Explicit Instruction of Note Taking Skills

Explicit Instruction of Note Taking Skills
Note taking, and two-column note taking in particular, is integrated into several Keys to Literacy professional development programs. It is used in The Key Comprehension Routine as a strategy for improving reading comprehension. It is used in Keys to Content Writing as a strategy and scaffold for gathering information from sources before writing. It is also used in The Key Vocabulary Routine as a template that can be used to deeply teach academic vocabulary terms. This post provides some suggestions for teaching note taking.
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The Advantage of Taking Notes by Hand

The Advantage of Taking Notes by Hand
Research shows that taking notes by hand is more effective for remembering conceptual information over the long term than taking notes on a computer or laptop.

I recently read two pieces about research conducted by Mueller and Oppenheimer demonstrating that students who write out their notes on paper learn more than students who type notes on laptops. The first was in Scientific American and the second was in KQED Public Radio News.

Because students can type significantly faster than they can write, those who use laptops in the classroom tend to take more notes than those who write them out. At first, this may seem like an advantage....

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Main Idea and Note Taking Tips for Parents

Main Idea and Note Taking Tips for Parents
In August, The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) published in Dyslexia Connection: A Parent Newsletter an article I wrote for parents titled "Helping Your Child with Main Idea and Note Taking Skills".

The article includes suggestions for how parents can help their children develop categorizing and main idea skills. It also presents an overview of the two-column note format that students can use when they are reading for homework...

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Providing Reading Interventions Grades 4-9

Providing Reading Interventions Grades 4-9
A new research guide titled Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4-9 was released recently from the Institute of Education Sciences that summarizes research-based instructional interventions for older students who struggle with reading. The report was written by a panel of reading researchers and practitioners, chaired by Dr. Sharon Vaughn after reviewing the research related to intervention instruction for older students.
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Teaching Literacy Skills Virtually

Teaching Literacy Skills Virtually
During this unprecedented 2020 to 2021 school year educators, students and parents across the country are struggling to adjust to ever-changing instructional models that combine in-person teaching, virtual online instruction, and asynchronous online learning. The numbers of students prior to the pandemic who had difficulty developing grade-level reading and writing skills was already too high, and the disruption to teaching and learning will only make things worse. Reading and writing skills are the foundation of all learning, so we must do the best we can to teach students of all grades the literacy skills they will need to be able to access the content in all subjects that they are missing because of the Covid-19 pandemic. I have met and heard about so many dedicated literacy educators and organizations who are meeting the challenge by developing resources to teach literacy skills virtually. This month's post will focus on resources for teaching reading and writing virtually.
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Literacy in Every Classroom

Literacy in Every Classroom
The focus of the February 2017 issue of Educational Leadership is “Literacy in Every Classroom”. The journal has several excellent articles aligned to our work at Keys to Literacy. Only members of ASCD can access the full edition, but there are a few articles that are available free to the public. I have listed them below and added notes connecting the instructional practices suggested by the authors with our Keys to Literacy teacher training routines.
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The ANSWER Writing Routine

The ANSWER Writing Routine
This professional development addresses written responses to question prompts based on text and non-text sources. This kind of combined comprehension-writing task is often found on writing assessments such as standardized state tests, high-school SAT’s, and benchmark on-demand classroom writing. Teachers learn how to prepare students to independently complete these kinds of tasks by teaching a specific routine for writing from sources that is practiced throughout the school year using subject area text.
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Pen and Paper Reign Supreme

Pen and Paper Reign Supreme
Technology has certainly made our lives easier, and who isn’t grateful for that? But, there are certain things I prefer to do the old fashioned way. For example, I still balance my checkbook using a pencil and paper – never a calculator. For some reason, I feel more confident about the results when I do the work myself. Similarly, when I attend a workshop, I leave my laptop at home in favor of a traditional pen and notebook so I can take notes by hand.

I marvel at my friends who are able to use technology with ease to accomplish these same tasks. For me, the act of “putting pencil to paper” helps me process content much more deeply. All of my life, I attributed this to my learning style, but I recently read an article in The Atlantic that gave validity to my preferred method of note taking.....
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ACCESSING KEYS TO LITERACY PD DURING SCHOOL CLOSURES

We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and the impact on our employees and the schools where we provide professional development.

During this time period when onsite, face-to-face training and coaching is not possible, we offer multiple options for accessing our literacy PD content and instructional practices.

If you are a current or new partner, explore our website or contact us to learn more about:

info@keystoliteracy.com
978-948-8511