Study Methods: SQ3R and PQ4R

It’s been more than half a year later and this is the second post of the series “study methods”. In this article, we are going to explain two other study methods, the SQ3R method and the PQ4R method. Let me remind you that whichever study method you choose, you will have to put in the work in order to see results. When I first heard about these two methods, I was really intrigued by the names alone. So, let’s see each one in detail and examine how they work.

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

 

SQ3R vs. PQ4R

SQ3R METHOD

What it is

Learning method where your studying consists of five stages : Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review.

How it is done

• Survey: the first stage is for students to take a quick a look at the material they have and then write down the most important information about each chapter. Also, they should pay attention to any drawings, charts and arrays that may stand out.

• Question: the second stage is mostly about comprehension. The students have to ask themselves questions like: How much information do I know about this subject? What does every chapter consist of? Is this chapter theoretical or practical? What are the key-points of this chapter?

• Read: After questioning is done, it’s time for the third stage “Read”. Now, students should dive into their chapter (really important: one chapter/section at a time) and read it in detail. Through this process, they have to find the answers to the questions they posed to themselves in the previous stage.

• Recite: Upon finishing the first chapter, students have to pause and remember the questions from stage 2. Can they answer all these questions about each chapter? If not, it’s ok to look at the book as many times as necessary. However, students should not move on to the next chapter until they can answer correctly all the questions from the previous one.

• Review: Once you finished all the chapters, it is important for students to review all the material once again and comprehend it in depth. Once more, they have to answer the questions they made in stage two and go over any chapters/sections they need to.

Advantages

The SQ3R method is an excellent method that helps students manage big loads of information and break them into smaller ones that are easier to assimilate. Plus, with the back of forth of questioning-answering this method teaches students to keep their mind concentrated and train their memory.

Disadvantages

Since it’s a method that requires big chunks of information or many chapters, it is mostly suitable for final or end-of-year exams where the material is extensive. What is more, it is a time-consuming method since each stage takes time to complete in order to move to the next one.

PQ4R METHOD

What it is

Learning method that consists of sig stages: Preview, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, Review.

How it is done

• Preview: Students browse through the chapters/sections they have to study. Then they take a quick look at headings, notes in bold and subheadings. As a result, they get an insight of what the material is about. This stage doesn’t focus on the detailed text, but it gives students a general understanding of what’s to be studied.

• Question: Again without getting into detail and specifics, students have to take down some questions relevant to the subject they are about to study. These questions could be: What is the chapter about? What is the connection between the two topics? How do I go from A to B?

• Read: This stage is very close to the one in SQ3R method. Students have to actively start reading their material, one chapter/section at a time, diving deep into details, taking notes and even underlining anything they consider important. But be careful. Don’t allow yourself to spend hours on this stage as this is not the point in this method. Set a timer at a reasonable amount of time.

• Reflect: After each section/topic, it is essential that students pause, sit comfortably and think the things they have just studied and learnt. Was it easy or difficult to learn these things? Did any of the questions from stage 2 get answered? Did they understand what the topic was about?

• Recite: Next up, students have to be able to explain what they have learnt to someone else. This is what this stage is about. They can tell a friend or their parents. They can write down critical information about each chapter and briefly refer to the most important information.

• Review: Now, students have to look back at everything they have studied and grasp the key concepts. They have to be able not only to understand the main idea of every topic but also get into a detail description if necessary.

Advantages

The PQ4R method is a really beneficial study method for students because it helps them actively read the material and really try to understand the purpose of the lesson. Furthermore, it empowers memorization and focuses on the student more than on the topic. Students can adjust it to their needs and have maximum results.

Disadvantages

While it is a very popular study method, PQ4R can be very time-consuming in general. That’s why, it’s best if students implement it in their final or end-of-year exams. Students who are not familiar with the method may find difficulty following it the first few times. Finally, this method can be tiring, since it constantly asks to be actively concentrated on what the students are doing no matter the stage they are.

Overall, this article discusses two similar study methods that can change your way of studying. In summary, SQ3R mainly focuses on reading comprehension whereas PQ4R focuses on reading comprehension as well as memory skills. Have you tried any of these methods before? Did you find them useful? Comment down below and let me know your views on these methods. If you like this article, share it with your family and friends.