Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review is what SQ3R stands for.  It is an awesome activity to get students involved with story vocabulary and concepts to increase comprehension.  It is especially effective with expository text, because it provides a step-by-step method that ensure multiple exposures to the material being learned.  SQ3R is best taught through teacher modeling followed by a whole-class walk-through.  Each step is explained in the following list:

• Survey - To survey a chapter in a textbook, students read and think about the title, headings and subheadings, captions under pictures, vocabulary in bold print, side entires on pages (if there are any), and the summary.
• Question - Next, students use the survey information, particularly heading and subheadings, to write prediction questions about what they are about to read. Students frequently need teacher assistance the first few times they use SQ3R in developing questions that will alert them to important concepts in the unit.
• Read - The third step is for students to ACTIVELY read, looking for answers to their questions. They should also attend to boldface type, charts, graphs, and any other comprehension aid provided.
• Recite - Once the material has been read and questions answered fully, the students should test themselves on the material. Anything difficult to remember should be rehearsed aloud or recited. This multisensory experience helps the difficult material to move into short-term, and with practice, long-term, memory.
• Review - The final step is to review the information learned periodically. This can be done orally with a peer, through rewriting notes from memory and comparing to the students' master set of notes, or with mock quizzes developed by a peer or the teacher.