NOTAS: A Note-taking Strategy

The Need for a Study Skills Tutor

When I first pictured myself as a private tutor, I imagined teaching Reading.  Writing.  Math.  ACT or SAT Test Prep.  Yet three out of my four first clients needed help with study skills and organization.  Unexpected, but I had training and resources on my side, so I got to work.

Study skills cover topics ranging from note-taking, test-taking, textbook comprehension, time management, organization of materials, and broadly "how to study."  For the purposes of this post, I'll focus on note-taking.  

Often students are just not taught how to take notes in school, or if they are, they are given a glossy overview.  Many mainstream resources say, "Here's one way to take notes.  Here's another.  And here's another.  Oh, and here's how to do a formal outline, too."  Some methods are too bulky to be practical.  Some resources describe the methods only briefly and don't provide sufficient details or practice opportunities to be useful.  

So, I dug through textbooks, research articles, and websites (especially college sites) to craft a strategy for taking notes.  I ended up with a strategy I called NOTAS (the Spanish word for notes).  

Based in Research

I'm a psychology major who just completed a Master's thesis in Learning Disabilities - I believe in research.  My goal was to find a note-taking strategy that was simple, useful, and had research to back it up.  When I didn't find any one method that seemed satisfactory, I went a different route.  I combined three research-based methods into my own strategy: NOTAS.  Here's the research base:

Self-Regulated Strategy Development

I did my thesis, in part, on Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), so it was a natural choice for me to use the SRSD approach in my tutoring practice.  It's flexible, it's research-based, and I've seen it work.

The SRSD model of strategy instruction is a structured approach to teaching a strategy that has a great deal of research supporting its effectiveness, particularly for students with learning disabilities or ADHD.  Dozens of articles have been published on the topic.  I like the book called Strategy Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities by Reid and Leinemann.  I may go in depth in a later post, but here's the basic sequence (from Reid and Leinemann, 2006):

Stage 1: Develop prerequisite skills and activate background knowledge
Stage 2: Discuss the strategy and "sell it"
Stage 3: Model the strategy using a "think aloud" process to demonstrate your thought process
Stage 4: Memorize the strategy
Stage 5: Support the strategy
Stage 6: Independent performance

Strategic Note-Taking

When I found this research article about the effectiveness of strategic note-taking (Boyle & Weishaar, 2001), I thought I was all set.  I could use the SRSD approach to teach strategic note-taking and just tweak the form a little bit.  Here's the strategic note-taking form I originally modified for use with my clients.

I've never actually used the form, however.  I decided I wanted to teach my clients how to take notes without the use of a specific form, with just a blank sheet of paper.  So, I decided to combine elements of Strategic Note-Taking with the well-known Cornell Method for taking notes to create a new strategy.

The Cornell Method

You're probably familiar with the Cornell Method of note-taking.  Create two columns on your paper: a narrow left column and a wide right column.  Write notes in the right column, then jot down questions, phrases, or words in the left column that correspond to the notes on the right.  Writing in the left column serves as a review and makes a great study guide for later on.  Some versions of the Cornell Method include space at the bottom to write a summary of the notes.

Putting it Together: NOTAS

My note-taking strategy uses the mnemonic device NOTAS to help students remember the steps while they are mastering the strategy.  The steps of the strategy are similar to steps outlined in the Strategic Note-taking model; however, instead of requiring students to use special paper, NOTAS has students set up their paper in two columns like the Cornell Method.  I also teach my students to leave space for a brief summary at the bottom.  I teach NOTAS using the stages of the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model.

Here are the steps of NOTAS:

Name, date, topic, number

Older information

Take notes

Ask questions

Summarize within 24 hours

Here I have a copy of a handout I made to introduce NOTAS.  I print it double-sided so that on one side students see the steps and on the other side they see how to set up their paper.  This handout is meant to be a teaching tool, not a crutch.  The SRSD model has a memorization step in which every student should memorize the steps and why they are there so that they can use the strategy automatically.

The information below describes each step.

Before note-taking begins

Name, date, topic, number

Just like it sounds, in this step students prepare to take notes by writing their name, date, the topic they are taking notes on, and the page number.  I encourage students to get into the habit of writing all of these steps in case their notes get out of order later.

Older information

This step is all about priming.  I tell students to think about or jot down something they know about the topic before they begin taking notes.  The purpose of this step is to get their brains "warmed up."  I explain to my students that their brains will be better able to store and recall information if they can link it to something they already know about the topic.

During note-taking

Take notes

During the lecture or video, students take notes in the right column.  I encourage students to use note-taking shortcuts (like the ones we practiced) and an informal outline when they take notes.  I don't expect any amazing formal outlines here.  My goal is for the students to get information down, not waste resources on trying to recall how to outline.  An informal outline simply uses space, indentations, and symbols to separate main points from details and set ideas apart from one another.

After note-taking - WITHIN 24 HOURS

Ask questions

This is the step when students fill in the left column.  My students go through the right column of their notes and come up with questions that coincide with information in their notes.  At first, I may have them write out an entire question such as, "What was Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life like growing up?"  Quickly, though, I aim to have my students shift to using shortcuts and phrases such as, "MLK, Jr.'s early life?"  I want students to get into the habit of doing this step, and I don't want them to get discouraged because they feel like it takes too long.  This step is critical.  Not only does it require students to revisit what they have learned shortly after class, but also it provides students with a study guide they can use for later review.

Summarize within 24 hours

For some students, I skip this step entirely.  For others, I introduce it and have them practice it for awhile, then decide to have them skip it.  For still others, this is an important step of the process.  Basically, I ask students to summarize in just two or three sentences what they have learned.  This should be "big picture" stuff, not details.  The idea is that students who understand the big picture have a better framework in which to learn the details.  

With that said, for some students this step (however short) may just seem too time-consuming and may discourage them from using this strategy altogether.  If I believe this to be the case, I give that student an "out" in hopes that they continue to use the note-taking strategy.  

Why Within 24 Hours?

I emphasize that students should write the questions/phrases and the summary within 24 hours of taking the notes to try to offset the memory loss that naturally occurs in learning and prevent them from having to relearn material later.

Developing Prerequisite Skills

The first step of the SRSD model requires teachers to ensure that students have the prerequisite skills they need.  Some of the prerequisite skills for the NOTAS strategy include:  Deciding what belongs in the notes, distinguishing main ideas and details, knowing and using note-taking shortcuts and abbreviations, making an informal outline, grouping information (for the Ask Questions step), and summarizing.  

Deciding what belongs in the notes and distinguishing main ideas and details should be discussed and practiced if needed, but these skills will be practiced on an ongoing basis as well.  I use this form to introduce and practice note-taking shortcuts.  I teach how to make an informal outline.  I use a skeleton copy of a notes sheet (just the right column filled in) to have students practice grouping information, asking questions, and summarizing.  If students can't do these prerequisite skills, the NOTAS strategy will not be useful, so assess these skills first before diving in.

Resources for Modeling, Supporting the Strategy, and Independent Practice

Since I generally tutor one-on-one, it would be ridiculous for me to stand up and lecture to one student so that they can practice taking notes.  However, it would be equally ridiculous if I didn't model how to do it or give them practice opportunities.  

The resources I use for modeling and practice are Teacher Tube and BrainPOP. BrainPOP is my favorite because it has short informational videos about a wide variety of topics.  BrainPOP also has quizzes and activities for each video, so if students are learning a test-taking strategy as well, or if you just want to assess how well they are learning the information, you don't need to create your own tests.  Rarely, a student may view BrainPOP as too "babyish" because it is animated.  I think it is plenty challenging for note-taking, and I almost always learn something new, but keep Teacher Tube in mind for students who are opposed to animation.  

Real Life

Finally, if school is in session, the student should move from practicing using BrainPOP or Teacher Tube to actually taking classroom notes.  Assign students to take notes in their real classes at school and bring them to tutoring sessions so that you can go over them together.  Remember that your goal is to teach your client to take notes in real life, not just in a tutoring bubble.  You may need to hit certain skills again or to adjust the strategy to work for your client.

Good luck, have fun, and email me at tutormommy.blogspot@gmail.com with your own ideas or questions!