Notetaking Strategies in Three Middle Level Classrooms
Addelie Focht, Cassandra Smith, Lucius Zeller & Hannah Chai
Abstract
Understanding how to take notes is an important skill that is needed across grade levels and content areas, however many students are not taught how to successfully take notes. The focus of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three notetaking strategies: doodle, foldable, and graphic organizers, for middle level learners in 4th, 6th, and 9th grades. The study examined the importance of explicit notetaking instruction, and the impact that these notetaking strategies had on student learning. The study found that 4th and 6th grade students preferred notetaking strategies that fostered creativity, but 9th graders simply expressed a need for explicit instruction and support in how to take notes. The study found that there was not one perfect notetaking strategy, instead, students need a variety of options that work for the individual and their learning styles. What is needed is explicit notetaking instruction so that students can support and advance their learning.