Reading Notes

 

Many students forget to take notes from their textbook or readings.

By leaving them out, students often get only  part of the big picture.  To successfully study and review material for exams, one must completely comprehend both lecture and reading material. Effective reading requires active reader participation, not just scanning the words in hopes that the information will sink in. While reading, you might want to try different strategies for comprehension.

 

One comprehension strategy is called TEXT MARKING. Marking

the text highlights a readings structure, parts, and important details. This process can aid a student in understanding the ideas presented and in developing organized study materials. Below are some recommended and commonly used symbols to mark a text.

 

         Topic

 

 

         Subtopic

        Repeatable Category

 

        Detail

 

                                          1,2,3…                Sequence

 

                                          a,b,c…                 List

 

Repeatable categories are categories that are repeated for each topic in a section. Sometimes repeatable categories are obvious in the text, but often students must determine them for themselves. Identifying them takes practice, but when students take the time to do so, they will understand the structure of the passage and more easily connect the information to previous knowledge.

 

Other comprehension strategies include:

 

· Raising questions to help you engage with the text and establish connections with previous. information.

· Make predictions to encourage you to think ahead.

· Elaborate on ideas by developing examples and comparisons that are not present in the text.

 

 

Note Taking Strategies Guidebook