Best Reading Method Ever

Best Reading Method Ever

Have you ever said, "I studied 8 hours for this test and still did awful?" Or, "I read the whole chapter but didn't learn anything?" Would you like to get more out of your study time? There are many study strategies available for you to use to strengthen your ability to process information and allow you to be more efficient. The best-known strategy is SQ3R. Using SQ3R provides a different method of reading textbooks that will most likely enhance understanding and retention of material. It's not a quicker way to read a chapter in a textbook but it is likely to reduce the amount of time one will need to spend studying the material immediately prior to the test. This is so because more time is spent actually understanding the chapter when it is read initially. Study time then becomes deepening your understanding of the material. This essay will explain the steps of the SQ3R process and help you decide when to use this method. The process has five steps. They are: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. The next few paragraphs will explain what is involved in completing each of these five steps and will help you make your reading process more active.

The first step is to survey. This step helps you gather the information necessary to focus on the chapter and create questions for yourself as you read the chapter. It is not necessary to have answers to your questions at this step of the process. The answers will come later in the process. This step should take no more than 5 - 10 minutes but is very important. Reading the title helps your brain begin to focus on the topic of the chapter. The introduction or summary orient you to how this chapter fits the author's purposes. It also provides you with an overview of the author's statement of the most important points. Reading each boldface heading and subheading helps you create a general knowledge for the chapter in your mind before you begin to read. Charts, maps, diagrams, pictures, and other visual aids are there to make a point. Publishers will not include these items in the book unless they are vital. Reviewing any reading aids in the chapter includes italics, chapter objectives, definitions and study questions at the end of the chapter. These aids are there to help you comprehend and remember. Hence, you use them to your advantage.

Now that you have surveyed the entire chapter to build a framework for understanding the chapter, it's time to question. This step and the next two, read and recite, are repeated over and over as you read the chapter. Turn boldface headings into one or more questions and write down your question on a piece of paper. As you read this section, you will be looking for the answer to your questions. For example, if you are reading a book to help you improve your study skills and the heading is "use a regular study area," the questions you might ask are "why should I have a regular study area" and "where should my regular study area be located?" People often wonder why they need to take time to do this step. It is not why, but it is a must. When your mind is actively searching for answers to questions, it becomes engaged in the learning process. This will help you remember and understand the information. After completing this step, then move on to the step read.

Reading is not just running your eyes over a textbook but rather read to find the answers to your questions. Read one section as a time and look for the answers to your questions and jot them down, in your own words. You can add more questions, if necessary. A single question is probably enough for a section that is only a few paragraphs; however, for longer sections, you may find that you need to add a question or two. Well-written textbooks often provide examples to further explain the main ideas. As you read the section, try to separate the details from the main ideas. Use the details to help you understand the main ideas but do not expect yourself to memorize every detail provided in the chapter. As you do this you are creating a study guide for the chapter which will make your review easier. Make certain that you ask questions that are answered in the reading. If the question you made up with is not answered, change the question. As you become more skillful at this,