Note Taking
Although online high school programs are offered – well, online, your child should continue and master the practice of note taking. Taking notes can be tricky. If a student picks up only high-level information, he may not easily remember the material upon review. If he takes copious notes with no direction or form, the result could be the same as if he took too few notes. Successful note takers do the following:
Preview Readings
For example, before diving into the next chapter in your textbook, skim through the contents, introduction, and conclusion to get a gist of what you're about to learn.
Glancing over the illustrations, charts, and summaries in the upcoming chapters of your books or study materials give you a brief overview of the topic before you begin reading in detail.
Pay Attention to Boldface Words and Headings
When you're studying, pay close attention to headings and words in boldface, as these will help you understand key terms.
For example, when studying for your literature class, you might realize the headings 'Metaphors' and 'Similes' are highlighted in bold. Because they're in bold, you can know that these are important concepts you need to grasp.
Rework Main Ideas into Concepts You Can Understand
Try to reword the ideas you're learning into concepts that make more sense to you. For example, if you're in economics class, you might be able to better understand the concept of "supply and demand" by reworking it into apples and customers at your local grocery store.
Pay Attention to Captions
If you have any images, graphs, or tables in your study materials, make sure you pay close attention! They can provide you with valuable context and additional information.
Use Different Note Taking Methods
Highlighters (example: highlight all the important dates in your history textbook to spot them easily)
Sticky notes (example: use a sticky note to jot down a quick summary of each page or chapter in your textbook, or place sticky notes with key formulas and equations on the inside page of your math textbook)
Index cards (example: write down questions on one side and answers on the other to test yourself)
Charts and diagrams (example: draw your own charts and diagrams to help you understand what you're reading)
Make sure your notes reference the objectives of each lesson (example: after writing out your notes, makes sure they meet the objectives of that chapter or module)
Read more: A Day in the Life of a High School
