Teaching Notetaking Strategies by Charles Walker Notetaking is putting on paper facts, ideas, and details that are presented by a teacher, speaker, author, or other reference source. Notetaking provides a means for students to reduce the number of words that need to be remembered and to organize information for easy recall and reference. The human mind, as marvelous as it is, cannot remember everything it hears and sees. Notetaking enhances the memory.
Retention becomes easier because the number of words to recall is reduced.
The quality of notes is always more important than the quantity of notes. To accomplish this task successfully, students must actively listen to the subject content discussed by the teacher. Vital to the development of this plan is teaching students the mechanics of notetaking and giving students sufficient classroom opportunities to practice notetaking. Without a structured approach to notetaking, students can become confused about how to take notes, be unappreciative of the value of notetaking, or develop poor notetaking habits. Whatever approach is selected by the school faculty, it must be user-friendly and grade appropriate.