Ask & Answer Questions
"Thinking is not driven by answers but by questions ... To think through or to rethink anything, one must ask questions to stimulate our thought" (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2013). Over the last few decades, the role of questions have changed in the classroom, from being only a form of assessment to being a form of learning that will "generate and answer questions about a text" (Miller & Veatch, 2011, p. 81). By having students engaging with the questions pertaining to the text before, during, and after reading, they can monitor their understanding of the material through the learning process while also learning how to answer a variety of questions pertaining to the content.
SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review)
SQ3R is a very popular strategy used in the classroom where students formulate questions that they answer while reading. In addition, it "allows students to be aware of a purpose for reading, overview the text, read selectively, and review what is read" (Miller & Veatch, 2011, p. 83). In the strategy, students start by surveying (or skimming) the text to determine what the text is going to be about. Then, students write questions that they are hoping to have the text answer. Next, the students read the passage, then recite a summary of the material they have learned. Finally, students review what they have learned.
Using this strategy in the classroom: 1. Identify an appropriate piece of text that identifies the concepts being addressed 2. Survey the text by looking at the headings, reading the introduction, questions at the end, and any other important parts that stand out. 3. Have students divide a piece of paper into three columns, labeled "Headings/Subheadings", "Questions", and "Notes." Record the headings in the first column. 4. Questions - Using the subheadings, write questions. Model the process first before having students complete this step on their own. 5. Read - Read the section using fluency and vocabulary strategies. 6. Recite - Give an oral summary. Then, complete the notes column, answering all of the questions along with any important information from the reading. 7. Complete this process for each subheading in the reading. 8. Review - Go back and review all of the columns. Begin with a think aloud to model for students this process before having them do it on their own. How writing is tied to this strategy: Students will be writing when the complete the three different columns, especially the "Questions" and "Notes" column. For addition writing, have students write the summary at the bottom of their page instead of just providing an oral summary. |
SQ3R Reading Method
This video provides a good overview of the different parts of the SQ3R method with visuals to help explain. It would be a good video to show students prior to completing the first SQ3R method, or even as a refresher of the method midway through the year. |
(Jonson, 2013)
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(Wang, 2013)
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SQ3R: Student Strategies for Success
This video, created by a couple of students, discusses reasons why students would want to use the SQ3R method. They also go through the different parts of the method, modeling the process for students to see how it is done. At the end of the video, they go through benefits of the strategy according to the research. |