Notetaking Skills

[Anonymous]

My 8th grader is not taking notes in any of his classes. So far, he's been able to get away with that and still get good grades, but obviously that is going to need to change. We've lectured him on all the reasons why (although I'm sure he wasn't paying attention). Does anybody know of good resources on how to take notes in class? Youtube video or something similar?

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/taking-notes/cornell-note-taking-system/

I made my kids (7th and 9th) watch this video this summer, then choose a TED talk and take notes from it. They each decided they preferred a different method, and they seem to be actually taking notes this year. But if teachers are giving study guides for tests, your son won't have an incentive to take notes, although that will come to an end in high school.

[Anonymous]

This is great. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Yeah, what is up with not taking notes. What's the notebook and binder for? Do they just type all the notes into the Chromebook? I doubt they type so fast.
Do kids study for tests anymore?

[Anonymous]

I never took notes and managed to get through law school that way. If you listen and have a book to read, notes are relatively pointless. They help some people, but I've never seen the benefit to taking dictation during class

[Anonymous]

note taking skill is so critically important in HS but even more so in college/post college education.

[Anonymous]

My DS, in his first yr of college, has reported that he has one professor who doesn't allow laptops in lecture because he finds the typing to be too distracting. DS said that it was like deer in headlights on the first day when that rule was announced because so many aren't used to having to write things down.

He wanted to let me know that the money we spent on the executive skills tutor was paying off because he was one of the few not struggling to take manual notes.

Yeah, son, that's why we got the tutor. And you know, to help you even GET to college. But sure, it's paying off NOW.

[Anonymous]

My 9th grader also is not taking any notes in any classes. It drives me crazy.

[Anonymous]

Grade schools no longer teach students how to take notes. they just give them handouts, web links, or fill-in-the-blank worksheets to study. Notetaking is an artform. When we moved out of NOVA for another part of Virginia, our middle schooler struggled because the students at her new middle school know how to take notes and are expected to. We're still working on it. She is behind in part because it was not a taught skill, and also some stubbornness.

[Anonymous]

^^Also, throw in a year and a half of virtual learning for the win!

[Anonymous]

I was educated in another country. Class notes were graded by some teachers. We learned very quickly how to take notes.

[Anonymous]

My 6th grader is learning to do it. She is finding that it's not just about taking notes, that good notetaking requires active listening, discerning what's important and what's not, and distilling that information so that she only writes down the important points. In the process, she's learning the material, and has an easier time when it comes to remembering what's being taught, but it also helps in other areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/taking-notes/cornell-note-taking-system/

I made my kids (7th and 9th) watch this video this summer, then choose a TED talk and take notes from it. They each decided they preferred a different method, and they seem to be actually taking notes this year. But if teachers are giving study guides for tests, your son won't have an incentive to take notes, although that will come to an end in high school.

really helpful. Thanks.

Question for you: how are the 2methods that you reference different?

[Anonymous]

Our middle school teaches the kids different methods of note taking the first two years. Some teachers prefer a specific method and have note checks, others let the kids decide what to use. By 8th grade the kids are completely on their own for notes.

I did hear my son groan when a teacher said they had to use Connell notes.

[Anonymous]

Have your kid pick a topic they are interested in. Find a 15-20 minute YouTube on the topic. Watch it together and each of you take notes. When it’s done, compare notes. Talk about what you each learned. (I have a couple of pages of notes on the optimal skateboards to use for different tricks, for example. That’s what my kid was interested in at the time so that’s what we watched). Your child can look at your notes as an example for next time. If you do this once a week or so for several weeks, you’ll connect with your kid on an area of interest and your kid will have some practice in this skill area.