Notebooks are an essential part of both Reading and Writing Workshops. They're a tool for readers and writers to gather their ideas, record minilesson notes and process their learning. Not to mention, as teachers, we can use notebooks to help teach students essential organizational skills.
This past week, I had the pleasure of presenting to the Winterfield staff on interactive notebooks and all of the teachers took full advantage of the opportunity to personalize their teacher notebooks and start planning for how to have their students organize and utilize notebooks in their classes this year.
I like to think of notebooking in terms of four components:
For more information on these components of notebooking, download my presentation and handout. Lots of suggestions and questions to help get notebooks started in any subject, not just ELA.
Check back soon to find out how we use, organize, launch and grade notebooks in third grade Reading and Writing Workshop once the year starts. Until then, see the resources and quotes below for some serious notebook inspiration!
This past week, I had the pleasure of presenting to the Winterfield staff on interactive notebooks and all of the teachers took full advantage of the opportunity to personalize their teacher notebooks and start planning for how to have their students organize and utilize notebooks in their classes this year.
I like to think of notebooking in terms of four components:
- Notebook Use - How will you use the notebook to support students' work and learning in the classroom?
- Notebook Organization - How will you have students organize their notebooks? Will you use sections, number pages, have a table of contents? Lots to think about!
- Launching the Notebook - How will you launch the notebooks so that you build student ownership?
For more information on these components of notebooking, download my presentation and handout. Lots of suggestions and questions to help get notebooks started in any subject, not just ELA.
Check back soon to find out how we use, organize, launch and grade notebooks in third grade Reading and Writing Workshop once the year starts. Until then, see the resources and quotes below for some serious notebook inspiration!
Favorite Quotes About Notebooking
“Notebooks have embodied the idea that we put bits of our lives and our thinking into print not only to produce compositions but also because we do not want to walk around unwritten” (Calkins 1991 p. 38)
“Writers react. And writers need a place to record those reactions. That’s what a writer’s notebook is for. It gives you a place to write down what makes you angry or sad or amazed, to write down what you noticed and don’t want to forget, to record exactly what your grandmother whispered in your ear before she said good-bye for the last time” (Fletcher 2010, Kindle Locations 62-64)
“A writer’s notebook works just like an incubator: a protective place to keep your infant idea safe and warm, a place for it to grow while it is too young, too new, to survive on its own. In time you may decide to go back to that idea, add to it, change it, or combine it with another idea. In time the idea may grow stronger, strong enough to have other people look at it, strong enough to go out on its own” (Fletcher 2010, Kindle Locations 329-332)
“Keeping a notebook isn’t something you ‘get.’ It’s not a science, there is no one right way. Keeping a notebook is a process. It’s something that ‘gets’ you—leads you from one thought to another until you, too, experience the writer’s joy of discovering something you didn’t know you knew” (Buckner 2005, p. 7)
“A WNB is not a school assignment; it is a life assignment. You can not go through life without expressing your feelings in some way, and this is the perfect way. WNBs shouldn’t just be for kids either, parents and grown-ups should use them too.” – Jeff, eighth grade (Fracareta & Phillips 2000, p. 112)
“Notebooks are…well, it’s like you have sparks from a campfire that could start a fire. They haven’t they could any time.” - Michael Ciccone, first grade (Fletcher 2010, Kindle Locations 1381-1384)
“Notebooks have embodied the idea that we put bits of our lives and our thinking into print not only to produce compositions but also because we do not want to walk around unwritten” (Calkins 1991 p. 38)
“Writers react. And writers need a place to record those reactions. That’s what a writer’s notebook is for. It gives you a place to write down what makes you angry or sad or amazed, to write down what you noticed and don’t want to forget, to record exactly what your grandmother whispered in your ear before she said good-bye for the last time” (Fletcher 2010, Kindle Locations 62-64)
“A writer’s notebook works just like an incubator: a protective place to keep your infant idea safe and warm, a place for it to grow while it is too young, too new, to survive on its own. In time you may decide to go back to that idea, add to it, change it, or combine it with another idea. In time the idea may grow stronger, strong enough to have other people look at it, strong enough to go out on its own” (Fletcher 2010, Kindle Locations 329-332)
“Keeping a notebook isn’t something you ‘get.’ It’s not a science, there is no one right way. Keeping a notebook is a process. It’s something that ‘gets’ you—leads you from one thought to another until you, too, experience the writer’s joy of discovering something you didn’t know you knew” (Buckner 2005, p. 7)
“A WNB is not a school assignment; it is a life assignment. You can not go through life without expressing your feelings in some way, and this is the perfect way. WNBs shouldn’t just be for kids either, parents and grown-ups should use them too.” – Jeff, eighth grade (Fracareta & Phillips 2000, p. 112)
“Notebooks are…well, it’s like you have sparks from a campfire that could start a fire. They haven’t they could any time.” - Michael Ciccone, first grade (Fletcher 2010, Kindle Locations 1381-1384)
Favorite Notebooking Websites
http://schooloffisher.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/interactive-notebooks.html
A ridiculous amount of resources including lots of info about organizing the NB, Cornell Notes & student rubrics. Plus everything posted is FREE to download here: https://sites.google.com/site/schooloffisher/
http://www.julieballew.com/A_Literate_Life/Readers_Notebook.html#14
Organization advice + GREAT ideas for building a reading life unit entries.
http://lifein4b.blogspot.com/p/thoughtful-logs.html
Great example of a NB that uses sections, but does NOT do the left side/right side page rules - more simple!
http://missklohnsclassroom.blogspot.com/2012/09/interactive-student-notebookfinally.html
Lots of ideas for organizational pages that could be included.
http://cafe1123.blogspot.com/p/writers-notebooks.html
Launching & organization advice including author’s/title page example.
http://applesofyoureye.blogspot.com/2012/08/writers-notebook-organization_24.html
Really spectacular entries for developing a “Writing Ideas” section.
Favorite Books on Notebooking
Living Between the Lines by Lucy Calkins
A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You by Ralph Fletcher
Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook by Aimee Buckner
Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader's Notebook by Aimee Buckner
http://schooloffisher.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/interactive-notebooks.html
A ridiculous amount of resources including lots of info about organizing the NB, Cornell Notes & student rubrics. Plus everything posted is FREE to download here: https://sites.google.com/site/schooloffisher/
http://www.julieballew.com/A_Literate_Life/Readers_Notebook.html#14
Organization advice + GREAT ideas for building a reading life unit entries.
http://lifein4b.blogspot.com/p/thoughtful-logs.html
Great example of a NB that uses sections, but does NOT do the left side/right side page rules - more simple!
http://missklohnsclassroom.blogspot.com/2012/09/interactive-student-notebookfinally.html
Lots of ideas for organizational pages that could be included.
http://cafe1123.blogspot.com/p/writers-notebooks.html
Launching & organization advice including author’s/title page example.
http://applesofyoureye.blogspot.com/2012/08/writers-notebook-organization_24.html
Really spectacular entries for developing a “Writing Ideas” section.
Favorite Books on Notebooking
Living Between the Lines by Lucy Calkins
A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You by Ralph Fletcher
Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook by Aimee Buckner
Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader's Notebook by Aimee Buckner