Claire Read

12/2/14
Mrs. Reish
Project Write-up
SQ3R

My Journey
When I first started to brainstorm for this project my goal was to learn something
completely new. At the time I was thinking about focusing on how to teach writing because JMU
has briefly touched on this. While brainstorming, I also thought to talk to my mom who is a
certified reading specialist k-12. I decided to ask her to simply teach me something new. This
ended up to be too broad of a request. She would name a topic to teach me, which I thought I had
never heard of, come to realize I had learned something very similar at JMU just with a new
name. I then decided to ask a different question, What stuck with you the most out of
everything you learned as a specialist? This was the question I was looking for! She responded
with, SQ3R. She went on to explain to me that SQ3R stuck with her because she believed in
the technique and has receive positive result. She also mentioned that knowing SQ3R helped her
get her current job. She says she still uses SQ3R in her 6th grade classroom and she also uses it
many times while tutoring to help student with comprehending readings.
Although we have learned many comprehension techniques throughout this semester I
found myself very interested in SQ3R. I could relate it to other comprehension strategies we
have learned, and I wanted to learn more about this particular practice. I think a big part of my
interest had to do with the fact that I was (and still am) considering applying to work at the same
school as my mom.

I also had some other thoughts, like is SQ3R out of date, is it still best practice? From
here I began my research. First to find out what SQ3R was and how it was used. Then to find out
if was out of date.
What I Learned
SQ3R is a procedure for studying context area text that includes the five steps of survey,
question, read, recite, and review. It is designed as a procedure for students to use to monitor
their comprehension and learning as they read and study expository text (Walker, 1996, p. 287).
SQ3R is used as both a reading comprehension skill and strategy.
To use this strategy the teacher should make sure the text is on an independent reading
level so students can read the text on their own. SQ3R should also be modeled in a minilesson
and with a text that the students have never read (Rubin, 2002, p. 411).
The five steps to SQRRR are survey, question, read, recite, and review. Survey meaning
to have the students skim (briefly) the whole reading in order to know the direction their learning
is heading before receiving and learning the details of the topic. While surveying the students
should pay attention the headings throughout the reading because they indicate the important
information to be learned. Question meaning to turn the headings of each section into questions
in order to set the purpose for reading (Rubin, 2002, p. 409) to be answered after the reading.
Students should also pay attention to the italicized and bolded words. These questions will
encompass the main idea of the text. Read, the students will then read the text section by section
in search for the answers to their questions, they will make mental notes the answer. Recite, the
student now answers their questions. Here they do not copy word for word, they are not to look
at the book (Rubin, 2002, p. 409). The students should write down their answers to provide notes

on the main ideas of the reading. Review, after answering the questions for each heading and
subheading the student should look at the whole picture, reviewing the notes and main ideas
found and relating it to other texts. By relating the text teachers can see if learning occurred.
While reading all about the 5 steps to SQ3R I was making my own connections to my
learning in elementary school. I remember learning SQ3R (I didnt know that was the name) at
home with my mom when she was trying to help me comprehend my Social Studies textbook. I
was really struggling finding the important information, I thought I had to know every little
detail to the very complex chapters. After learning SQ3R I remember my teacher always called
me to inform the class of the main ideas of the chapter. I specifically remember him asking me to
teach the class how I found the main idea and I told them to turn the headings into questions and
answer them.
Using this strategy focuses on the meaning of what the students are reading and should be
used before the reading (survey and question), during (reading), and after (recite and review).
Most of SQ3R allows for oral discussion and accentuates elaboration and prediction of the
reading. This elaboration and prediction relates to the comprehension strategies weve learned in
class. This particular comprehension strategy can also be used as a study skill for the students
and as mentioned above, help them take away meaning from the readings. SQ3R is a text-based
approach and allows for explicit instruction. Because it is text-based teachers need to pay extra
attention the textbook and reading they choose for their class. Since the students will be reading
the text by themselves while using this strategy the book has to be on an independent reading
level. SQ3R can be difficult to model with the whole class because students interpret text and
read differently and at different speeds. The cognitive process to SQ#R is successive and
continues throughout the reading for all readings (Walker, 1996, p. 287).

SQ3R is recommended for a 5th grade reading level or higher. This is because the
students have to have the skills to recognize words and comprehend. Although SQ3R is
recommended for 5th- 12th grade reading levels I decided to keep looking into the topic. In many
of our classes weve learned about Pre-k through 5th grade instruction, but we are certified for
Pre-K -6th. Therefore in many classes we didnt focus on 5th and 6th instruction grade
specifically, understandably because not many elementary schools include 5th and 6th grade. I
thought this would still be a good technique to learn because Im lacking in 5th and 6th grade
instruction and because I could modify the technique for lower grades if thats where the future
takes me.
Future Uses
In my research I found different ways using SQ3R in my future class will benefit my
students. Please note that this is before my research on best practice. In other words, if I find that
SQ3R is best practice, there are some ways I will use it in my future class. I would use SQ3R to
help provide structured independent learning for my student who need self-control. For my
learners who have a hard time relating the information the read, SQ3R will help them because
the five steps allow for relation. For my passive learner who needs active reading, SQ3R allows
for that, even during studying, meanwhile allowing the student to remember the information
(Walker, 1996, p. 288). SQ3R helps allow students comprehend and then remember the reading
because one of the key factors to remembering is to recall, recite (Rubin, 2002, p. 410). For my
student who is constantly asking questions but forgets to look up the answers, SQ3R guides them
in doing just that, allowing the student to ask question and then answer them (Walker, 1996, p.
288).

After selecting an appropriate text and modeling SQ3R as mentioned above, I will inform
my student that when they are learning new material, skimming and reading rapidly, as many
students do with textbook readings, will not help them. They key is for them to recall what they
read in order to remember (Rubin, 2002, p. 410).
Before and during all this research and new learning, I found myself to be very passionate
about SQ3R. I found ways to use it in my classroom and to benefit all students. I also am partial
to it because this is the comprehension method that worked best for me, especially when I was
struggling.
Connections to Course
Throughout this whole process I have been making connections to our course and using
my knowledge learned in the course to relate to SQ3R. Please note that many of my connection I
have already mentioned. This main over all connection SQ3R has to the course is it is a
comprehension strategy. This semester we spent a lot of time with comprehension strategies. We
even wrote three lessons based on one strategy. I find SQ3R contains bits and pieces of the
strategies we learned and can be tied into them. For example, questioning, predicting,
summarizing, synthesizing, and finding the main idea.
Further Research
After looking into SQ3R today I found it is still used and consider best practice because
the skills in SQ3R cant exactly go out of date. There were also modified and more up to date
versions mentioned: PQ4R, KWL, and SQP2Rs. We have learned about the KWL table in
classes, but if I had more time I would look into PQ4R and SQP2Rs to see what they mean and
why the changes were made from SQ3R. Another mention in my finding was to make sure the

students are engaged and interested in the topic before reading about it. This way they have a
want to read and are not being forced to read only for the upcoming test.
I do plan to teach my future students SQ3R as both a comprehension skill while learning
more about a topic, and then using the notes taken and using them as a study method at the end
of the unit. If I had more time I would look into ways to modify SQ3R for younger elementary
school students in order to keep the reading informative, on reading level, and engaging.

References
Rubin, D. (2002). Diagnosis and correction in reading instruction (4th ed.). Boston,
Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.
Walker, B. J. (1996). Diagnostic teaching of reading: techniques for instruction and assessment
(3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.