Valuable Tools for Learning: The Post-it Note – Part II

To continue our blog post about the value in the little post-it note, continue to read on about how you can encourage your child to use post-it notes as an academic tool.

Both in the classroom and at home, students are able to communicate to themselves, in a very visible and tangible way, the information they are acquiring. Here are some additional ways to use Post-it notes strategically to enhance learning:

• When reading more challenging or more technical texts, students can concisely summarize the main argument(s) from the passage or section, adhere it to the side of the page, and then return to review it at a later time.
• Organize and label folders and notes
• Create a movable storyboard while brainstorming ideas. This is especially affective for students who do not think sequentially or linearly.
• Students and teachers can write compliments, feedback, and suggestions on each other’s written work.
• Teachers can use notes to check for student understanding by having them post their responses, observations, or highlighted quotes in a visible location in the classroom or as an exit ticket at the end of class.

When students are trying to memorize a concept or a vocabulary word, by placing the post-it note in an area where the child frequents often, the on-going visual of the post-it note content will act as a constant reminder for the student, ultimately, affecting the student in helping him/her better retain information for a longer period of time.

Use Post-it notes and take advantage of their size and versatility in making the process of learning more visible. It will help students with their reading comprehension, the development of their burgeoning ideas, and the organization of their thoughts and observations.