Module 1: Basic Reading Strategies

SQ3R

is a systematic approach to reading and studying that can improve
comprehension and retention.

SQ3R

should be used with note-taking to understand and remember
what you read.

Surveying, Question, Read, Recite, Review

What is SQ3R?

Surveying

means looking at the text before you read it.

Fiction

novels, plays, poems, short stories, scripts

Non-fiction

textbooks, Research Articles, Reports, Manuals, Reviews

Fiction

is creative writing that comes from an author’s
imagination.

Fiction

It is often not based on facts or reality.

Non-fiction

is writing that is based on facts.

Non-fiction

It tells the truth about the events, people, or
information presented.

genre, structure, audience, purpose

what are the aspects of an academic text?

Academic texts

What type of texts are these?
• journal articles
• trade journals
• abstracts
• article reviews
• reports
• case studies
• book chapters
• handbooks or manuals
• spec sheets

Journal Articles

to present new research findings and
scholarly debates

Abstract

to provide a brief summary of a
research article (from a scholarly
journal)

Textbook

to provide comprehensive coverage
of foundational and advanced
concepts in a subject area

Surveying

is a quick process that is
done before you actually start to read.

Study read

means gathering and remembering main ideas, facts, and terminology, and making meaningful connections
among them.

Skimming

gives quick bird’s-eye view of the material

Skimming

tells you what general information is in a
section

Scanning

locates specific facts

Main ideas

When you skim, you read to get the ________ of each paragraph or section, as well as the overall idea of the whole article or passage.

Scanning

involves running your eyes over the text in order to locate specific details.

Running your eyes over the text

Scanning involves _________________ in order to locate specific details.

Scanning

is done after you have surveyed and skimmed through the material first so that you already have an idea of how the information is organized (e.g. chronologically, etc.).

Speed, Coverage, Comprehension

Skimming and Scanning helps with…..

Trade journals

to provide industry-specific news and
analysis for professionals in a
particular field

Article Reviews

to critically evaluate and summarize
existing literature on a specific topic
(generally a journal article)

Reports

to document the process, results or
findings of specific projects or
research (often done by companies
or government departments)

Case Studies

to offer an in-depth look at a
particular person, group or situation
to illustrate broader principles or
behaviours

Non-fiction

to give detailed and well-supported
explanations on specific topics

Handbooks/Manuals

to offer practical instructions,
guidelines, or information to help
users understand or implement
specific tasks or procedures

Reference books

to provide factual information or
comprehensive data on a wide range
of topics in a condensed format (e.g.
dictionaries and encyclopedias)

Spec Sheets

to provide detailed technical
specifications and performance data
for products, materials, or software

Newspaper articles

to inform the public about recent
events, news, and developments on
a variety of topics

Magazine Articles

to inform and entertain on diverse
topics and to provide commentary
and opinions

Web-based Articles

to provide accessible information on
a broad range of topics

Blogs

to share personal insights and
detailed commentary and to engage
with readers on niche topics

Subjective

Blogs aren’t considered as academic texts because they are too….

Journal articles

abstract, long title, usually several authors, keywords

Article reviews

mention of author, article or journal name in 1st
paragraph (with opinions given)

Trade journals

field (job) name in journal or article title, often one
author

Magazines

general topics (not jobs), many pictures

Case studies

focus on one business, product, person or event;
can contain an abstract

Handbook/manuals

only procedures generally listed with very little text;
comes with a table to context and index

Reading

is what you should spend the most time on.

Reciting

means trying to remember ideas from the text after you
have read it.

Reviewing

is a step you should do regularly after you have read a text.