Valuable Notes on Literature and Learning

Obviously Ellen Kempler, in her criticism of Cliffs Notes (Voices, Dec. 15), assumes that all students will misuse them. I advise my students to use Cliffs and Monarch Notes in addition to reading the book. I warn them that the notes are just a summary and cannot be substituted for reading the entire book. They can, however, be used to jog the memory.

In this day and age when papers and summaries are easily available on the Internet, it is unrealistic to believe that students won’t use all available sources. It is up to the classroom teacher to assign work that forces the students to analyze rather than regurgitate the literature. If used properly, abbreviated notes can help a student recall details and formulate opinions, but they can never provide enough information to replace thoroughly reading the entire text.

Elaine Herold

Rancho Palos Verdes