The SQ3R Method: Maximizing Learning for Online Classes

Online high school, as with brick and mortar high schools, require a considerable amount of reading. There’s that book report for your online high school English course, the readings required for your history and science lessons and more. Reading and comprehending are skills that are not only handy while earning your high school diploma. It is also very useful for employment and enjoyment. Reading keeps abreast of the times, heighten your love and appreciation for great literary works and help you become a well-informed and highly competitive candidate for future jobs.

SQ3R stands for: Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review. This was developed by Francis Pleasant Robinson in the mid-1940s and promoted via his book Effective Study. Through the years, this has helped students to improve their understanding and memory of what they are reading. This can also prove to be a handy tool for virtual high school students.

The first step is to stop reading! We sometimes get into the habit of jumping right into the material, believing that this is faster and you can already tick off the box that says “Read Chapter 3 of the History Lesson”. However, based on the SQ3R Method, you need to:

Survey. This is getting your bearings with regards to the material. This entails taking a quick overview of the reading material by taking a look at the coverage and topics being discussed. This can be easily seen by looking at the outline of the reading material. You can also take a look at the introductions and the summary for the material, as well as illustrations, graphs and the captions under these. Doing a survey is like being a traveler who takes a look at the itinerary for the trip. Since you have an idea of the general flow of the reading material, it is easier to grasp the concepts being discussed.

Question. This is one great way of interacting with the text. After you have surveyed the text, you can start asking your own questions about the topic at hand. You can also take a look at the summary at the end of the material. Most of the time, there are questions about the topic. If a question regarding the topic occurs to you, write it down. This will help you read more actively, since you are finding answers to your questions.

Read. Now comes the reading part. This is where you seek answers to the questions you wrote in the prior step. Like traveling where you spend time exploring and more time on things that are new to you, when you are reading, you slow down in parts that you need to understand more. Reread this section if what is being discussed remains unclear to you. Take not of the graphic aids, words that are emphasized (printed in bold, italicized or underlined).

Recite. This can either be done in writing or orally. This involves formulating a summary of what you have read. The act of writing this down or reciting it further imprints the material into your memory.

Review. This involves testing your knowledge and understanding of the online high school educational material. Take a look at the key terms and try to define them in your own words. Check if your questions in Step 2 are answered. If not, re-read the relevant portions of the material.