Teaching Effective Note-Taking in the Classroom

Note-taking in class is essential, especially for students with working memory challenges. These students often struggle to hold onto key points during lessons, making it harder for them to process, recall, and build on what they’ve learned. Effective note-taking provides a reliable system to capture and organise information, reducing the strain on their memory and improving their ability to follow along.

For instance, a student with working memory issues may jot down incomplete or fragmented points, leaving them frustrated and less engaged when revisiting their notes. The problem also arises when a student cannot take notes and concentrate, so they either engage with taking the notes OR the lesson and not both.

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Classroom

Working memory

Teaching Effective Note-Taking in the Classroom

Teaching Effective Note-Taking in the Classroom

For students with lower working memory scores

Secondary (ages 11-14)

Model the Process: Show students how to summarise key points using methods like Cornell Notes or mind mapping. Demonstrate with examples on the board. To see more examples you can look at this article.

Cornell Notes See the official guide and printable template from Cornell’s Learning Strategies Center. lsc.cornell.edu+1

Flow notes for processes, causes and effects (boxes/arrows to show sequences and relationships). Clear overview of when flowcharts/mind-maps help. The Learning Scientists

Charting for comparisons (e.g., theory | definition | advantages | limitations | example). University learning centres explain how and when to use the charting method.Learning Center+2learningcenters.rutgers.edu+2

Focus on Keywords: Teach students to identify and record main ideas rather than writing verbatim. Use tools like highlighting or underlining to emphasise importance.

Use Visuals: Encourage visual aids like diagrams or charts to represent complex information in an accessible way.

Offer Scaffolding: For those who struggle, provide pre-made templates or partially completed notes they can build on during lessons.

Regular Review: Build in time to review notes together, identifying strengths and areas to improve. This is the most important, as any good note taking strategy needs to work for them.

Cornell Notes for talks/videos (cue questions → concise notes → 3–4 sentence summary). See the official guide and printable template from Cornell’s Learning Strategies Center. lsc.cornell.edu+1
Flow notes for processes, causes and effects (boxes/arrows to show sequences and relationships). Clear overview of when flowcharts/mind-maps help. The Learning Scientists

What to Do If Students Are Struggling

Adapt Methods: Introduce digital tools like Otter.ai or mind-mapping apps for students who find manual note-taking difficult.

Peer Support: Pair students with peers who can share effective strategies.
SENCo Collaboration: If challenges persist, work with the SENCo to identify additional interventions, i.e. note-taking training.

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