Preparation is an important aspect of successful note taking and reading comprehension. Familiarity with the material gives the student an opportunity to absorb enough of the material to be able to take notes while listening to the lecture. Reading assigned material in advance, completing homework and reviewing notes from previous lectures are some basic steps that can aid students in the comprehension process.
While taking notes, students must be able to discern the difference between necessary and unnecessary information. Keywords let a reader know what information should receive a greater amount of focus and what information should be discarded. Keywords come from the main topic of the lecture. Students should be taught to focus on keywords that are often in bold writing, known as content key words, which specifically relate to the lecture being given.
Created by Francis Robinson in 1941, this system of reading comprehension asks the young reader to use several concepts during the process of reading the material assigned. The first step is to survey the information being read and find the main ideas within the text. Second, question the material as you read. Ask why, what, where, when, how and who the material is referring to. Lastly, the student is asked to perform the three “Rs”: Read the sections and take notes, recite to yourself, or others, what the section was about and review the material once you have read it to gain a better understanding of the text.
Once teachers have introduced different comprehension strategies to their students, a final step should be to encourage working together as a group. Developing questions as a group, solving problems, developing main ideas and actively engaging in the learning process increases participation and promotes positive social behaviors necessary in a successful learning environment.