Have you ever finished reading a paragraph, page, or entire chapter only to realize that you don’t remember anything you’ve read?

I certainly have, particularly when the text is complex, difficult to understand, boring, or just plain long. It seems like a good idea to skim through reading assignments quickly… but if you don’t understand or remember anything you’ve read, you have only wasted time. In the end, it’s faster to read the material thoroughly the first time instead of skimming through and reading the material multiple times.

So, what are some tricks to reading efficiently and not just quickly? A time tested method is SQR3: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.

Survey: Browse through major section headings, key words, graphs or figures, summaries at the end of sections, and anything else that stands out. Why? Having an idea of what you’ll be learning and being able to put the details into context will help you understand and remember what you read.

Question: For every page, section, or chapter ask yourself 4 questions: 1) What is the main point? 2) What is the evidence supporting those points? 3) What examples/proof do they give to support their main points? 4) How does this idea relate to the chapter, book, or the ‘real world’? Why? Asking questions will make you stop and process what you’ve read. In addition, identifying the main points of the text means that you will remember the most relevant material for the assignment, tests, or essays. One key to smarter studying is the ability to identify what you need to learn or memorize and focus on it, so you don’t waste your time on trivial material.

Read: Read with your questions in mind. When you come across a main point or another important piece of information, make a note of it in the margins of the paragraph or page. Why? Rewriting equals remembering. It’s easy to underline words and sentences; marking a book is also great for coming back to study. But making your own notes forces you to think and reword ideas, and this helps you remember them. Stopping to write also ensures that you don’t accidentally skim by a paragraph or page without learning anything.

Recite: Take a moment to recite major points or answer your questions out loud. Pretend you are explaining the ideas to a friend. Why? Thoughts often seem clear when they’re in our minds, but when we try to speak them aloud, we discover how jumbled our thoughts actually are. I think everyone has had a moment when they have turned to a friend and said, “Wow, that sounded a lot better in my head.”

Conclusion? Reading comprehension is one of the most important factors in successful on-line or independent learning. Any student who wants to work smarter instead of longer should improve their reading skills; the SQR3 method is a proven strategy. Try it out and see if it works for you!

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Author: Kathy Chen can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . If you would like more information about earning a high school diploma online, Greenways Academy is located on the Internet at http://www.GreenwaysAcademy.com.