Dear Sue,
Thank you so much for your tips on enhancing concentration. I have worked them through with my 8th-grade daughter, whom I’m sure will benefit from your advice. Do you have any tips regarding study methods? How can she make the best use of her study sessions? We are both stressed out.
Tracy
Dear Tracy
It’s that time of the year when both students and parents start to feel the heat of exam pressure. It’s normal for students to be nervous about exams, but if they let stress get the better of them, it can cloud their minds and stop them from doing their best.
Being overly stressed or anxious can affect one’s memory, interfere with sleeping patterns, mess with your appetite, and negatively influence your health. However, studying effectively can help to reduce stress.
There are many study methods, and depending on the content that needs to be studied, one has to choose between them. The SQ3R method is great as it can be applied to study most subjects.
The SQ3R-method
Let us presume that we need to study History, and in particular, the following paragraph regarding the attack on Pearl Harbor:
“Just before 8 am. on December 7, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The barrage lasted just two hours, but it was devastating: The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships and more than 300 airplanes. More than 2,000 American soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan; Congress approved his declaration with just one dissenting vote. Three days later, Japan allied with Germany, and Italy also declared war on the United States, and again, Congress reciprocated. More than two years into the conflict, America had finally joined World War II.”
Step 1: (S) Survey the content
Skim over the passage, identify ideas or facts, and begin formulating questions about the passage’s content.
Step 2: (Q) Question
Formulate detailed questions about the content, for example,
- What is this passage about? Answer: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
- What questions about Pearl Harbor are answered in the passage? Answer: When, what, how, who, etc.
- How does this information help me? Answer: It provides the date, time, place, details, and consequences.
Step 3: (R1) Read actively
Considering what you have taken in at a glance (skimmed) and the questions you have formulated regarding the passage, now read actively. Active reading implies that you read in order to gain the knowledge you need to answer the questions you have formulated in Step 2.
Be careful not to read passively because passive reading is reading without engaging in the content you must study.
Step 4: (R2) Recite or write what you have read
Many students prefer to write responses to their questions as formulated in Step 2, but you may find that you prefer to recite them, for example:
- When did this happen? December 7, 1941
- How long did the attack last? Two hours
- How did this happen? The Japanese destroyed nearly 20 American vessels, including eight big battleships and 300 airplanes.
- How many deaths?
- How many were wounded, etc?
Answer these questions in your own words, making the information your own. Students who enjoy graphics may draw pictures to enhance their learning experience.
Step 5: (R3) Read and review
Use a sheet of paper and test yourself. Recall the questions you have formulated, remember the key phrases and words, and test your knowledge of the content. Make notes about forgotten information and return to actively rereading the relevant parts.
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until you are confident that you know all the details.
We have only covered one relatively short passage. Longer passages and chapters can be studied in the same way. Some learners prefer to break lengthy chapters into manageable parts. However, one thing to remember is to ensure you know the headings AND the relevant contents of chapters and paragraphs so that you can respond correctly during tests and examinations. Know your headings in order to avoid writing the correct answer to the “wrong” question.
Regards,
Sue
More about Sue
Sue is an educational specialist in dyscalculia and dyslexia and has a B.A. Honors in Psychology and B.D. degree. Early in her professional career, Sue was instrumental in training over 3,000 teachers and tutors, providing them with the foundational and practical understanding to facilitate cognitive development among children who struggle to read and write. With over 30 years of research to her name, Sue conceptualized the Edublox teaching and learning methods that have helped thousands of children who were struggling to read, learn and achieve. In 2007, she opened the first Edublox reading and learning clinic, and now there are 30 Edublox clinics internationally. Her proudest moments are when she sees a child who had severe learning difficulties come top of their class after one or two years at Edublox. Sue always takes time to collect the ‘hero’ stories of students whose self-esteem is lifted as their marks improve.
