Taking Notes While Reading Survey Highlight Write in the Margins Summarize Review

Survey Read the text over once without taking any notes. In your mind, capture the author’s main idea(s). Use this main idea as the organizing point around which you will highlight and make margin notes.

Highlight Read the passage again. Using a highlighter or a pen, highlight or underline the main point in each paragraph. Highlighting should generally be limited to one sentence in each paragraph. Look for transitional words that often are the cues authors use to introduce important ideas. Examples include therefore, hence, but, and however.

Margin Notes Summarize in your own words the main point of each paragraph. Jot in the margins next to the paragraph a short phrase or one or two key words that will trigger your memory.

Summarize Once you have completed the reading, transfer the main ideas from the reading into your notebook. Note page numbers from the reading next to their corresponding ideas. This will help you when reviewing. Use the margin notes to trigger summarizing sentences for your notes. Scanning highlighted passages can also help.

Review Review your written summary. Depending on the length of the passage, endeavor to summarize to entire reading in one or two sentences.

TAKING NOTES IN LECTURES RECORD REDUCE RECITE REFLECT REVIEW

RECORD BEGIN EACH CLASS WITH A NEW PAGE OF NOTES GET IT DOWN! Copy any terms written on the board Identify the main points Capture the main ideas introduced into the discussion Use outlines, pictures, or graphs if it helps explain the material Avoid quoting unless it is necessary

REDUCE MAKE AFTERCLASS NOTES WHEN YOU HAVE A FREE PERIOD OR AT HOME INCLUDE: key words significant phrases questions that were addressed new questions you may have about the material

RECITE TALK ALOUD Review from memory what you have learned Using the new notes and key words you’ve written, talk your way through the major concepts, definitions, or examples from the lecture Create your own examples

REFLECT THINK IT OVER How does this new information relate to what you knew before? How does this new information relate to the overall course themes?

REVIEW LOOK OVER YOUR NOTES WRITE A SUMMARY SENTENCE OF THEM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE if you have more than one page, write a summary sentence at the bottom of each page Summarize the entire lecture or unit on a cover page or end page ADD A SUMMARY SENTENCE EVERY TIME YOU STUDY YOUR NOTES