 | ||||||
| ||||||
Taking notes
Taking notes is an important study skill, not only when listening to lectures, but also when reading and when gathering information from more than one source for a research report. When taking notes, encourage your child to:
· Find a system to keep notes organized.
· Write down only what's important. Have your child find out what the teacher thinks is important, and what the key points are in the lesson or reading.
· Use consistent abbreviations and short-hand.
· Write down the page numbers when taking notes from text.
· Review notes shortly after taking them. At study hall, for example, or after school. Then review them periodically as well.
· Use a computer to take and store notes, if appropriate.
· Use a highlighter (light color) pen to draw out main ideas and important information. Then refer to highlighted material later for review. Highlighting is not as effective as interpreting information in your own words or through written notes. So it's also helpful to write your own notes in the margins next to highlighted text.
· Organize highlights by using different colored markers for major ideas and details.
Help your child to find a method of note-taking that works for her. There are a number of different note-taking methods:
The two-column method
This is a valuable study tool when taking notes or preparing for tests. Here is how to use the two-column method:
· Divide notebook paper into two columns, the left column taking up one-third of the page, and the right column two-thirds of the page.
· Note main ideas or key words in the left column and details in the right column.
· Leave extra space in the right "detail" column for later notes and review.
· When studying for a test, cover the right column to check your knowledge and understanding of details, or the left column to quiz yourself on main ideas or key words.
Outlining
This method is especially useful for taking notes in class and when reviewing and organizing information for papers and reports.
· Note main ideas and supporting details with indents to show the levels of information.
· Use Roman numerals, letters, and numbers to make the different levels of information more visible.
· Take notes in outline form by hand or use the outlining program on a computer.
I. Main idea
A. Supporting detail
B. Supporting detail
1. sub-detail
2. sub-detail
II. Main idea
A. Supporting detail
B. Supporting
Example:
I. U.S. Congress
A. House of Representatives
B. Senate
1. two senators from every state
2. six-year term
II. Supreme Court
A. Justice appointed for life
B. Consists of nine justices
Mapping
This is an especially effective way to take notes for visual learners.
· Start with the main idea in a circle at the center of the page.
· On "spokes" coming out from the main idea, add details that help explain or clarify.
· Once you are comfortable with this level of mapping, try adding supporting details on additional "branches" coming out from these detail spokes.
· Try using color to establish relationships between ideas, or between different kinds of information.
· Practice and try different styles of mapping until you find one that works for you.
Reading skills
Good reading skills are taught at school and can be reinforced at home. Here are some ways to help your child:
· Be sure your child knows how to use a book and how get what he needs from it. The table of contents, at the front of the book, shows how the information in the book is organized. It gives the overview of what the book covers. The index, at the back of the book, lists more detailed information in alphabetical order and directs you to page numbers. It can help your child decide quickly whether a book has information on a particular subject. The glossary, included at the back of some books, defines key words that may be unfamiliar.
· Before your child begins, encourage her to scan what she's going to read. She should look at the chapter titles and headings, graphs, illustrations, and any summaries or reading aids such as boldface or italic type. Some textbooks have questions at the end of each chapter. Reading these before reading the text can help your child watch for key information as she reads the text. If she sees the "big picture" of what the chapter is about, she'll be better able to understand and remember the details.
· Encourage your child to ask himself questions about what he's reading, such as: What do I already know about this subject? How does the information fit into the message of the chapter as a whole? What is the author getting at? What are the most important points or concepts in the reading?
· As your child reads, have her take notes with page numbers from the text she's reading. This will help her pay attention, and she can use her notes as a memory aid if she needs to go back to or remember the information later. She can highlight or note key words and look up any unfamiliar word in the glossary if the book has one.
· Make sure your child reviews what he has read. He should go over the main ideas and important details. And encourage him to write out answers to any study questions.
What did the term skyscraper originally mean, before it was used to describe a tall building? It was the name of the small triangular sail set above the royals on square-riggers to catch wind in calm weather. it was later used to describe tall men and horses, and eventually buildings.
Recipe for success: Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing.
William A. Ward
|
