1. Strategic Note-Taking
Visit the Dr. Boyle’s Strategic Note-taking website at:
for training materials and more…

2. Support This research was supported by Grant R32A from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), U.S. Department of Education.

3. What are some problems you might have when taking notes during lectures?
Solicit responses from students about problems that they have when recording notes during class.
Problems might include:
Writing fast enough to keep up with the teacher, knowing which lecture points to record, understanding the lecture, trouble reading notes after the lecture, recording only partial notes (or missing information in notes), etc...

4. Strategic Note-taking Intervention was developed to help students record important lecture information and better notes.

5. How well does it work?
Students who used strategic note-taking during a simulated lecture, recorded more important lecture points, more vocabulary, more words, and performed better on the lecture test, than students who used conventional note-taking.
See: Boyle, J. R. (2013). Strategic note-taking for inclusive middle school science classrooms. Remedial And Special Education, 34, doi: /

6. What makes Strategic Note-taking work?
Must put forth your best effort
Students who record important lecture points and lots of notes do well on tests

7. CUES+
+ Effort
SUCCESS!

8. CUES+ (Study) C- Cluster U- Use E- Enter S- Study +- Plus
1. Number Cues-
2. Important Cues-
E- Enter
S- Study
+- Plus

9. Materials Needed
Hand out the CUES+ Strategy sheet (one per student) – decide whether you will teach the CUES+ for Study step or CUES+ for Share step (explained in next slides).
Handout the appropriate CUES+ strategy note-taking paper (either Study or Share)
Obtain the practice lecture video
“Frogs and Toads” and script which lists lecture points
Read and use the Strategic Note-taking Training Manual (Directions)

10. CUES+ (Share) C- Cluster U- Use E- Enter S- Share +- Plus
1. Number Cues-
2. Important Cues-
E- Enter
S- Share
+- Plus

11. What is a cue?
Have you ever heard of this word?
Cue in music?

12. CUE
Teacher cues tell a student when something important is coming up

13. During the lecture listen for CUES+
To help us remember CUES+
During the lecture listen for CUES+

14. CUES + C- Cluster U- Use E- Enter S- Share +- Plus 1. Number Cues-
2. Important Cues-
E- Enter
S- Share
+- Plus

15. Cluster Cluster together 3-6 main points of the lecture points
Group similar lecture points

16. CUES + U- Use C- Cluster E- Enter S- Share +- Plus 1. Number Cues-
2. Important Cues-
E- Enter
S- Share
+- Plus

17. Use Use teacher cues to record ideas number cues importance cues
give some examples..

18. What do you need to do after you record a cued lecture point?
Put a star next to it *

19. Practice
Use the “Teacher Cued Lecture Points - Practice Sheet” to practice with students. Read the statements (i.e., lecture points) and ask students to determine if it is cued or non-cued. If it is a cued lecture point, have students tell you which type (importance or number) of cued lecture point.

20. CUES + E- Enter C- Cluster U- Use S- Share +- Plus 1. Number Cues-
2. Important Cues-
E- Enter
S- Share
+- Plus

21. Enter Enter important vocabulary
Record each important vocabulary word and its definition

22. CUES + S- Study C- Cluster U- Use E- Enter +- Plus 1. Number Cues-
2. Important Cues-
E- Enter
S- Study
+- Plus

23. Study
Study your notes after the lecture by reviewing them three times.
After each review, place a checkmark in the box.

24. CUES + S- Share C- Cluster U- Use E- Enter +- Plus 1. Number Cues-
2. Important Cues-
E- Enter
S- Share
+- Plus

25. Share
Share your notes with classmate by explaining your notes to them and placing a checkmark on one box.
4 minutes activity
Explain your notes to partner and both of you place one check mark in first box on each page of your own notes
Partner explains his/her notes to you and you both place check mark in second box on each page of your own notes

26. CUES + + Plus C- Cluster U- Use E- Enter S- Share 1. Number Cues-
2. Important Cues-
E- Enter
S- Share
+ Plus

27. +
Add or use abbreviations, pictures, or symbols to personalize your notes. Think texting…
And (&), Miles per hour (mph)
Between (b/t), Example (ex)

28. Abbreviation Rules First 4 letters then . Example- temperature, temp.
Initials- two first, first letter of first word, first letter of second word
Example- United States, U.S.

29. Next Steps
Students should study the CUES+ strategy steps and be able to recite them with 100% accuracy.
Use the verbal rehearsal quiz to assess each student’s mastery of the CUES+ steps
Once students can recite CUES+ steps with 100% mastery, use the practice lecture video (“Frogs & Toads”) so students can practice the CUES+ strategy using strategic note-taking paper while viewing the simulated lecture, Frogs & Toads. Begin by modeling how to record notes of the first few minutes of the video. Pause it and review your notes. Next have students practice, periodically stopping to review what they recorded in their notes.

30. For More Information
Visit Dr. Boyle’s Strategic Note-taking website at:
strategy/
The website contains free materials, training videos, modules for 7th & 8th grade science, lecture videos and lecture scripts for 7th & 8th grade science, pretest and posttest for each science module, publications, and much more…..

31. Coming Soon…
Strategic Note-taking app for ipads CUES+ app

32. For More Information Also see the following selected publications:
Boyle, J. R., Forchelli, G. A., & Cariss, K. (2015). Success for ALL students: Note- taking in content area classes. Preventing School Failure, Advance online publication. doi: / X
Boyle, J. R., Rosen, S. M., & Forchelli, G. A. (2014). Exploring metacognitive strategy use during note-taking for students with learning disabilities. Education 3- 13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, Advance online publication. doi: /
Boyle, J. R. (2013). Strategic note-taking for inclusive middle school science classrooms. Remedial And Special Education, 34, doi: /
Boyle, J.R. (2012). Note-taking and students with learning disabilities: Challenges and solutions. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 27(2),
Boyle, J. R. (2011). Thinking strategically to record notes in content classes. American Secondary Education, 40(1),