Sketchnoting for Kids: Drawing to Take Notes
Sketchnoting mixes doodles and words to take better notes. Learn how kids can use sketchnotes to remember lessons, with easy icons to start.
Sketchnoting is a way of taking notes with a mix of words, simple drawings, arrows and boxes. It helps kids pay attention, organize ideas and remember more, because drawing makes the brain process information in a deeper way.
Traditional notes can be dull and easy to forget. Sketchnotes are visual, personal and memorable.
What sketchnotes look like
- A title in big letters
- Key words in boxes or bubbles
- Simple drawings and icons
- Arrows showing connections
- Short phrases rather than full sentences
Why sketchnotes help
- Attention. Listening for things to draw keeps kids focused.
- Memory. Drawing helps information stick (see the drawing effect).
- Organization. Visual layouts show how ideas connect.
- Engagement. Kids enjoy it.
Build an icon library
Kids need a set of quick icons: a lightbulb for ideas, a star for important points, a question mark for questions, people, animals and objects. A book with lots of different subjects helps. How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2 covers dinosaurs, people, animals and more, giving kids a range of simple shapes they can shrink into quick sketchnote icons.
How to start
1. Practise five simple icons.
2. Listen to a short story or video.
3. Draw key ideas while listening.
4. Add words and arrows.
5. Share and compare.
Ages
Sketchnoting works best from about third grade up, but younger kids can draw simple "listening pictures."
In the classroom
Teachers can introduce sketchnotes during read-alouds, science lessons and history units. See science journals.
Questions parents ask
What is sketchnoting?
A note-taking method that combines words, simple drawings, arrows and boxes to capture and organize ideas.
Does sketchnoting help kids learn?
Yes. Drawing while listening helps children stay focused, organize ideas and remember more.
What age can kids start sketchnoting?
Many kids can start around age 8, while younger children can draw simple pictures of what they hear.
More in teachers and classrooms, or browse all 217 posts on the blog.
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