Learning to take Notes

Learning to take notes is a very important skill. Many older children have difficulty taking notes and putting information they read into their own words. I often ask students to explain to me what their notes mean, and many times they are unable to do so. When this happens, I explain to the child that they should only be writing something once they have actually "learned" it, not just copy the information. I great way to teach and strengthen note taking skills, is to take notes from a video. Students can take notes about what they see happening in the film, what they infer is happening and why, and information that is spoken during the film. I encourage the students to use a mix of sketches, labels, and jot notes. Following the video, I ask the students to share what they learned using their notes as reminders. Once the students feel comfortable with note taking, we will start exercises using text for research.