Taking Notes on Written Material

1. Taking Notes on Written Material

2. When Taking Notes • At the top of the page write • Title • Author • Publisher • Date of publication • Divide material into sections that can be read in one study period

3. Note Taking • Examine the entire assignment • Observe how the text is organized • Organize notes in a similar manner • use the same headings • use the same section titles

4. Paraphrase and Summarize • When taking notes from a book or an article, it is important to paraphrase and summarize the text • paraphrase - rewrite the text in your own words • summarize - use fewer words to express the main ideas of the text

5. Paraphrase and Summarize • Express the ideas in your own words. • When you find something particularly important, use a short quote with quotation marks so you know it is not your paraphrasing • always write the page number where you copied the quote from • this is especially helpful if you have to write a report later

6. Concentrate • When reading difficult text – concentrate • remove distractions • TV, radio, music • No multitasking • background music and/or TV detracts from concentration • Stop after each paragraph and ask yourself “what is the writer telling me?”

7. Help What if you are concentrating and still have no idea what is being discussed? • Homework • call a friend and compare notes • write down questions to ask teacher • Be prepared to discuss what you need explained • Classroom assignment • ask the teacher for assistance

8. Organize • After you are finished taking notes • make sure the notes are in the same order as the text. • take some time to get to know your notes • never erase existing notes. • Use additional comments to clarify and organize • either in a different color pen, or • on the left one-third of your note page

9. Organize If your notes are unclear, return to the book or article and reread the section. If you find you have a lot of notes, it is a good idea to take notes on your notes. Use all the note-taking techniques to draw your attention to the most important areas.

10. Summary – Taking Notes • Write down pertinent information about the text or article • Organize your notes by the chapters or sections in the book or article • Paraphrase and summarize • Concentrate. • Get help if necessary • Organize when you're done

11. The End