Improving Reading Comprehension With Sq3r Support Strategies
Effective teachers use a variety of ways to help their students improve reading comprehension. One way that continues to attract attention is SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review). On the plus side, this multi-step plan makes sense because it combines before, during, and after reading activities to help students become actively involved in reading to comprehend. Unfortunately, this system can also overwhelm readers with its complexity. Teachers need to continually provide scaffolding as students go through SQ3R with modeling, guided instruction, and adaptations to encourage all young adolescents to learn from reading. When middle school teachers weave the following adaptations into classroom use of SQ3R, they support students to become better readers.
Survey and Question are the Before Reading components of SQ3R. They are used to activate background knowledge, provide purposes for reading, and motivate students to want to read the assignments. There are also other ways students can prepare to read actively within the SQ3R structure, with strategies clarifying what it means to Survey and Question. One strategy is the use of an Anticipation Guide which is a set of generalizations related to the theme or main idea of the selection. Students agree or disagree with the statements which focus on significant ideas they will encounter in reading. For example, "People who do cruel things can be good people" could be used with other statements to introduce concepts before reading The Diary of Anne Frank. A KWL (Know-Want-Learn) Chart is another Before Reading activity that can be used under the umbrella of SQ3R. Students write what they Know in the first in column, what they Want to learn in the second column, and what they Learned (after reading) in the third column. The Want column is the place where students develop questions they would like to have answered as they learn from the reading. When students generate some of their own questions, they build motivation to learn and that motivation encourages understanding.
During Reading activities help young adolescents understand and manage the complexities of reading. Teachers should use think alouds to demonstrate what details good readers think about and what actions they take during reading. Students can practice think alouds for each other in paired conversations or to themselves through journaling.
Recite and Review are the After Reading parts of SQ3R. They help students summarize and organize ideas so they can be remembered and applied. Teachers should model the process of retelling and encourage students to retell the passage in their own words to develop comprehension. But don't limit the retelling to writing. Allow students to draw pictures to identify main ideas, portray key concepts in graphic organizers, or capture the real meaning of the reading in as few words as possible. Finally, teach young adolescents the value of rereading. Give students a demonstration of how understanding can increase with a second or third reading.
Reading to learn from text is a vital skill for middle school students. In the ideal middle school, early adolescents get direct reading instruction from both specialized reading teachers and the content teachers in all subject areas. Teachers must work together and use multiple strategies to help middle grade students improve comprehension as they read a variety of materials.
