The SQRW strategy is a four step strategy used to help you when you are reading and taking notes from one of your subjects textbooks. This strategy has just over a few steps and each letter of the strategy stands for a different step. This strategy will help you prepare for exams because it enables you to read carefully and it helps you have a complete understanding of what you have just read. It also helps you prepare a written record of what you have learned from the reading. Having that written record will help you when it comes time for a class discussion or even an exam because all of the things you have read are summed up in your own words right in front of you. The SQRW strategy will help you get engaged into the text and will ensure that you have a better understanding of the information that is at hand.
When should you use this strategy?
You should use this strategy anytime you are assigned a reading from the textbook or when you are preparing for a midterm or final. The SQRW strategy will help you have a clear understanding of the information the is in front of you and it will ensure that that you will walk away with confident knowledge on the topic. For example, this strategy would come into great use when you have a economics final coming up and you have to read four chapters. This strategy will help you not only read what is laid out in front of you, but it will help you have a clear understanding of the subject. This strategy can easily be used for any subject that requires you to read a textbook.
Explain how to apply the strategy step by step.
Each letter of the SQRW strategy stands for a different step. The first letter stands for "Survey." This step helps you think about the kinds of things you already know about the subject and prepares you to learn more. Before you actually begin to read the chapter you must survey it first. When you survey a chapter you look at the title, the introduction, the headings, the sub headings, bolded words and the conclusion. It is also important that you take a look at the pictures, maps, charts and graphs and reading the captions that go with each. This will help you to prepare yourself when it is time to read and it will give you a very clear idea of what the chapter is about.
The second letter stands for "Question." As you begin to read you should have questions in your mind at all times. Questions give you a purpose for reading and help you stay focused on the reading assignment. When making questions you should turn each heading into a question using the words who, what, where when, why and how. If the heading is already stated as the question, then use the same question. If a heading contains more than one idea you can make a question for each idea. Having more than one question for each heading is completely fine. The only thing that you do not need to form questions for are the introduction and conclusion, everything else that has a heading should be transformed into a question(s).
The third letter stands for the obvious, "Read." Now you have to read the information that follows each heading to find that answer to the question you created. Sometimes as you read you realize that you need to change your question or turn it into several questions in order for it to be answered. While you read you must stay focused and flexible so that you can gather as much information as you need to answer each question.
The last letter of the SQRW strategy stands for "Write." Now it is time for you to write the question and the answer in your notebook. Be sure that you reread each of your written answers so that they are and that they contain all of the information needed to answer the question.
As you use this strategy more and more you will find that you learn more and have good study notes when it comes time to prepare for exams.
Why does this strategy work? Explain the theory and concepts underlying this strategy. (Justification)
This strategy works because it gives you clear steps on what to do while you are reading a textbook. With this strategy you are not only reading, you are also engaging into the text and understanding it a lot better. The SQRW strategy helps you have a better understanding of what you are reading because it forces you to make your own questions and answer them with all the correct information. This then forces you to create a detailed study guide for when it comes time for your exam. This strategy also forces you to think deeply about what you are reading because you are not just reading for the sake of reading, you are trying to find an answer to the question you have formed. The SQRW strategy helps you to activate your prior knowledge when you are surveying the textbook in step one. While using this strategy you are also elaborating and generating and you are structuring. All of these concepts will help you become a more active and better reader.
Courses or tasks for which I have used this strategy.
I used this strategy when I was studying for my sociology exam. I had to read five chapters and for each chapter I used the SQRW strategy. This strategy helped me immensely because in the end I understood all of the concepts much better. I was able to ask the questions to myself and, without looking at the answers, I was easily able to answer them. I think that this is one of the top strategies I have used this year and I am definitely going to be using it for future courses.
Questions I can ask myself to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy.
Am I reading the headings and subheadings?
Am I reading the intro and conclusion?
Am I looking over the bolded words?
Am I look over maps, charts, tables and graphs?
Am I reading the captions that go with all the pictures?
Am I making questions for myself?
Do my questions correspond with each of the headings?
Are my questions too broad?
Do I have to turn each heading into more than one question?
Am answering each question in my own words?
Do I fully understand what I am writing down?
General comments about your experiences with this strategy. Examples.
I had a great experience with this strategy because I was able to learn and understand the sociology concepts a lot better. The SQRW strategy helped me understand concepts more clearly and it helped me teach myself what they all meant. I would definitely recommend this strategy everyone because of my wonderful experience with it.
References and empirical support for this strategy.
http://www.how-to-study.com/pqr/htm
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