dragonbook

36  Review Come back from time to time and review your notes, marginal notes, highlighted passages, etc. Here’s another PSQ5R guide from a handout used at the University of Iowa to introduce students to college-level reading (reproduced with permission): READING TO COMPREHEND AND LEARN Reading A Paper or Chapter PSQ5R is a formula that stands for the basic steps in learning from reading in an efficient manner. The P stands for Purpose, the S for Survey, the Q for Question, the 5 Rs for Read Selectively, Recite, Reduce-record, Reflect, and Review. 1. Purpose Why are you reading this article or chapter, and what do you want to get out of it? When you have accomplished your purpose, stop reading. For instance, your purpose in seeking a number in the telephone book is specific and clear, and once you find the number, you stop "reading." Such "reading" is very rapid indeed, perhaps 100,000 words a minute! Perhaps it should be called by its proper name, "scanning", but when it suits your purpose, it is fast and efficient. This principle, of first establishing your purpose, whether to get the Focus or Theme, or main ideas, or main facts or figures, or evidence, arguments and examples, or relations, or methods, can prompt you to use a reading method that gets what you want in the minimum time. 2. Survey-Skim Glance over the main features of the piece, that is, the title, the headings, the lead and summary paragraphs, to get an overview of the piece, to find out what ideas, problems and questions are being discussed. In doing this you should find the Focus of the piece, that is, the central theme or subject, what it is all about; and perhaps the Perspective, that is, the approach or manner in which the author treats the theme. This survey should be carried out in no more than a minute or two. 3. Question Compose questions that you aim to answer: 1. What do I already know about this topic? - in other words, activate prior knowledge.