SparkNotes: To Use or Not To Use?
Hello readers!
This is a very popular subject among teachers and students because SparkNotes is so popular.
I wanted to give some insight by someone who loves to read and loves my literature classes, on what I think SparkNotes’ role is in the classroom. Students using SparkNotes can make a make or break a reading habit.
Let’s jump in!
What is SparkNotes?
This is a totally valid question because before high school, I had no idea it existed.
SparkNotes is a website that has guides, summary chapters, and various other categories to help people understand books.
They have thousands of books, poems, and plays to get information about. It is a great resource to get essay question ideas and to test your knowledge of the book because they have quizzes and questions.
The good side of SparkNotes.
I have used SparkNotes a lot throughout my schooling. Which many people are shocked to find out because of how much I love to read.
SparkNotes can be a great friend when you are studying for finals or working on an essay. You may say “oh I remember this character said something that would be a great quote.” Chances are you don’t remember exactly where that quote is but SparkNotes gives chapter summaries where you can get a general sense of what is happening.
It is a great supplementary tool to use because books can be confusing. I used it a lot when reading Les Miserables because there was a lot of history and characters that I would get mixed up. But SparkNotes really helped me get through the dense novel.
Students using SparkNotes can really help getting into a story and getting facts they know they can trust.
The bad side of SparkNotes.
All good things can always be abused. Unfortunately, SparkNotes is no exception.
Students using SparkNotes instead of reading the book is not good. The summaries are useful but they don’t give as much info as reading the book does.
Although many students get by with just reading summaries, there is nothing like having the satisfaction of reading a whole book.
How to use SparkNotes correctly.
First off, read the book! Then if you are confused, use SparkNotes.
The best thing about the website is being able to test your knowledge of the book and realizing you may not have caught everything.
Lastly, I use the Main Ideas section to see if there is anything I missed after I read the book.
In Conclusion.
It is important for students to have secondary resources because some classic literature, especially translated literature, can be hard to understand.
Especially for those students who are nervous to ask teachers and professors for help, SparkNotes can help make sure they are getting the knowledge they need.
Over to you.
Do you use SparkNotes, or do you let your kids use it for school? I’d love to know your opinions in the comments!
“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.” ― Lemony Snicket
I’ve never heard of Spark Notes, which is why I wanted to read your post! It sounds like an updated version of Coles Notes that I used back in high school (I’m old, this was pre-internet haha). But they’re pretty handy as a supplement to actually reading the book.
I agree! I love reading books but also reading SparkNotes helps me learn more than I would the first read-through.
It’s my first time hearing this tool for schooling – sounds like a good idea for learning 🙂 but I agree that reading is still a must!