Are your kids prepping up for an exam? This study technique will help him ace it

When it comes to preparing for exams, the age-old method of rote learning is considered to be futile now. With academics and exams following a different structure owing to the online method of schooling, the nature of exams and types of questions asked have changed. Now, students have to resort to their application skills about a concept during an exam instead of just showcasing their memorisation capacity. Therefore, a thorough understanding of subjects is crucial. A great way to ensure this is to use the SQ3R study technique. Read on to learn more about it.  

The 5-step Method 
This is an efficient study technique which helps students develop their reading and comprehension abilities. It works especially well to break down and help understand complicated textbook materials. This technique includes five steps, namely: 1. Survey, 2. Question, 3. Read, 4. Recite and 5. Review. It was developed by an American education philosopher, Francis P. Robinson, who explained it in detail in his book titled ‘Effective Study’ published in 1946. 

How to help your teen follow this technique? 
In order to reap the benefits of this strategy, it is crucial to ensure that your teen follows all five steps efficiently and in order.  

1. Survey: Encourage your teen to roughly go through the chapter she intends to study first. It should not be read or studied in detail. Instead, she should simply skim through the pages to get acquainted with the topic. Ask her to read the names of the subheads and have a look at the images, charts and diagrams. It should not take more than 5-10 minutes. 

2. Question: Help your teen create questions about certain topics in the chapter. For example, if the subhead is “photosynthesis” then the question can be “what is photosynthesis?” or “explain the process of photosynthesis.” 

3. Read: The first two steps create a framework of the chapter. Through this perspective, ask your teen to read the chapter in detail and answer the questions generated previously. Encourage your child to make extra notes as well. 

4. Recite: This step is more memorisation-based. Ask your teen questions about the chapter to see if he can answer them correctly. Have him go through the topics he finds challenging and re-read them several times. 

5. Review: After he has completed the chapter, conduct a review of it again the next day to see how much information he has retained. It is crucial to review a chapter every few days to ensure that it is well understood and memorised.