Class: English Teacher: Mr.

Brammer Date: September 3, 2008

Cues Cornell Style Note-Taking
Record Record
⋅ What should I write ⋅ Simply record as many facts and ideas as you can in this
down? section
⋅ Do not worry about:
⋅ Should I worry ⋅ Getting every word down
about grammar? ⋅ Writing your notes grammatically correctly or in complete
sentences
Reduce (or question) ⋅
To ensure that your notes make sense weeks later, after you
⋅ Where do I write are done, fill in blanks or make incomplete sentences
my cues and complete
questions? Reduce (or question)
⋅ Reduce important facts and ideas to key words or phrases
⋅ What three things ⋅ Create questions based on the facts and ideas
should I write in ⋅ Key words, phrases, and questions are written in the narrow
this column? column left
⋅ The words and phrases act as memory cues so that when you
Recite review them, you will recall the ideas or facts
⋅ Why is reciting ⋅ Questions help to clarify the meanings of the facts and ideas
helpful? Recite
⋅ Reciting helps you to retain (keep) the information
⋅ How should I recite ⋅ It is different from rereading because you state it out loud and
my notes? in your own words
⋅ Saying it out loud helps to sharpen the thinking process
Keywords: ⋅ Putting it into your own words challenges you to think
repetition, own about the meaning
words, out loud
⋅ When reciting, cover up your notes large section, but leave
the cue words and questions uncovered
⋅ Next, read each key word or question, then recite and state
aloud, in your own words, the information.
Reflect ⋅ If your answer is correct, continue on through the lecture by
⋅ What is reflection? reciting aloud.
Reflect
⋅ What are some ⋅ Reflection is thinking about the information you have learned
questions that ⋅ Reflecting is a step beyond learning note content
enhance
reflecting? ⋅ Questions like the following enhance reflecting:
⋅ How do these facts and ideas fit into what I already know?
⋅ How can I apply them?
⋅ How is knowing this important?
Review ⋅ What is the significance of these facts and ideas?
⋅ When should you Review
review and recite? ⋅ Review and recite often
⋅ On a regular schedule is best
Recapitulate ⋅ Reflecting is a step beyond learning note content
⋅ Where does the Recapitulate (Recap)
summary go? ⋅ This is the summary and it goes at the bottom of the page
⋅ How long should ⋅ After you have gone through the first four steps, summarize
the summary be? the facts and ideas
⋅ Try to get your summary to be just one or two sentences
 ⋅ This should not be a word-for-word repeat of your notes

Summary
To take Cornell style notes, you should divide your paper into three sections: cues, notes,
and summary. You should then follow the six R’s, which are record, reduce, recite, reflect,
review, and recap.