Same Study skills › Taking notes › Two- and three-column notes
What are two-column and three-column notes?
Two-column notes put main ideas on the left and details on the right, so kids can see how the facts fit together. Three-column notes are often used for vocabulary: the term, what it means, and an example or picture.
- Two columns: main idea | details.
- Three columns: term | what it means | example.
- Cover one column and quiz yourself on the other.
Why schools teach it
Sorting information is the real skill
Students take notes and sort evidence into categories (W.4.8), find main ideas and their supporting details (RI.4.2), and learn content words (L.6.4). Column notes make the sorting visible: a detail can't go in the notes without a main idea next to it.
Like Cornell notes, columns double as a study tool: fold the page and quiz yourself.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
What's the big idea of this section?
Left columnWhich details back it up?
Right columnCan you give an example of that word?
Third columnFold it over. Can you remember the other side?
Quiz
Skip this
- Full sentences in every box.Short phrases are faster and easier to review.
- Details with no main idea next to them.Each detail should belong to a main idea.
- Copying the dictionary definition.Put the meaning in their own words.
See it in action
Three-column notes on the Erie Canal
Term
lockWhat it means
a chamber with gates that raises or lowers boatsExample
a boat rising as water fills the chamber
Some classes add a fourth column for a quick sketch.
Free practice sheet
Make a column notes sheet
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Parents also ask
When should my child use two columns vs. three?
Two for main ideas and details from a reading or lesson. Three for vocabulary.
Are these the same as Cornell notes?
Close. Cornell notes add a summary and cue questions.
Can they be typed?
Yes, as a two- or three-column table. Many students remember more when they write by hand.
What goes in the example column?
A real example, a sentence using the word, or a small drawing.