How Should I Read A Book To Get The Best Out Of It? Should I Read At A Slower Pace, Or Should I Make Notes Of Important Points?

Reading something without a purpose makes it difficult to register all the facts in the brain. The best method to deal with it is to read consciously and between the lines. Almost 3-4 years back I stumble upon this technique, and found it very effective.

The method isSQ5R,
I do remember things I read, see, watch for a longer course of time. It wasn't until 4 years back , a friend of mine introduced me to the following technique which resembles to the technique I learned from my teachers during my higher school days, except it wasn't framed in a structure.

It not only helped me read quickly but also grasp it for a longer duration. Our memory is feeble, it holds true for an ordinary man unless you are blessed with Tesla'scerebrum.

The Technique:
Acronyms:
S:Survey
Q:Question
5R==>Read , Respond, Record, Recite, Review.(In the sequence only).
The above mentioned parameters S, Q, and 5R should be used in a sequence only.
This is the most effective way to learn and grasp anything quickly.
Take a book, take a chapter and do the following in a sequence:

1. First havea Surveyi.e.cursory readingi.e. only read the words as fast as you can. You'll get a glimpse of the entire topic just by sifting through the pages. Here no active, conscious reading is required just scan the words.

2. Now create yourQuestions(since you've got an idea as to what this topic is about). Why? What? When? Where? How? If possible write them somewhere in the empty space.

3. Read:Break the material into sections that will take about 20 minutes to read (often the chapter is already broken into sections which will work just fine). Read the material section by section. Look for answers to your questions, key concepts, and supporting details. Study charts, graphs, tables, and pictures. These can serve to present new information as well as tie together concepts from the reading.

4. RESPOND- After each section, think about the material you have just read and answer the questions you have asked. This can be done at the same time as the reading step, since often response is automatic. The main point of this step is to think about the material, and take notice of what is important.

5. RECORD- Go back and underline key concepts and take notes. This can be done on a separate sheet of paper, on note cards, in the margins of the textbook, or any way that works well for you. (Do this after each section.)

6. RECITE- Next, look away from the material and try to recite the key information and ideas. Put the material in your own words and go back and re-read until you feel comfortable with it. This may be frustrating at first, but it will lead to better understanding and save you review time in the long run. (Do this after each section.)

7. REVIEW- After completing the entire chapter, scan back over the reading and review the information aloud or in your head. Talk about the material with a classmate if possible. Try to identify overall themes and relationships between concepts. Make any necessary revisions of your notes or markings so they can be easily understood later.

Once you become an adept in theabove techniques you need notdo recite and record, review is natural it will happen to anyone automatically. I also called Review as reflection as you go in that mode where you keep pondering why that happened? How? Where? etc. The REVIEW/Reflection is the last step of getting and loading in memory for quite a longer period of time.

Take a chapter from any book and do this and see the difference.