READING

What is SQ3R?

The so-called SQ3R study method is a popular system designed to

strengthen students’ reading muscles. SQ3R stands for “Survey,
Question, Read, Recite, Review” – and one of its greatest benefits
is that it helps you understand more of what you’re reading as you’re
reading it - the first time.
As a larger methodology, SQ3R can be extended over an entire
course, textbook, or semester, but this article focuses on how this
step-by-step approach can help you on the SAT Reading Test.

Step 1: Survey
Resist the temptation to jump right into reading the passage. Instead,
glance through (or survey) the passage to identify the subject matter,
the point of view, and the overall purpose of the passage. This
should take no more than two minutes.
 Read the blurb for context
[What is the blurb?]

 Skim the first sentence of every paragraph.

 IMPORTANT: Survey the questions, too! Put marks in the
margins of the passage if you see questions that mention “paragraph
3” or “lines 11-18”, for example.
 Circle weird names and big words in the questions
[Why?]

Step 2: Question

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 Basically, this part is meant to help you get excited about what
you’re about to read - if you’re interested in what the passage is
about, then you are more likely to grasp the point the author is
making the first time you read it. In 30 seconds or less, come up with
a couple questions about the passage, for example: What is this
passage about? Why does this passage exist? What question is this
passage trying to answer?

Step 3: Read (R1)

Start reading the passage – actively.
 Underline and/or circle claims.
[What is a claim?]

 Underline and/or circle key words.

[What are key words?]

 Make quick notes in the margins of the passage:

 Is the author supporting an idea? Circle a word or phrase and put a
plus ( + ) in the margin next to it!
 Is the author rejecting an idea? Circle the phrase and write a minus
( – ) next to it!
 Is something surprising (to you or to the author or to a
character/researcher mentioned in the text)? Circle or underline the
thing and put an exclamation point ( ! ) next to it!
 Is something confusing (either to you or to the author or to
somebody mentioned in the text)? Write a question mark! (?)
 Circle “the But”! Contrast words (eg: although, not, but, yet,
however, nevertheless, in fact, etc...) signal a shift in the author’s
argument, which is always important to pay attention to. Circling
them is fun! – and it helps your brain pay better attention.
 Circle "the And"! Continuation words (because, since, therefore,
and, additionally, etc...) signal that the author is about to emphasize

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or restate an important part of the argument. The same is true for
semicolons! ( ; ) Pay attention to these!
TOP TIP: The most important claims and conclusions are usually
found in the first and last sentences of a paragraph. On your first
read-through, pay more attention to the bones of the passage, and
less attention to the evidence that backs up those claims and
conclusions. If you understand the structure of the passage first,
you’ll know where to find the supporting evidence you need if and
when you are asked about it.
[What is passive reading and why is it bad?]

Step 4: Recite (R2)

This is the most important part of effective Active Reading. The
second "R" stands for Recite – in your own words.
After you read each paragraph, say back to yourself what it was
about - using your own words. By summarizing, you can gain
control of the text and prove to yourself that you understand what
you just read.

Step 5: Review (R3)

Once you reach the end of the passage, say back to yourself what the
point of the whole passage is - again, using your own words.

Rephrase and Predict

This technique gives you control over several question types on the
SAT Reading Test, and then it helps you come up with your own

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answer before you look at the choices. Just to make this technique a
little more memorable, we’re going to call it RIP-RAP:

Rephrase If Possible (RIP)

Read Around and Predict (RAP)

Let’s take a closer look at how this method works as you work
through each question:
Step 1: Cover the choices
Yes, you read that right - don’t look at the choices until you have an
idea of what you think the answer is - in your own words. Just do it,
and trust yourself!
Step 2: If possible, Rephrase the question using How What or
Why
This way, you can turn a half-statement that trails off at the end, like
“The function of the 3rd paragraph can best be described as…”
into a pointed, direct question: “What does the 3rd paragraph DO?”
This is incredibly helpful, because it’s easier to remember a
simplified version of the question when you’re searching in the
passage for the answer.
Step 3: Read Around and Predict: RAP
Now that you’re in control of the question, you are going to try to
answer it in your own words - again, before you look at the choices.
Find the answer to your version of the question in the passage. Read
around line reference questions - look at transitions if necessary, and
focus on the first and last sentences of each paragraph, especially the
first and last paragraphs. Then: answer your question in your own
words. Uncover the choices. Cross out the ones that don’t match.
Example 1: “The author includes the discussion of the scone, the
doughnut and the muffin primarily to…”

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 RIP it! – Rephrase: “Why does the author talk so much about the
different pastry?” “What does the discussion of the pastry DO?”
 RAP it! – Predict: Read around the line reference and come up with
an answer to your own version of the question in your own words.
For example: “To show how much Jackson loves sweets” “To reveal
the arbitrary standards Alex uses to choose her friends” “To show
that the waitress is an expert.” Then, cross out choices that don’t
match. Trust your answer!
Example 2: “In the context of the passage, the author’s use of the
phrase “delicately, we devoured the pastry” is primarily meant to
convey the idea that…”
 RIP it! – Rephrase: “What does the phrase DO?" "What is its
purpose?” “Why is the author talking like this?”
 RAP it! – Predict: Read around the reference, review the first
sentence of the paragraph to confirm what the point of the paragraph
is supposed to be, and answer your version of the question. For
example: "To add a lighthearted touch to the story" "To emphasize
the narrator's conflicted state"
Then, cross out choices that don’t match. Trust your answer!
Example 3: “Over the course of the passage, the main focus of the
narrative shifts from the…”
RIP it! – Rephrase: “What is going on in the passage? How does
its focus shift as it goes along?”
RAP it! – Predict: Review the first and last sentences of every
paragraph, especially the first and last paragraphs. Summarize what
is happening in the passage in your own words, eg: “Author meets
with friends at shop, describes friends; author then describes the
sensuous experience of eating a doughnut.” It is very likely that the
correct choice will match YOUR description. Cross out choices that
feature words that don’t seem like they fit. Trust yourself!

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TOP TIP: If you’re left with two choices, re-read the question and
make sure you understand what it’s asking. Circle or underline key
words in the question. Then, go back and read around again - the
correct choice will have evidence in the passage text that supports it.
Remember - there is only one answer! If choice A makes you think
“hey now, that’s interesting, maybe that’s right” and choice B
basically restates what you read in passage, choose B - every time.
There is only one answer: if you think two answers seem equally
right, you’re missing something. The SAT can’t use questions for
which the answers are debatable. One choice is correct, and the
others are wrong.
NOTE: Many students find that if they just read the passage, then
read the questions, and choose the choices that look or sound best,
they make mistakes. The choices all sound pretty good! But your job
isn’t to select the choice that sounds best - it’s to choose the one that
answers the exact question that is being asked – and the correct
choice is always the one that has evidence in the passage to support
it!

WRITING

When you see a question that looks like

this:
"To make this paragraph most logical, <sentence X> should be
placed..."

Try this:

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1) Your own words—Work through the paragraph sentence by
sentence and say in your own words what each sentence is
DOING—what is sentence Xtelling you? Why is it there?
2) Trust yourself—Next, underline sentence X and ask yourself if
it feels like it's in the right place. What is its function? Is it doing the
right thing at the right time?
3) Test the choices—Try out the locations suggested by the choices
one by one and choose the position that makes the most sense to
you.
TOP TIP: Use pronouns to help. On this type of question you may
notice that there are some very helpful pronouns nearby. Words
like those, these, they, it, and even the can give you a clue as to the
correct sequence of sentences in the paragraph. If the sentence says
"these steps," for example, you know that the sentence needs to
come after a sentence that mentions steps of some sort. If the
sentence says "the experiment," then the chances are good that an
experiment was mentioned in a prior sentence.
TOP TIP: Look for sequencing clues. Sometimes you'll notice that
the sentences in the paragraph are following a chronological—or just
plain logical—progression. Chronology
clues: first/then, next/finally, or before/after. Logic
clues: since, because, however, therefore, although, yet, nevertheles
s, etc... These are important, helpful words—underline or circle them
and let them show you the way to sequencing the paragraph
properly.

When you see a question that looks like

this:

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"To make the passage most logical, paragraph X should be
placed..."

Try this:
1) Your own words—Work through the passage paragraph by
paragraph and use your own words to describe what each paragraph
is DOING—what role does "paragraph X" serve in the entire
passage? Why is it there? What is its point?
TOP TIP: For this purpose, the first and last sentences of
paragraphs are usually more helpful than the sentences in the
middle.
2) Trust yourself!—Next, circle "paragraph X" and ask yourself if
it feels like it's in the right place.
3) Test the choices—If it doesn't feel right where it is, try out the
locations suggested by the choices, one by one, and choose the
position that makes the most sense to you.
TOP TIP: Use transition clues to help. The first and last sentences
of each paragraph are the ones you should focus on. Most of the
passages on the SAT Writing and Language Test flow fairly
smoothly from one paragraph to the next. The last sentence of a
paragraph may introduce the main idea of the next paragraph, or the
first sentence of a paragraph may refer back to an idea from the
preceding paragraph. If a transition seems a little random or
"jumpy," then you may have found the clue you need to get the
question right.
TOP TIP: Tell the story of the passage. Most of the passages
follow a classic progression of introduction, body paragraphs and
conclusion. The paragraphs usually move along in a logical or
chronological sequence. If one paragraph is talking about a famous

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 person's early childhood, the next paragraph might discuss
accomplishments in adolescence or early adulthood, followed by
paragraphs discussing events that occurred in the subject's later life.
Look out for paragraphs at the end that seem like they belong in the
middle, or paragraphs in the middle that sound like conclusions.
Body paragraphs that feel like false endings probably actually do
belong at the end!

When you see this:

"The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence.
Should the writer do this?"

Try this:
1) Review the title of the passage and say back to yourself what
the point of the passage is
2) What is the purpose of the paragraph and what is the purpose
of each sentence?
3) Say in your own words what the information being considered
for deletion is doing.
4) Ask yourself a few questions:
 Is that information relevant?
 Or does it blur the focus of the paragraph?
Give question 8 below a try! This is taken from a passage
entitled A Life in Traffic

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[Explain]

When you see this:

"At this point, the writer is considering adding the following
sentence:<<sentence being considered>> should the writer make
this addition here?"

Try this:

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 1) Read the paragraph actively. Focus on the topic sentence and
state in your own words what the point of paragraph is.
2) Say in your own words what the proposed addition would do:
3) Ask yourself a few questions:
 What kind of information would it add?
 Is that information relevant?
 Or would it blur the focus of the paragraph?
More variations on the questions to ask about a proposed
addition/deletion:
 Does it introduce unnecessary information?
 Does it provide additional evidence or examples to support the claim
being made in the topic sentence?
 Is it repetitive?
 Does it reinforce or contradict the point of the passage or the
paragraph?
TOP TIP: Keep it simple – If you have to choose between a choice
that will make the paragraph repetitive and long-winded and a
choice that will keep the point of paragraph clean and focused, keep
it clean!

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