total picture of what you read. This immediate review will be fairly short because everything will be fresh in your mind.
  2. Review periodically. After you have read other chapters and a few weeks have passed, go back and review earlier chapters so that you can get a picture of the progress the textbook is making.
  3. Plan a final review before taking an exam on the subject. Plan ahead so that you have time to do a careful, thorough review.

Courtesy of the Ottawa Tutor Centre