Note-Taking Interventions to Assist Students With Disabilities in Content Area Classes

Abstract

As high-stakes testing, Common Core, and state standards become the new norms in schools, teachers are tasked with helping all students meet specific benchmarks. In conjunction with the influx of more students with disabilities being included in inclusive and general education classrooms where lectures with note-taking comprise a majority of instruction, teachers must find ways to assist all students in their classes, especially students with disabilities. For these students to learn efficiently, note-taking becomes a critical skill for their success. This article addresses the demands placed on students during class lectures, difficulties they experience with note-taking, specific accommodations for students with disabilities, and practical ways in which teachers can help students successfully record notes in content area classes.

Keywords:

• learning disabilities
• note-taking
• study skills, writing

Funding

The research reported here was supported in part by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant #R324A12040913 to Temple University. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Institute or of the U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joseph R. Boyle

Joseph R. Boyle is an associate professor of special education in the College of Education at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His research interests include examining the effectiveness of teaching techniques and interventions for students with mild disabilities in general education and inclusive classrooms.

Gina A. Forchelli

Gina A. Forchelli is a doctoral candidate in the Department of School Psychology in the College of Education at Temple University. Her research interests have focused on the assessment of cognitive abilities, mainly working memory, and its effect on academic skill development.

Kaitlyn Cariss

Kaitlyn Cariss is a doctoral student in the Department of School Psychology in the College of Education at Temple University. Her current research interests include academic interventions for students with learning disabilities, working memory, and the effects of neglect and institutionalization on development.