Study Skills Reading Comprehension SQ3R Method and how some of this applies to the development of basic reading skills in Spanish

SQ3R Survey! Question! Read! Recite! Review! Note: If it is helpful to you, write out questions for consideration. This variation is called SQW3R

Survey Before you read, Survey the chapter: the title, headings, and subheadings – In Spanish, this will give you the mind set for making an educated guess at understanding words and phrases related to the main topic. captions under pictures, charts, graphs or maps – Pictures and drawings are particularly helpful when learning to read in Spanish. They can help you figure out words. – Recognizing the format of what is being read is also helpful. Is it a list, a letter, an article, etc.? – Maps are very helpful to orient oneself to a cultural reading.

review questions or teacher-made study guides introductory and concluding paragraphs summary

Question Question while you are surveying: Turn the title, headings, and/or subheadings into questions. Read questions at the end of the chapters or after each subheading. Ask yourself, "What did my instructor say about this chapter or subject when it was assigned?"

Ask yourself, "What do I already know about this subject?" For Spanish: - words I have already learned - words I can figure out based on similarities to English (cognates) - words I can figure out based on some rules that I have learned about prefixes and suffixes that correspond - words I can figure out based on context - word order, parts of a sentence, and parts of speech

Read When you begin to Read: Look for answers to the questions you first raised. Answer questions at the beginning or end of chapters or study guides. Reread captions under pictures, graphs, etc.

Note all the underlined, italicized, bold printed words or phrases. –F–For Spanish, it might be a good idea for you to mark the vocabulary that you know or can figure out with a highlighter. –F–For Spanish, it might also be a good idea to clearly mark the words that will be difficult for you to learn with a different color highlighter. When you stare at a page of words, the ones you know or the easy ones will “jump out” at you. You might need to bring the ones you don’t know to your attention.

Study graphic aids. Reduce your speed for difficult passages. Stop and reread parts which are not clear.

Read only a section at a time and recite after each section. In Spanish, learning new words thematically will help you internalize them. If vocabulary is not already organized in thematic lists, organize them according to themes and study them one section at a time based on the theme. (i.e. school subjects; items in a classroom) In Spanish, reading words out loud should help you remember them, spell them, and recognize them when they are spoken.

Recite Recite after you've read a section: Orally ask yourself questions about what you have just read or summarize, in your own words, what you read. Take notes from the text but write the information in your own words. Underline or highlight important points you've just read.

Use the method of recitation which best suits your particular learning style but remember, the more senses you use the more likely you are to remember what you read. TRIPLE STRENGTH LEARNING: Seeing, saying, hearing !!! (This is how we practice vocabulary with Go Fish.) QUADRUPLE STRENGTH LEARNING: Seeing, saying, hearing, writing!!!! (This is how you can practice vocabulary by preparing your own cards for Go Fish or Memory.)

Review Review: an ongoing process. Day One After you have read and recited the entire chapter, write questions in the left side of your notebook page for those points you have highlighted or underlined. – ¿Qué quiere decir _________________en inglés? – ¿ Cómo se dice ___________________en español? Write the answers to the questions on the right side. – Quiere decir ________________en inglés. – Se dice ____________________en español.

Day Two Page through the text and/or your notebook to re-acquaint yourself with the important points. Cover the right hand column of your text/note-book and orally ask yourself the questions in the left hand margins.

Orally recite or write the answers from memory. – In Spanish, it often helps to write the words in sentences, so that the word is learned in context. Make "flash cards" for those questions which give you difficulty. – You can write Spanish on one side and English on the other to quiz yourself. – You can make one card with Spanish and one card with English for the words and play Go Fish or Memory with a friend. Develop mnemonic devices for material which need to be memorized. – In Spanish, it might be a good idea to relate an unfamiliar word in Spanish with some word in English that might spark your memory. (piscina = pool)

Days Three, Four and Five Alternate between your flash cards and notes and test yourself (orally or in writing) on the questions you formulated. Make additional flash cards if necessary.

Weekend and beyond (Yes, even study on the weekend!) Continue to review your notes, questions, study sheet, and/or flashcards until the quiz, test, or exam.