A Strategy for Reading Textbooks

Here is a method that may work for you. If it does, good! If it does not, come back to this in a few weeks for a second (or third) look.

P = Preview what you are going to read.

Q = Question what you are going to learn after the preview.

3R = Read, Recite, and Review.

P = Preview what you are going to read

• Uses less time than the Q and 3R steps
• Can be very helpful
• Look over carefully what you are going to read
• Look for main ideas and subjects
• Notice any new vocabulary
• Form an impression about what you are going to read
• Practice on this page - quickly look over the words that are in bold type

Q = Question

• Form a question in your mind about what you are about to read and learn
• Practice on this page -- form a question like "Am I going to learn a better way to read?"

R = Read, Recite, and Review

• Read - Read the assignment
• Recite - Stop every once in a while, look up from the book, and put in your own words what you have just read
• Practice on this page - R stands for read, recite, and review
• Review - After you have finished, review the main points
• Practice on this page - I did learn a system to improve my reading comprehension.