Survey Question Read Recite Review (SQ3R) is a study approach that you can try to help you take an active and efficient approach to reading textbook material.

Survey Question Read Recite Review

Expand all

Surveying a book

  • Read the preface to note purpose of book.
  • Read the table of contents to identify what the book contains.
  • Look through the book glancing at the headings and reading occasional sentences.
  • Read the summaries of the chapters.

Surveying a chapter

  • Read the headings to note the organization of material, how topics go together, and to identify the main subject of each section.
  • Pay attention to order of headings. Main headings, side headings, and sub-headings tell you what topics are subordinate to the main topics.
  • Skim some of the sentences at certain points within the chapter. Look at pictures and charts.
  • Read the summary to obtain most important points of the chapter.