What is the 4 R Method of Studying?

Do you have a study system that doesn’t jive well with your learning style? When I was a student, I had the same problems.

Over the years, I learned that when you don’t have a studying system, you’re not as confident as you should be. You’ll feel like everything is a mess and it undermines your focus.

And in turn, your grades suffer a lot. Your critical thinking skills aren’t tested. And most of all, you can’t enjoy your studying time.

If this ever occurred to you, the 4 R method of studying may help and probably is the answer you’ve been looking for.

So, what is the 4 R method and how can it help you?

Keep reading to find out.

What is the 4 R Method?

The 4 R study method is a study strategy that helps you understand and memorize large amounts of information. At the same time, you can bridge your thoughts with your lessons which helps deepen your understanding of the subject.

The R’s on this study strategy stands for Review, Reduce, Recite and Reflect.

1. Review the lesson you’re about to study deeply.
2. Reduce the amount of information you want to learn by summarizing them.
3. Recite your notes aloud.
4. Reflect and make your studying experience your own.

Since this method heavily relies on reading and reflecting, you can absorb your learning materials better than simply scanning them.

Students and researchers have used and popularized this method for decades. With its different variations, (which we’ll talk about later,) you can also learn and review any study materials at any given time.

How to Use the 4 R Method?

To apply the 4 R for study method, all you need to remember is the 4 R’s itself: review, reduce, recite and reflect on your study materials.

Here are the main steps in using this technique:

Review

Reading the study materials deepens your understanding. For example, if you have a handbook, it’s best to start on one or two chapters and scan through them. 

As a quick refresher, always feel free to go back and review the material again. This way, you’ll keep the material fresh in your mind and long-term memory.

Reduce

Summarize the key points and leave off the not so important ones. You can do this by writing down the important details. Then, memorize each of them as you write them down. 

Make sure to pick the right key points and ideas. Jot them down in your own words. Make the information as little as possible. This will help your brain muscles to memorize it better.

Recite

Read your summarized notes aloud. Reciting them deepens your reading. By recalling and reviewing your notes, you are testing your level of knowledge on the subject. 

As you’re holding the notes, read them nice and clear. And in case you forget about what you should recite, you can refer back to your notes and recite them again.

Reflect

Ponder about the notes you just recited. Ask something along the lines, like: “How can this affect my everyday life?” “Why does this matter in my field of study?” Doing this helps you to keep the idea in your mind, and relearn it easier.

Remember, you must keep repeating these steps for every new material until you have the key points.

What Are the Benefits of Using the 4 R Method?

Simply put, applying the 4 R Method brings your studying time to a whole new level.

I listed below some of the best things you may experience in applying this strategy:

• You’ll have better retention of what you’ve studied. It’s not enough that you know the idea, but also you know how you learned it.

• There is less attention given to unnecessary details around your study. Not paying proper focus loses your time and energy in studying.

• This method helps you improve your reading skills and comprehension. As you are reading, you can also check the dictionary on how to read unfamiliar words.

• You can avoid too much information, which might end up in what people call “information paralysis.” Information paralysis happens when you know too much about a subject, and end up ‘paralyzed’ to even answer a question about it.

• Your knowledge of the subject matter sharpens as you proceed in this method. You won’t be taken by surprise whenever a test or quiz comes up as you’re studying using this strategy.

What Are the Drawbacks of Using the 4 R Method?

Here are some of the setbacks you might face when using the 4 R method:

• You may not enjoy the 4 R method if you’re cramming. Cramming is when you exert effort to learn a lot of information as quickly as possible. You need a dedicated time block in your schedule, so you can properly concentrate on your study in this method.

• This method is also not recommended for quick reviews either. For example, you can’t study with this system right before your exams. As mentioned earlier, you need more time and mental preparation in this system.

• You can’t apply this method for every single kind of study material. One example of these would be a textbook with no aids and footnotes. Casual reading is not recommended when applying this system.

What is the PQ4R Study Method?

The PQ4R study method was developed in the early 1970s by Ellen Lamar Thomas and H. Alan Robinson in the book “Improving Reading in Every Class”. They are experts in the fields of education and reading comprehension.

In this system, there are two added steps in the 4R Method, the Preview and Question steps:

Preview 

Scan and skim the material first without reading it aloud. It will help your brain to mentally prepare for what you’re going to study. 

It will also give you the confidence to study without overwhelming yourself. You should stay away from reading the main text of your material at all times, so you can scan its key points and aids.

Question 

Ask what you want to learn from it after previewing the material. Ask something like, “What do you think this lesson is all about?” “What can I learn from it?” or “How is this relevant to my course?”

These questions will give you a purpose for what you want to learn from the text. It will also guide you on how you will proceed with your studies.

With these added steps, you will have a clearer direction for your review. You will also save a lot of time wondering about what you just studied. Being mentally prepared for your review will give you a better purpose for your learning experience.

What is the SQ4R Method of Studying?

The SQ4R method stands for Survey, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, and Review. Although it’s almost similar to the PQ4R Method, you’ll find it very different as you start in this system.

In the first step, Survey, you should read the headings, footnotes, chapter summaries, comments and aids. Instead of just quickly scanning or previewing, you would need to read them.

By doing this, you can grasp the main idea of the material by starting with reading the other study supplements. This is another way of mentally preparing yourself before your main studying routine.

A notable advantage you can see in this method is its flexibility. You can also use this reading method for any kind of material at any stage of your research or study.

What is the SQ5R Reading Strategy?

The SQ5R is a seven-step study method that is geared towards active reading. In this system, your main task is to read as attentively and actively as possible. You will be able to retain and understand the material better than usual in using this system.

Compared to the SQ4R method, there is also one step added after reading the text, Respond.

Respond

Respond to the questions after you’ve read the material. Did it answer your questions? If it did, then you should remember it and take note. If not, keep reading on so you can find out later in its other parts. 

The goal of the additional step was to make your learning experience more sensible. Answering the question right after reading the text helps you retain the information better.

You will be able to mentally prepare yourself for deeper reading and comprehension of any material. Understanding concepts and identifying significant points and facts will help you retain what you’ve read as you respond to the questions after reading.

Another benefit that you will notice in this method is the principle of layering. In this system, everything you learn is stored in your short-term memory. 

Later on, and with consistency, it is eventually layered down to your long-term memory as you ask, read, and respond to the material.

What is the PQRST Method?

The PQRST method is a study strategy where you can improve your understanding and recall of what you’ve read. You might notice that you’ll be more likely to learn deeper as you read your materials in using this method.

So how does it work? You’ll follow its five steps, namely:

• Preview and skim through the material first. Start with the chapter headings and side notes so you can get the main idea. Read the summary as a reference. Make it your goal to understand that as you continue the next steps.
• Question the ideas while reading. Ask something like this, “What should I learn from this chapter?” “What was the goal of the authors of this subject?”. This will focus your mind on the material.
• Read the section with attention. Relate what you’re reading from other sections that you already know. Highlight interesting parts and focal points, but don’t overdo it.
• Self-recitation is where you recite what was highlighted. Whatever you might have missed, take note of it and avoid missing it.
• Test your ability to recall the main points from the chapter you’ve read.  If you’re able to remember more main points, that’s great. You should see a big picture from the sections of the chapter altogether. You can still re-read the notes and headings to retain the subject better in your mind. It’s best to test yourself every time you finish the chapter.

You should apply the steps: Question, Read and Self-recitation, to every section of a chapter, while the first and last steps, Preview and Test, are to the introduction and questions at the end. 

Why is that? 

Most textbooks are made to follow this approach. If you have books required for your course, this system is a great advantage for you. It will be easy for you to study your materials once you become aware of the steps.

4 R Method of Studying (FAQs)

What to Do Next?

Having a study system that suits you best will improve your learning experience. 

That’s why it’s very important to know how and what you study.

Of course, a study method like the 4 R system may work well for others. So, why not try it to see if it works for you? Spending a few minutes to try this study method may save you so much time in your future study sessions.

And if it does not work, don’t worry, there are other study techniques out there. Check out our article on the 7 secret methods of studying for more study tips.