Let me start off by saying I LOVE LOVE LOVE teaching my students how to Notice and Note. I have been to many different Professional Developments and read numerous books and articles, where they teach different ways and techniques. I learned from all of them. This is just my short (if short means a few blog posts), simple to me way of teaching my students. I know it can be more technical and require training...but due to numerous questions and emails I thought I would share my "version". Prior to the first lesson you may want to discuss what it means to notice things. *That was my disclaimer.
The very first introduction to Notice and Note is to MODEL!
It's pretty simple and most of us do this naturally as teachers any way.
When reading one of your first picture book read alouds or articles in class (for me it's usually one of my first day of school picture books)...NOTICE....and NOTICE aloud!
Yes...ask your usual predicting questions, etc. But then NOTICE...
Notice what and how the characters are talking.
For example: "I notice that (insert character's name) said that sadly...I wonder why she said it that way?"
Notice how the author bolded words, used a flashback, foreshadowed (even if you don't use the terms yet due to age...notice the concept without labeling it), the title, or even the cover of the book.
Notice the pictures with all age groups!
When noticing, I remind my students to not just notice the content, but the actual way something may be written, the words chosen (and why those words were chosen).
This gets your students to really begin thinking...and after all Reading is Thinking!
A few tips and thoughts:
- Don't over notice...in a short picture book keep it to three or so, otherwise reading it may take three times as long!
- Eventually the students will start writing their noticing down on sticky notes or in the margins of articles (thus the Noting portion).
- Continue to use the word notice for everything! I use it in all subject areas. Examples: What do you notice about this math problem? What do you notice in this diagram of the cell?
- Continue to model Noticing aloud for three or more picture books or articles before moving to the next part of Notice and Note.
- Get a TON of sticky notes ready for the noting!
