April 04, 2007
I offer a 'note exchange' because many students have difficulties with fine motor skills and auditory processing. Students need to practice note taking skills in preparation for high school, but they need to do it in safe circumstances. They worry about keeping up and getting all of the main points down correctly. I ask students to take notes and write down the key ideas during a lecture. Afterwards, I collect their notes and make sure that they made a concerted effort throughout the entirety of the lecture (rather than just the first few minutes). I also reward students with a typed copy of my lecture notes, which I prepared beforehand. This process allows me to model note taking (which is not done often for students) and to take away their anxiety about the process and allow them to truly practice.