Since our kids are zooming classes virtually everyday, and I'm required to proctor their tests, I"m getting a much better sense of how well they take notes. I'm also getting a better understanding of how quickly their teachers speak and the amount of information they are giving. I'm also seeing first hand how much the teachers rely on their notes, even smallest details, to create their tests. Most of my kids' teachers provide a study guide for the tests however, i'm finding that they leave little details out that end up on the tests. I'm not really complaining about any of this since I know my middle schoolers will run into fast-talking, tricky teachers in high school and in college so taking detailed notes is a skill they will need to develop. However, my 7th graders are not fast notetakers. I'd say they were average, with my dd being a much better note taker than her twin brother. Right now they are fortunate in that they are virtual learning together so while she is taking detailed notes, he's taking screen shots and fewer notes. Both of them say they have to work quickly to make sure they don't miss any details the teacher is providing. I frequently hear DD give an exasperated sigh while she tries to keep up.

Do any of your schools offer note-taking courses? Do you have any suggestions of books or online courses we could take? Fast note taking was something i struggled with in college although I did well and kept up in high school. I've always thought that learning a short hand method would have been helpful. I've looked into it recently for my twins but there are different types and some take months to learn. I'd prefer to try something easier if possible. We did talk about using more symbols and abbreviations in their notes. I just think they need a better system.

Any suggestions?