GLE101 – LEARNING STRATEGIES: SKILLS FOR SUCCESS
Basic Study System - SQRW
Name: _______________________________
Date: ____________________
SQRW is a strategy for reading, taking notes and studying from your textbook and
notebook. Each letter in SQRW stands for a step in the strategy. Use this rhyme to
remember the steps:
Survey, Question, Read, and Write
That will make your notes just right
Survey
In this step you read to learn what a textbook chapter is
about. You read the:
 Title: tells you the general topic of the chapter
 Introduction: gives an overview of the info in the
chapter
 Headings: tell the specific topics that will be
covered in the chapter.
 Summary/Conclusion: restates the main points
and provides a generalization made from the
facts and ideas of the chapter.
☐
Question
In this step you form questions that help you understand
what to look for as you read. You:
 Use the words, who, what, where, when, why, or
who to change headings into questions
 Write the question(s) on the Question-Answer
Notetaking form.
☐
Read
In this step you read to find the answers to your
questions.
☐
Write
In this step you write your answers on the QuestionAnswer Notetaking form.
☐
Use SQRW to avoid test panic and last-minute study sessions. The method helps
you organize your studying as well as learn and remember material.
GLE101 – LEARNING STRATEGIES: SKILLS FOR SUCCESS
Practicing the SQRW Studying Method
Name: _______________________________
Date: ____________________
Read through the below example of how a student named ‘Mary’ was able to use
the SQRW studying method to study from her textbook.
Step 1: SURVEY the chapter
“S” reminded Mary that the firs step was to begin with a survey of the chapter.
Why? Because she wanted to know the general topic of the chapter before she
began reading. She began her survey by reading the title. She learned the chapter
was about the planet on which we live because the title was
“Earth”.
Next Mary read the introduction. This is what she learned:
Earth is one of nine planets that revolve around the Sun
Earth is the third-closet planet to the Sun.
Earth is the right distance from the Sun to support life.
Next Mary read each heading. By reading the headings, she learned that the
specific topics covered the shape, mass or weight, layers, core, atmosphere, and
changes on the planet Earth.
Finally Mary read the summary. This gave her a review of the main points in the
chapter.
Step 2: QUESTION yourself about the chapter
“Q” reminded Mary to form questions from headings using the words
who, what, where, when, why, or how. She formed questions to know
what to look for as she read. Mary changed the first heading, Shape,
into the question, “What is the shape of the Earth?”
Step 3: READ through the chapter
“R” reminded Mary to read to find the answers to her question. She learned that the
answer was ‘round’. As Mary continued to read, she found that the
information under the headings Shape also told how Earth got its
shape. So she formed another question, “What determined the shape
of Earth?” Mary found the answer was, “gravity and centrifugal force.”
She now had two questions and answers for the first headings.
Step 4: WRITE your answers
“W” reminded Mary to write her questions and answers on the Question-Answer
Notetaking form. This gave her a written record of her questions and answers.