Note Taking and Reading Skills

Note Taking, Listening, and Reading habits

Amy Green Miller-­‐Motte University

ABSTRACT This document discusses note taking using the Cornell system, practicing Active Listening, and reading habits by interrogating the text.

Note Taking, Active Listening, and Reading Habits

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Study skills/habits in general are subjects I am somewhat familiar with. I have researched these areas in the past and have been to faculty in-­‐services that address how to help our students do these things better. I have personally coached students that were struggling in different areas of note taking, listening, and good reading habits. It is exciting and different to be looking this information up for myself. I think it could only benefit me and also allow me to help my students better. The first skill I researched was Note Taking on the Dartmouth education website. Something I found very interesting was within the Cornell Note Taking System; the five R’s-­‐ record, reduce, recite, reflect, and review. Record as much meaningful facts as possible during the lecture. Reduce and summarize information just lectured on. Recite and recall information by covering your notes up and only using the summary as a clue. Reflect from the notes taken on information learned arranging them into outlines, structures, and filing the information. Review the information, spending 10 minutes a week reviewing notes, that will help you to most likely retain the information (Dartmouth). Active listening is probably something everyone could benefit improving. The website www.mindtools.com that I researched this information stated that when talking or listening the person on the receiving end only takes in about 25%-­‐ 50% of the information. I found that to be a huge number, but I believe it. The website gave some great tips on how to improve your active listening. First off pay attention to the speaker and give them your undivided attention, put aside distracting thoughts and always refrain from side conversations (Mindtools). Show them you are listening and use your own body gestures to show you are paying attention. Provide the speaker with feedback and reflect on what they are speaking to you about (Mindtools) The last study skill I researched was reading habits. I came across a great article in the Harvard Education website about Interrogating the text. Whenever you are about to start a reading assignment you should interrogate the text, looking around and figuring out what you are about to do and about how long it will take (Harvard ). Next while reading the text, annotating in the sides the words and ideas that are important versus highlighting (Harvard ). Outline and summarize the information; take the information apart and try to put it back together again in a way that makes sense to you (Harvard ). Look for patterns and repeating themes that the Author thinks are important. Put the information into perspective. Decide how this goes with your class and how is your thinking altered by now reading and understanding this text. I found each thing I learned and reviewed to be helpful. The new habits I am making are; with the note taking I am going to do the Cornell system, start actively listening to people, and interrogating texts. My new strategies are to start using the five R’s, repeat back to people what they are saying when they talk to me and actively using the reading habits discussed-­‐which is what I find to be most important in an online learning environment. My attitude change is that I was under the impression that being online learning I would not need the note taking and listening skills but I am seeing that it applies to more than just school although I do believe I will use them in school as well.

Note Taking, Active Listening, and Reading Habits

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Works Cited Dartmouth. (n.d.). Academic skills center. Retrieved from Dartmouth: www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/notes.html

Harvard . (n.d.). Interrogating Texts. Retrieved from Harvard Education: http://hcl.harvard.edu/research/guides/lamont_handouts/interrogatingtexts.html

Mindtools. (n.d.). Active listening. Retrieved from www.mindtools.com: http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm