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SQ4R Strategic Reading Approach

September 03, 2025

Posted by �Թ��� in Reading Resources 

Reading at the college level requires students to read and think critically about their text and supplemental materials. This resource lays out the SQ4R method of reading comprehension: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Record, Review. Students can integrate this approach with other strategies before, during and after reading college level material to ensure they learn and can apply knowledge.

Successful students should:

• Prepare before reading an assignment.
• Be active while reading.
• Check comprehension after reading.

Before Reading: Survey and Question

Survey the selection for:

• Title and subheadings.
• Key terms in bold, italic, color, or other special type.
• Graphics and pictures.
• Summaries.

Create questions:

• Use titles and subtitles to create questions.
• Create who, what, where, when, why and how questions.

While Reading: Read and Recite + Record

Read

• Read to find the answers to your title and subtitle questions.
• Adjust your pace to the difficulty of the section.
• Reread to understand.

Recite

Restate important ideas out loud and in your own words.

Record

Annotate the text – underline main ideas, circle key terms, record questions, summarize in your own words.

After Reading: Review

• Review the questions and answers that you created.
• Review vocabulary.
• Connect new ideas to prior knowledge.
• Create possible test questions.