Reading With Sticky Notes to Increase Comprehension

Have you ever encouraged students to or thought about having students pair their reading with sticky notes? 

Something magical happens to students’ brains when they are given sticky notes to use while reading. I have used this sticky note strategy for lessons in all subjects. Because of this magic, I buy a lot of sticky notes every year. If you have the budget, these sticky notes are gorgeous.

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Ideas for Reading With Sticky Notes

Reading with sticky notes doesn’t have to be complicated; in fact, you can implement many ideas when you want students to begin reading with sticky notes. 

If they are reading textbook material (for example, science, history, geography, etc.), students can:

• Write down their questions about confusing topics or questions related to the material.
• Summarize parts of the material to highlight key facts and ideas.
• Identify new words or technical terms and their definitions to help reinforce learning.
• Make text connections, such as text-to-self or text-to-world, noting real-world applications of what’s being studied.
• Note interesting parts of the textbook material for a class discussion. 

Students reading fiction, such as novels or short stories, can: 

• Write down questions about characters, plot, or themes, or note something that might be unclear in the text. 
• Track how characters change over time or important decisions characters make. 
• Summarize sections or chapters.
• Jot down unfamiliar words.
• Note literary elements such as metaphors, similes, foreshadowing, or symbolism.
• Flag any interesting passages. 
• Make text connections, such as text-to-self, text-to-media, text-to-text, or text-to-world. 
• Predict what might happen in the next chapter or section. 
• Identify recurring themes along with evidence to support them.
• Note sections that should be more deeply analyzed. 

Reading with sticky notes can make passive reading into a more interactive process, which can be more engaging for students. 

The Benefits of Reading With Sticky Notes

Reading with sticky notes has many benefits for middle school students, most importantly promoting active reading. Students are interacting with the text as they read, which makes the activity more engaging. Rather than skimming through the material, students are encouraged to stop, reflect, and make notes to help them retain the information better. 

Summarizing sections or chapters, identifying vocabulary words, and making connections with the text can help students to understand better what they are reading, and with sticky notes being small, they offer a way for students to break down complex information in smaller portions, helping them to process it more easily. 

Depending on what you are prompting your students to look for as they read, reading with sticky notes can encourage critical thinking, as students need to think deeply about what they are reading. It can also help students improve their note-taking skills since they must condense and summarize the information. 

Reading with sticky notes can help students organize their thoughts and key information and personalize the reading experience. Students can engage with the text in a meaningful way, whether it’s through what they are tracking or their method, such as colour coding for different purposes (for example, green for vocabulary, blue for character development, yellow for key concepts, etc.). 

Lastly, when students are reading with sticky notes, they have control over their reading process. They can decide what is important to note and revisit, making them responsible for their own learning. Sticky notes can also be tailored to the needs of individual students, allowing teachers to differentiate in the classroom; advanced students might focus on deeper analysis, whereas students who need extra support might use them for vocabulary building or summarizing key points. Also, students who benefit from visual organization can use reading with sticky notes to categorize and retain information in a way that works best for them. 

Sticky Notes As Assessment Tools

Alongside reading with sticky notes, they are also a great assessment tool. Have students read a section of something, then have them ask a question about the material they just read. The teacher can collect the sticky notes and quickly see who has understood the material and who needs some more assistance.

I wanted to keep my students accountable for their independent reading practice time, but I needed a system that did not require a lot of setup and could be assessed quickly to find the immediate needs of the students. 

I gave every student some sticky notes. Their mission was to flag any connections they made while reading their non-fiction articles. I asked them to write their connections on the sticky notes. I collected all their connections once they had read a few articles independently. 

Next, I created a simple organizer of the four types of connections and had each student write their name on the top of the organizer and then stick all their sticky notes under the correct connections heading. I could now quickly see who could make deep text-world connections and who needed help moving beyond text-self connections.

If you want more information on how students can make text connections when reading, check out this post: Effective Ways to Help Students Make Text Connections When Reading.

For more information and tips on assessment, click the links below: 

• Student Designed Assessments
• 6 Quick Assessment Strategies
• Quick Assessment Tips For Effective Student Evaluation
• Strategies for Streamlining Assessment & Evaluation
• Tips and Tricks to Help You Improve Your Assessment Skills

Free Graphic Organizers to Use When Reading With Sticky Notes

I created these free graphic organizers to help support students during their silent reading. The spaces on the organizers were specifically designed to leave enough room for sticky notes. 

This resource is a collection of six different graphic organizers to help students engage, connect and think critically about their reading. It includes the following reading strategies: plot, characters, connections, questions, predictions, and before, during, and after reading.

Here’s what one teacher has said about these graphic organizers: 

“This literacy product is a game-changer in the classroom! It’s engaging, interactive, and fosters a love for reading and language among students. It’s been a joy to see my students’ skills and confidence soar with this tool. Highly recommend for educators looking to inspire young minds!” – Shannon P.

Click on the image above to download these free Reading Strategies Graphic Organizers for your classroom, or you can find them on Shopify CAD and Teachers Pay Teachers USD.

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