Classical Study Skills: Notecards

Effective note-taking skills will serve you well in all areas of life - education, work, Bible study, even leisure time. Here are some tips to help you effectively use the simple 3 x 5 blank notecard!

While note-taking can occur on individual sheets of paper, a spiral bound notebook, on a handout or even in a book, using blank notecards is a cost-effective, flexible way to learn and record notes.

Start with a blank notecard - it's obvious that there are 2 sides - a blank side and a lined side.

We'll call the blank side the FRONT and we'll call the lined side the BACK.

Front

Back

Generally, you place your term on the FRONT.

It's usually the "new word" or unfamiliar idea when you're beginning to learn a new subject or skill.

On the BACK, you'll provide a succinct definition or the main concepts about that new word or term. 

However, notice on both the front and the back, there are 4 other areas where you also may record information.

That's potentially 8 more pieces of information to help you learn your topic!

 Utilize these areas to note a broader category, a page number, a chapter - basically, any information that will help you to reference the material in the future.

Here are some example cards:

Classical Conversations Foundations example

 Encourage your Masters level Foundations students to make their own Memory Work cards each week!

Classical Conversations Essentials example

 Encourage your Essentials students to make their own EEL and IEW cards each week!

Classical Conversations Challenge A example

 There is so much grammar in Challenge A.

Encourage your students to make their own cards for Latin or any other subject!

Classical Conversations Challenge B example

 The year-long study of Formal Logic in Challenge B lends itself to plenty of notecards!

Learn Something New example

 Learning anything new is easy when you make notecards!

Commit anything to memory using notecards.

The most beneficial information to memorize is Scripture!