Are MCPS high schoolers expected to take notes?

[Anonymous]

And if so, how much?
My child has slow processing speed, and I'm wondering how to address his difficulty taking notes going into high school next year.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My daughter's teachers have always given the students a study guide & while the teacher discusses the material, my daughter will either highlight the area that the teacher emphasizes that they'll need to know for a test, or if she doesn't have a highlighter she'll underline it.

She's a junior & it's been this way since her freshman year.

[Anonymous]

That’s insane they will have to take notes in college. My kids go to private and they absolutely take notes and are taught the best methods for doing so. I have kids with learning differences too BTW.

[Anonymous]

My DS has been taking notes since 5th grade or so. If your child has an IEP, one accommodation can be a copy of the notes from the teacher. He should be taking notes right now in MS.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks. Apparently in 8th grade, the teachers distribute notes at the end of class, or they have worksheets to fill out during class that then become notes. He has never had to take traditional, completely self-initiated notes while a teacher is lecturing.

Is there any point where MCPS teaches this skill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. Thanks. Apparently in 8th grade, the teachers distribute notes at the end of class, or they have worksheets to fill out during class that then become notes. He has never had to take traditional, completely self-initiated notes while a teacher is lecturing.

Is there any point where MCPS teaches this skill?

Mine is in 9th grade at an MCPS high school & it's the same as above.

In History let's say, they're given a study booklet of about 10 pages or less that addresses the time in history that they're studying that week (my DD is currently studying about The Cold War, but prior to this it was Japanese internment camps after Pearl Harbor, yellow journalism, etc).

The teacher & class goes over a few pages each day together & my DD makes notes & underlines in the booklet what she needs to study for the week for her test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And if so, how much?
My child has slow processing speed, and I'm wondering how to address his difficulty taking notes going into high school next year.

Thanks!

OP this is interesting as I came here to ask about study habits for my DS - who also has slow processing + ADHD

We've come to realize that DS has no idea how to study or take notes. I've tried helping him with this, but it always ends up in an argument. So now we need to hire a tutor just to teach him HOW to study and take notes.

[Anonymous]

Most students don't know how to study or take notes. They have to be taught. My DS is going to a study skills course this summer that teaches those 2 things. His notes are okay but I think they could be better. His teachers don't give out organizers. They just have to take notes in their notebook. He's in 8th grade in a Catholic school. They do teach them how to take notes from a book but I think he needs more instruction on how to take good notes from a lecture since that it most of college if you are in a liberal arts school. Studying is something they don't really teach them how to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most students don't know how to study or take notes. They have to be taught. My DS is going to a study skills course this summer that teaches those 2 things. His notes are okay but I think they could be better. His teachers don't give out organizers. They just have to take notes in their notebook. He's in 8th grade in a Catholic school. They do teach them how to take notes from a book but I think he needs more instruction on how to take good notes from a lecture since that it most of college if you are in a liberal arts school. Studying is something they don't really teach them how to do.

This is CRAZY! I went to Catholic school my whole life, and study skills was something that was literally drilled into my head on a daily basis. What a sad situation we're finding ourselves in

[Anonymous]

I think the problem with classroom wide “study skills” training is that it will ignore the fact that everyone learns differently.

DH has pretty much a photographic memory for a lot of things. He’s actually been chastised in adult life for not taking notes in meetings. He honestly doesn’t need them- what he needs is to pay attention. The flip side of this is He’s not good with certain kinds of distractions while his brain is “processing”.

I’m an avid note taker and highlighter when I read. The way I do my notes would probably be useless to anyone borrowing my notes. That being said, I’m good with all kind stuff of distractions and the like.

OP, my question toyiu would be, does you child have slow processing due to a special need, or is this something that he just needs to stretch in himself to become effective with? I’d probably get a tutor that can see how your child learned, and tailor study skills to that. Sooner or later, notes aren’t going to be handed out. That may be next year in high school, or ten years in the workforce. He is going to have to find his own way of learning.

[Anonymous]

Ask if the student can bring recording devices to the classroom and then record the lecture.

Some colleges allow it to students with disabilities though there are rules around it -

https://ars.unc.edu/faculty-staff/students-using-recording-devices-class

[Anonymous]

My 2 MCPS kids both have binders which they take notes in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with classroom wide “study skills” training is that it will ignore the fact that everyone learns differently.

DH has pretty much a photographic memory for a lot of things. He’s actually been chastised in adult life for not taking notes in meetings. He honestly doesn’t need them- what he needs is to pay attention. The flip side of this is He’s not good with certain kinds of distractions while his brain is “processing”.

I’m an avid note taker and highlighter when I read. The way I do my notes would probably be useless to anyone borrowing my notes. That being said, I’m good with all kind stuff of distractions and the like.

OP, my question toyiu would be, does you child have slow processing due to a special need, or is this something that he just needs to stretch in himself to become effective with? I’d probably get a tutor that can see how your child learned, and tailor study skills to that. Sooner or later, notes aren’t going to be handed out. That may be next year in high school, or ten years in the workforce. He is going to have to find his own way of learning.

OP here.

Excellent point, thank you.

This is complex. My son's low processing speed is associated with his ADHD (distractions), but also his perfectionism (he has his own high standard), and dysgraphia (both handwriting and typing). Additionally, I think Asperger's tendencies come into play in the sense that he often doesn't understand what the teacher is really getting at: whether DS has to produce a basic or complex answer is not obvious to him, because it involves awareness of social cues and understanding of the world. But I think there is a large component that is just... his own intrinsic slowness!

[Anonymous]

My 5th grader takes notes daily in social studies (small private school). The teacher gives a daily presentation on the lesson (American revolution, colonists, etc) and the kids take notes. She also makes a study guide available on the class website for studying for tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem with classroom wide “study skills” training is that it will ignore the fact that everyone learns differently.

DH has pretty much a photographic memory for a lot of things. He’s actually been chastised in adult life for not taking notes in meetings. He honestly doesn’t need them- what he needs is to pay attention. The flip side of this is He’s not good with certain kinds of distractions while his brain is “processing”.

I’m an avid note taker and highlighter when I read. The way I do my notes would probably be useless to anyone borrowing my notes. That being said, I’m good with all kind stuff of distractions and the like.

OP, my question toyiu would be, does you child have slow processing due to a special need, or is this something that he just needs to stretch in himself to become effective with? I’d probably get a tutor that can see how your child learned, and tailor study skills to that. Sooner or later, notes aren’t going to be handed out. That may be next year in high school, or ten years in the workforce. He is going to have to find his own way of learning.

OP here.

Excellent point, thank you.

This is complex. My son's low processing speed is associated with his ADHD (distractions), but also his perfectionism (he has his own high standard), and dysgraphia (both handwriting and typing). Additionally, I think Asperger's tendencies come into play in the sense that he often doesn't understand what the teacher is really getting at: whether DS has to produce a basic or complex answer is not obvious to him, because it involves awareness of social cues and understanding of the world. But I think there is a large component that is just... his own intrinsic slowness!

You just described my 16yr old DS. This is so complex, I truly don't know how to approach this but we need to get on this asap if DS has any hopes of going to college.