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This Week's Topic Study Skills An essential skill for students in the classroom and in the workplace is the ability to study and to understand written material. This week’s Teaching Tips will help your students with the SQ3R study method, a five-step system of studying. This Week's Tips SQ3R Step 1—Survey (Monday) Studying begins with surveying the text material. Have students look over the table of contents, and read and think about the title of the book. Have students page through the chapters to look at introductions, headings, pictures, graphs, and charts. At the end of chapters, students should look over chapter reviews and read the summaries. Provide class time for students to familiarize themselves with the text, and then do the same at the beginning of each chapter. Download your free The SQ3R Method today! SQ3R Step 2—Question (Tuesday) Once students have surveyed the text or a chapter, they are ready to ask questions they hope to have answered as they read. By beginning their study of each topic with a question, students set a purpose for their reading. This encourages active reading and allows students to be active participants in learning. Note: One way to formulate questions is to turn headings into questions. SQ3R Step 3—Read (Wednesday) Once students have surveyed the text or a chapter and written their questions, they are ready to read the chapter, one section at a time. Have students pay attention to any key terms. Give students these tips: Look for the answers to the questions you've formulated. Underline or use highlighters to mark the main ideas. Mark important parts in the text with a star or some symbol. SQ3R Step 4—Recite (Thursday) After reading a section, students can ask—and then answer—the questions they asked in Step 2. This self-check allows students to see what they have learned. Have students try each of the following before deciding which works best for them: Speak your answers aloud. Write your answers. Say your answers to yourself while you are walking or moving around the room. SQ3R Step 5—Review (Friday) Once students have completed steps 1 through 4, have them review the chapter. Students can work individually, in cooperative learning groups, as a whole class, or a combination of any of these. Assign end-of-chapter reviews to students. Have students look at sections they marked as important. Use this time for whole class review by having students ask their questions from Step 2 and allowing other students to answer.