Reading Skills
The QS3R Method of Effective Reading
QS3R (a.k.a. SQ3R!) was invented in 1946 by Francis Pleasant Robinson in his book Effective Study. His aim was to help college students remember something after they've read it.
It stands for:
| Q | Question what you want to find out from the book/text (see Metacognitive Reading Skills). |
| S |
Skimming - quickly run through the text to get the content areas and amount of reading involved. (This is sometimes called 'Survey'.) Read only every few words and any headings. It will give you a general idea of the context of the text and whether it is worth reading in detail. |
| R | Read once to understand the content and mark key words/points with a pencil or highlighter (or use post-its to mark the points on the page). Read each section at a time and make a note of anything you don't understand. If it is a difficult piece of text, keep yourself focused by turning subheadings or chapter titles into questions, e.g. The Advantages of Cell Division could become "what are the advantages of cell division?" in your mind. |
| R | Read a second time to make notes or a summary of the most important information. (This is sometimes also called 'Recall' or 'Recite'.) Run through these points in your mind and try to link them to other information you know. |
| R | Read a final, third time to check that nothing has been left out; compare with your notes/summary. (This is sometimes called 'Review'.) Discussing what you've read with someone else can help you to review the material, and it's a good idea to return to your notes regularly to keep them fresh in your mind. |
You may already have noticed this combines everything we've been covering in the course so far! You will have covered some techniques to help you with each part of this method in the chapters on Choosing the Right Book, Checking 'Readability' and Metacognitive Reading Skills. You can also refer to the Note-Taking module to help you with the three Rs.
Following these steps each time you need to read something will ensure you are spending your time reading the most appropriate texts for your needs, that you focus on the right parts of the text with the right amount of detail, you learn to connect what you are learning with what you already know, and you help your brain to remember the important stuff in the long-term.
It might seem like a slow process at first, but the more you practice this method of effective reading, the sooner it will become an easy habit, and you will begin to read this way without having to think about the process.
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This page was adapted from the L6 Core Studies Tutorial Programme Student Guide 2007-2008 by Val Hewitt and http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_02.htm