Study Skills: Note-Taking and Close Reading PTA Presentation ESHS’s AVID Program September 2017

Objectives The Curve of Forgetting Note-taking Close reading

The Curve of Forgetting Herman Ebbinghaus German psychologist pioneered experimental study of memory during late 1800s father of “The Curve of Forgetting” Amount of study % Retained The Curve of Forgetting

The Forgetting Curve Based on a one hour lecture: Day 1: Recall 100% of lecture (short term memory) Day 2/within 24 hrs: Lose 50 – 80% (As days continue more and more information is lost if not revisited) Day 30: 2 – 3% is retained

Ebbinghaus’ 10 – 24 – 7 Model 10 minutes: repeat/paraphrase information within 10 minutes in order to transfer to long term memory 24 hours: revisit information for at least 10 minutes within 24 hours of initial lecture 7 days: revisit information 5 minutes a day, for 7 days ALLOWS FOR 80 – 90% RETENTION

Benefits ofAnnotation Activating information causes retention in long-term memory = easier to retrieve Excellent time investment; decreases review time before an exam Crucial skill/habit to learn for college

Note-taking Students take notes in class and should: incorporate teacher’s note-taking style according to respective teacher use abbreviations and phrases, NOT complete sentences annotate notes at home (or rewrite them) (that day or within a 24-hour period) write a summary of each day’s notes at the end of class or at home (that day or within a 24-hour period) Re-design

Note-taking Why a summary? (Active Learning) make more sense of the information Identify gaps Make larger connections (5 – 10 sentences)

Note-taking Why annotate? Find gaps in learning Ask questions Look for patterns Make connections TIP: ALWAYS ANNOTATE WITH A PEN OR PENCIL

Close Reading Definition Purpose ACTIVE reading (pen/pencil in hand) Go beyond the literal meaning and words on the page Read between the lines Analyze the passage Purpose ACTIVE reading (as opposed to passive reading)

Close Reading What students erroneously assume about reading: #1: Read entire text #2: Think about the text after reading #3: Write about the text

Close Reading How to read “closely” With a pen/pencil in hand, look for: Language (diction) Narrative (Who is telling the story?) Syntax (sentence structure) Context (historical and author’s background)

What does it look like in action? Close Reading What does it look like in action? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adXdTXEzmzE

Close Reading Process is adjusted for various disciplines and/or readings Basic principals are universal