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SQ4R Reading Method

This SQ4R Method is very practical to help students keep studying organized and efficient. The steps to SQ4R are Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Record, Review. These steps are explained in the steps below.

A. Survey

Students should skim and scan the chapter. The purpose of surveying the chapter is to get the general idea of the content, structure, organization, and plan of the chapter. Surveying the chapter gives the big picture a framework of the main ideas, which will help to hold the details together later (Richardson & Morgan, 1997). Look at: Titles, headings, and subheadings Caption under pictures, charts, graphs or maps review questions or teacher-made study guides Introduction and conclusion Bold or italicized print First and last sentences in paragraphs Summary and Footnotes (www. reading/sq3r.html) After surveying the entirely text, the next is to focus to a particular information in a particular place in the writing. Survey each chapter. Survey a chapter assignment before the students actually read it. Survey should tell the scope of the content, how different topics are organized, and what the authors purpose and point of view are. The chapter survey will also give the students sufficient background information for class notes. ? Read the chapter title. ? Read the chapter objectives. ? Read the chapter summary or review. ? Read the major headings and subheadings. ? Read the visual aids. ? Read the italicized and/or underlined words and terms. Try also to survey the illustrations. Our society is visually oriented; authors and publishers are well aware that effective use of illustrations in textbooks is more necessary than ever. Illustrations can literally replace hundreds of words and convey a message more dramatically and quickly than a comparable section of text. Formats range from equations, theorems, and formulas to tables and graphic illustrations.

B. Question

Having students develop questions gives them a purpose for reading. Reading for specific purposes positively influences comprehension (Narvaez in Santa, Havens, and Valdes, 2004). Setting a purpose also aids the student in recalling information. Developing questions prior to reading results in spontaneous attempts to answer the questions based on information already known, increased concentration and attention while reading to find an answer to the question, and increased comprehension due to the mind in its attempt to find an answer to the question. Before beginning to read, students should turn each title and subtitle into a question. Practice will make this skill automatic (Richardson & Morgan). For example, if they are reading part of a chapter called Functions of Word Formation Processes, the teacher should lead the students to ask themselves, What are the functions of Word Formation Processes? C. Read

Reading promotes an active search for answers to the specific questions that students have developed. It forces the student to concentrate for better comprehension and aids in lengthening attention span (Richardson & Morgan, 1997). Students should read each section of the text to answer questions that were developed in the step above. If a word meaning is not clear through its use in the selection, reread. If it is still unclear, underline the word or jot it down and look it up when students finish reading. ? Question in mind: What is the writers purpose? What is he trying to get the reader to think or do? Is he giving facts or his opinions? ? Look for answers to the questions that have been developed in mind. ? Reread captions under pictures, charts, graphs, or maps. ? Note all the underlined, italicized, or bold printed words or phrases. ? Study graphic aids. ? Reduce the speed for difficult passages. ? Stop and reread parts that are not clear. D. Recite

Recite the main ideas, in other words, aloud or to the students, after finishing a page. Check the comprehension and make sure the students have the correct information. Do the same for the major points after reading each section or chapter. By reciting what the students read, the students are able to see how much information the students absorbed, areas the students didnt understand and need to review, and answers to the questions the students generated for the students. If the students cannot answer the questions, go back to the material and reread. (www.magicspeedreading.com)

E. Record

Marking the textbook increases understanding of the material for the present and for future reference. The process of selecting and marking requires the students to find the main ideas. Later, when the students evaluate the text for exam purposes, the students will find that the textbook markings and highlights enable the students to grab the essential points without having to read whole paragraphs and chapters again. Write down the central points for the chapter or section in the notebook. Do each assignment before class. This will prepare the students to take part in class discussions which will, in turn, help the students memorize the material the students have read and to put it into mind. Underlining key words and sentences will make those items stand out in the mind. Summaries enable the students to write a brief outline of a section in other words. Expand the students own system of reading. Use whatever facilitates the students retention of the material and works best for the students. The students might use the following: a double underline for main ideas and a single underline for supporting points; a bracket to enclose several consecutive lines that are important, rather than underlining all of them; or a box or circle around key terms. Use other words. Marginal notations and summaries should be in other language so the students can readily recall the original material as the students review. Using the text in this manner enables the students to extract all that the book has to offer the students in a learning situation, now and in the future. The students will be able to use the texts for review in later softwares in the same field or in a related field, thus reducing the need to re-read the material. The students will reap the most benefit from reviewing the notes in the text, rather than being distracted by notes the students may find written by some other person in a used text. F. Review

Teachers should include regular review periods as an effective strategy for retaining information. Regular reviews help students remember more of the information, thereby changing the nature of studying done at exam time. Rather than relearning material that has been forgotten because students havent looked at it since reading it or writing it down, preparing for an exam can include a review of familiar material and rehearsal strategies like trying old exams. The volume of material to review increases as the course continues, but the amount of time needed to review older material decreases. Students should study their outlines and notes and be able to retell what was read in their own words. Students should try to see relationships within the content. If they are unable to the teacher may need to model for students how to look for relationships. Student should be checking their memory by trying to recall main points and sub points (Richardson & Morgan, 1997).

REFERENCES Choral Reading Method. www.d21.il.us/dep_instr/langarts/parentinfo/

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