R = wRite
Make "maps" for yourself.
Reduce the information
Reread or skim to locate and prove your points.
Write down the key terms and ideas in outline form or using the Cornell Note Taking System.
Always read/question/recite before marking or taking down notes.
Check yourself against the text. Correct and add to your answer.
Or
R = RECORD
Marking the textbook increases understanding of the material for the present and for future
reference. The process of selecting and marking requires you to find the main ideas. Later, when
you review the text for exam purposes, you will find that the textbook markings and highlights
enable you to grasp the essential points without having to read entire paragraphs and chapters
again.
Write down the central points for the chapter or section in the notebook. Do each assignment
before class. This will prepare you to participate in class discussions which will, in turn, help you
remember the material you have read and to put it into perspective.
Underline and make marginal notes
Underlining key words and sentences will make those items stand out in the mind.
Marginal notes give you the opportunity to question a statement or position taken by the author
as well as making you select the key words or items you want to remember from the paragraph.
Summaries enable you to write a brief summation of a section in other words.
Develop your own system of reading. Use whatever facilitates your retention of the material
and works best for you. You might use the following: a double underline for main ideas and a
single underline for supporting points; a bracket to enclose several consecutive lines that are
important, rather than underlining all of them; or a box or circle around key terms.
Read before you mark. Read a few paragraphs or sections and then go back over the material
and underline those topics and/or words that you feel are important.
Be selective. Underline only those points that are clearly essential. You will then have a visible
outline of the major points on a page.
Use other words. Marginal notations and summaries should be in other language so you can
readily recall the original material as you review. Using the text in this manner enables you to
extract all that the book has to offer you in a learning situation, now and in the future. You will be
able to use the texts for review in later software in the same field or in an allied field, thus
reducing the need to re-read the material. You will reap the most benefit from reviewing the notes
in the text, rather than being distracted by notes you may find written by some other person in a
used text.