“Rules for Keeping Track of Assignments.” Display these in the classroom:
- Write your assignment exactly as your teacher gives it.
- Write the word “book,” “workbook,” or “worksheet.”
- Write the page number.
- Write all important information, such as “Part A, numbers 1 – 10.”
- Write the day and date (and class period if applicable) the assignment is due.
- Have parent initial the assignment planner / sheet.
Note Taking
- Provide a skeleton outline that includes the main ideas so students fill in supporting details
- Copy a reliable student’s notes to supplement the student’s notes.
- Allow time at the end of class for students to compare notes with peers or the teacher.
- Use a handout or class instruction to show a model set of notes before note taking is completed.
- Have students skilled in note taking sit near a student with special needs. Encourage note sharing.
- Provide drill in finding subheadings to determine if students noted all main ideas. Show completed notes during class.
- Allow students time to correct notes, review concepts, or read another student’s notes to check for note completeness.
- Highlight important sections of class notes.
- Encourage students to balance their notes with images and words, and to take notes in colored pencils.
- Explicitly teacher note taking and shortcuts in note taking.
- Consider accepting a set of rewritten and illustrated notes as an alternative to an assignment.
~Thanks to KPBSD school psychologist, Dr. Terese Kashi for
providing the information for this series of newsletter articles