Note Taking, Key Details, and Summaries OH MY!

Welcome back to another volume in the story of my life entitled “I’m not sure if this is how you are supposed to do it, but this is how I do it.”

I have taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade. When I taught 5th grade, student writing on the SBAC was an area of growth and when I taught 2nd, I taught at an AVID school where notetaking was a huge focus. This has led me to my current approach which I have found successful. Note taking, summarizing, and synthesizing are all strategies that have been shown to boost student comprehension. My approach integrates all three and has helped students develop comprehension and writing skills.

So let’s get to it!

At the beginning of the week, students set up their notebooks with the Wonders Essential Question in a box at the top. As the week progresses, they add the title of each story and underline it to show it’s the title. They then take notes as we read, usually using the comprehension strategy of the week (cause and effect, problem and solution, etc) to identify key details in the text. At the end of the week, we synthesize the notes into writing as a way to cite text evidence and answer the Essential Question. 

By the third trimester, students are comfortable with this protocol and I leverage it for them to write informational research reports.

All still a little vague to you? Take a look at the work samples below for a better idea of what I mean.

So maybe in your next Wonders Week, try this out and see if it's a good ay for YOU to integrate writing into YOUR class :)

As I close, I invite you to join me in these affirmations.

I am safe.

I am loved.

I am powerful.

I'll be thinking of you,

Ruth Reinkymov

3rd Grade Teacher

Hawthorne IB World School