If Your
Kids Are Singing the Blues, It May Be in Their Notes
Adrian H.
Cline, Superintendent
Bad grades are a sign that your child needs
help—help that you are in a position to deliver. One place to start is with note-taking
skills, a skill children need to begin to learn as early as elementary
school. Unfortunately, the ability to
take good notes does not come naturally to many students; however, it is
crucial that you help your child understand the importance of note-taking and
keeping notes organized.
To help your child develop note-taking
skills, encourage him or her to follow these guidelines:
§
Setup an
individual folder for each class, or use dividers to keep notes from different
classes and subjects separate.
§
Sit close
to the front of the classroom. It is
easier to avoid distractions.
§
Write your
name, the date, and the topic on every sheet of notes. Number the pages in case your notebook gets
dropped.
§
Carry a
pack of colored pencils to use when drawing slides (in science/biology lab
classes).
§
Use an
outline style. Start with the subject in
all caps and then the notes underneath.
Always leave extra space to summarize notes after class.
§
Do not try to take notes
word for word. Use word association,
signs, and abbreviations.
§
Leave
margin space to add notes later. Write
the book, chapter, or page number of the text that corresponds with the
notes.
§
Pay special
attention and make a note of any information the teacher pauses after or
repeats. It is bound to be important!
§
Take a few
minutes after class or after school to review the notes and fill in any gaps.
§
If it’s allowed, you may
want to take a recorder into class to help you understand your notes better.
Organized, thorough note-taking is a vital
skill that children need to be successful.
Good note-taking will not only help them achieve success in school, but
also in their future careers.
Setting
Limits: Your Teen Still Needs You
“Leave me alone! Why do you have to know everything? It’s my life!”
Although these words are difficult for parents to hear,
adolescents use these words to assert independence. While it is true that you need to give your
teen more freedom and responsibility, he or she still needs your guidance and
discipline.
When your child was younger, it was quite clear that he or
she needed you for survival. Setting
limits ensured his or her well-being and provided safety and security. Now, more than ever, your teen needs
limits. He or she faces many issues that
will greatly impact the rest of his or her life.
Driving, dating, and peer situations pose opportunities for
both growth and problems. Parents who
continue to have expectations give adolescents a sense of security. Although your teen may protest certain
restrictions, the safety and security of knowing his or her limits remains.
Imagine your teen is asked to transport a group of peers to a
forbidden party. Although it wouldn’t be
cool to say, “My mom won’t let me,” pulling out the parental trump card can
provide an easy out. For instance, he or
she might say, “If I don’t have this car home in the next five minutes, I’ll
lose driving privileges for a week.
Sorry, I’m not willing to risk it.”
Although you may not get a thank-you for the limits you set,
you can be assured that your teen will one day realize his or her parents cared
enough to be involved.
The Office of Adrian H. Cline, Superintendent of Schools, is
open from