Mercy Reading and Writing Center

Sometimes called the "3-2-1" note-taking method, it is also a valuable reading strategy.

This is a reading strategy by way of writing. Students record their responses to a reading, and evaluate why they had that response. They then share their journal with a peer and the peer writes a response, thereby allowing both students to expand their understanding and perception of the text.

PPP is a general reading strategy that can be applied to all types of texts (Biology textbook, Math handout, English short story). By employing PPP, students can get a preliminary glimpse of what they will be reading about before they begin a thorough reading, PPP is like a roadmap for reading: by surveying the landscape, students know what they will be encountering before they begin. When they have a purpose, or direction, for reading, they are much more likely to get there than if they set off without direction.