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Education

Take Note:
Your Children Shouldn’t Just Listen in School, They Should Write Down the Details
By Carol A. Josel

Lecture notes sure come in handy—and we teachers always remind students to take them, store them, and study them. If they want to keep up, participate, and shine on tests, take notes. No problem or complaints from some. Others groan, though, when it’s get-it-all-down time. What about your child? Circle any of these comments if they sound evenly vaguely familiar: 

1. “Note-taking’s boring.”

2. “I can’t keep up.”

3. “It makes my hand hurt.”

4. “I lose track of what s/he’s saying.”

5. “I can’t read my own writing.”

6. “I’m always losing them.”

7. “I don’t bother taking any.”

Any circles? I’m not surprised.  Good listening and note-taking skills are hard to come by—but crucial. Good grades depend on them. As a sixth-grader said to me once, “To learn you have to really listen; otherwise, you won’t know what’s going on.”

If your kids aren’t listening and taking down copious notes or at least jotting down the details that can help them remember the substance of a lesson, they become ensnared in the pitfalls all along the way, from the very first word uttered to the very last “Finally...” To help, begin by making sure there’s a separate “Notes” section in your child’s binder for each major subject. Then, keep the conversation going and keep your children tuned in with these tips:

1. Write your name, date, and page number in the upper right-hand corner of each page.

2. Read in advance about an upcoming topic to better grasp future lectures. 

3. To avoid losing focus, sit up front; then pretend the teacher is talking only to you.

4. Take notes on only one side of the paper, leaving the other for added notations.

5. Listen first, then write, jotting down only what you DON’T already know.

6. Don’t try to record every word; instead, note main ideas and important facts/details.

7. Try to use your own words.

8. Don’t write in complete sentences.

9. Abbreviate as much as possible.

10. Indent to show relationships among ideas, facts, and details: Main points and definition; secondary points and supplementary details; examples

11. Take note of information written on the board and mark it with an OB (on board).

12. Write “R” when something has been repeated.

13. Write EX beside examples.

14. Take special note of introductions and summaries.

15. Leave blanks for missed information and ask a friend/teacher for it after class. Never interrupt the lecture for it.

16. Keep taking notes during class discussions.

17. Don’t stop writing until class ends.

18. That afternoon/evening “repair” notes so they’re complete and legible.

19. During the first go-through, highlight important dates, facts, events, etc.

20. Review notes several times a week—and always out loud.

There are also signals of importance your child should listen for, watch for, and take note of. These include such phrases as, “The chief cause was...,” “Most importantly...,” “First of all...,” “As a result of...,” “Therefore...,” and “To summarize...”

Along with what’s said, what’s not said matters, too. When teachers pause, repeat information, or jot items on the board, they’re “saying” that this material is important. Other clues include slowed pacing, a raised or lowered voice, direct eye contact, and dramatic gestures. As Dante suggested long ago, “He listens well who takes notes.”

There’s just no way around it. Knowing how, that’s the trick. Practicing these tips can help make it so. 

Carol Josel is a freelance writer and former teacher from Blue Bell, Pa., a student teacher supervisor at Gwynedd Mercy College, and has authored “Other-Wise and School-Wise: A Parent Guidebook,” among other books.