SQ3R: Note-taking Made Easy

Whether you are gearing for college classes this fall, or have a child getting ready to return to school, these study tips will come in handy. In order to retain the information you read, you need a plan. Many students are familiar with this method, commonly referred to as SQ3R. For school-aged children (third grade through seniors in high school), help them create a flow chart or flash cards with the five steps listed separately on each one. Younger children may want to decorate the cards to create visual reminders of the steps. As they study, they should keep out the card for the step they are on, while turning over the others. Once they have practiced this method enough, the process will be internalized.

What is SQ3R? The acronym stands for:
Survey
Question
Read
Recall
Review

We will go through each step and provide you with strategies for incorporating them into your studies. You might include your understanding of Cornell Note-taking with this method. For example, fold your notebook paper in half lengthwise. Write questions on the left then jot your answers and notes from reading on the right side. Be sure to align the answers with the questions. Here's how you can use SQ3R to make the most of your valuable study time.

1) SURVEY

In the first step, you are merely gathering general details based on the outline of the textbook you are using. You don't need to read the chapter. Just skim through the book and read topical and sub-topical headings and sentences. If they are provided, read the summaries at the end of chapters and book. Use this information to try to anticipate what the author is going to say next.

WRITE these notes on paper, in sequence; then look over the jottings to get an over-all idea or picture of the main topic. For example, if you are studying American History, and the first chapter is about why the Puritans left England, examine how your notes are painting a picture for you.

2) QUESTION

Instead of reading paragraph headings such as "Puritans prepare for long journey", change this in your mind to read, "How did the Puritans prepare for a long journey?" These questions will become "hooks" on which to hang the reading material. An easy way to create questions from the headings is to use the 5w's and h: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Phrase questions like: What happened on their long journey? Where did the journey begin, end? Who exactly was on the journey?

WRITE these questions out; look them over to understand the emphasis and direction they are giving you; then try to come up with your own reasonable answers before you read further. Engaging yourself in the text makes the content more real and comprehensible.

3) READ

Now that you have done some groundwork, you are ready to actually read. But, take it slow. Read in chunks. And re-read! Begin your reading by going over the notes you have all ready taken. Look over your questions making mental notes to seek the answers as you read.

WRITE notes, in your own words, under or across from each question. Take a minimum number of notes - use these as a skeleton or outline.

4) RECALL

Once you have read, asked questions and recorded notes, turn your papers over and close your book. Now, close your eyes and try to mentally visualize and sketch, in your own words, the high points of the material immediately upon completing the reading. Do this several times, along with the final step below. You can easily take a very heady topic (like cell growth) and create your own mini movie in your mind. This helps make complex ideas simple.

5) REVIEW

Then, open your eyes and take out your notes. Look at your questions, answers, notes and book to see how well you did recall what your just studied. Pay attention to facts you misinterpreted or left out entirely. Fix carefully in mind the logical sequence of the entire idea, concepts, or problem. Finish up with a mental picture of the WHOLE topic.

Something to keep in mind: More time should be spent on recall than on reading. Why? It is your interpretation of the facts that will help you internalize the topic. We are a very visual species. And, though you may think reading is a visual activity, it is the process that we interpret in our minds that helps us to recall ideas. Ideas are abstract. You need to create a story.