LAUNCHING

NOTEBOOKS AND
WRITING WORKSHOP
Upper Grade Professional Development
P.S. 171
Presentation by Stacey Shubitz
Friday, September 1st, 2006
 Idea Notebooks
• A portable writer’s notebook is used to
record wonderings, observations,
overheard conversations, sketches,
etc.
• Students need a pen or pencil to carry
along with their notebook.
• Author Lester Laminack calls his Idea
Notebook a “Spy Notebook.” He never
leaves home without his secret weapon
(pen) and something to write about.
– Cute idea for younger kids… might not
work in 5th, 6th and 7th grades.
We Want Kids To Know Four Major Things
About Collecting Entries In Their Writer’s
Notebooks
• Within the
personal
narrative unit:
– Process
– Qualities of
Good Writing
– Volume
– Conventions
This slide, and the four that follow, are adapted from a
presentation at T.C. by Grace Chough, 8/17/06.
 How Writers Fit
Notebooks Into The
Writing Process

Adapted from the work of Randy Bomer,

A Time For Meaning.
 Process Goals

• How to get started (on an

entry)
• What to do when you get
stuck.
• How to go from one entry
to the next (entry).
– NO CLOSED
NOTEBOOKS!
 Qualities of Good Writing
Goals
• Focus
• Entries are easy to follow
• Appropriate use of…
– Dialogue
– Sensory description
• Knowing the difference
between a summary and a
detailed retelling
• Crafting strong leads and
endings
• Development of the internal
story
• Show, not tell.
• Stories have a structure
 Volume Goals

• About 2 entries/day.
• Approximately 12
entries/week.
• If students are
publishing 1 ½ pages of
writing, then you should
expect their entries to
be about 1 page long.
 Conventions Goals
(within notebook entries)
• Ending Punctuation
– Making appropriate choices about when to
use periods, exclamation points and
question marks.
• Paragraphing
– Whenever there’s a new person
introduced, a new person talking or there’s
a move to a different place.
We can’t ask our students
to do what we won’t do,
so…
• Now it’s your turn to try it.
• By the end of this session you’ll
have five entries in your writer’s
notebook.
– All of these entries are directly
related to five minilessons you might
teach during the first two weeks of
school.
– Your entries could be used as
demonstration texts for your
 “Observation of the
Room” Strategy
• Read the room right now.
• Write a quick entry about what you’re
noticing, how you feel about being
back at school today, an overheard
conversation or anything else you wish
to record about what’s happening in
here this morning.
• You will not have to share this entry
with anyone!
• This is the type of “Idea Notebook”
entry you’ll want your kids to write.
“Meaningful Place”
Strategy
• Think of a meaningful
place.
– It could be anything
from the kitchen table in
the home where you
grew up to your favorite
beach in Florida.
• List small moments
related to that place.
• Write about one of
those small moments
in your writer’s
notebook.
 “Look at a Photograph”
Strategy
• Study the photograph.
• Think about:
– Who or what is pictured?
– Where was the picture
taken?
– When was the picture
taken?
– Why did you choose this
photo to bring in today?
• Write about the small
moment related to the
photograph.
 “Think of a Person”
Strategy
• Think about a
person who is
important to you
(living or
deceased).
• List as many small
moments as you
can about that
person.
• Write about one of
those small
moments with
“Look at an Object”
Strategy
• Examine the object
closely.
– When did you get it?
– Where did you buy or
acquire it from?
– Who gave it to you?
– Why is it important?
• List everything!
• Write a small
moment entry
related to this
object.
 Q&A
• Questions
• Comments
• Concerns
 Conferring During
September

The following slides serve as

additional support for conferences
you might hold during the first
month of school.
 Sample Questions for the
“Research” Stage of your R-D-T
Conference
SITUATION CONFERENCE QUESTION(S)
The writing is unfocused. •What’s the most important part of your story?
•What do you want your reader to know after reading
this story?
The writing covers several events or ideas. •Which of these events/ideas is the most important to
you?
The writing lacks depth and information. •Can you tell me more about _____________?

The writing contains too much information.
The piece just lists information and doesn’t contain the
writers thoughts and feelings.
The lead does not draw the reader into the writing
effectively.
The conclusion is too sudden or drags on.
A narrative piece makes limited use of dialogue.
•Can you point to the most important part of this piece?
•Can you underline the most important thing you want
your reader to know?
•Why is this piece important to you?
•How did you feel when this was happening?
•Why did you choose to start your story this way?
•What’s the first image in your mind when you think of
this story?
•What feeling did you want the reader to share at the
end of your story?
•Was anyone talking when this happened.

The writing is poorly organized. •Can you retell the story to me?
•Tell me a little bit about the plan you made to get to
this point…

Chart adapted from Atwell (1987) and Anderson (2002). Conference questions generated by Matthews & Shubitz (2006).
 A Hierarchy of What Matters Most When
Conferring During This Unit of Study

Adapted from the work of Jen Serravallo (2006).

 Conferring Menu
Sample Writing Conference Teaching Points
Topic Genre Focus Structure Elaboration Word Convention
Choice Choice s
Writers think Writers ask Writers make Writers Writers add Writers Writers begin
of an themselves, a timeline of describe the more choose a new
important what is the all the main setting relevant words that paragraph
person and heart of my events and clearly detail to the are specific when
the story? then circle (without heart of their and someone
memories one part of including story. appropriate. new is
connected the timeline unnecessary talking. They
with that (and then sensory use
person. stretch out details). quotation
that part). marks to
show when
Writers think Writers write Writers ask Writers Writers show, Writers use Writers
that person
of an their stories themselves, stretch out not tell. specific capitalize
is talking.
important in sequential “Is there a the most nouns proper nouns
place and list order. clear important throughout as they write.
memories beginning, part of their their story.
connected middle and story.
with that end to my
place. story?”
Writers focus Writers PARTNER Writers start ADVANCED Writers use Writers use
on small determine CONFERNECE their stories OPTION: specific appropriate
moments the most OPTION: with the lead Writers push verbs that punctuation
(seed-sized important Writers that hooks themselves represent and the end
stories) event or idea sometimes their reader to say more actions. of every
rather than they wish to recruit (an action, by writing sentence.
giant tell about readers who surprise or twin
watermelon and then can tell them dialogue). sentences.
topics. write about where places
that small in their draft
moment. are
confusing.
Teaching points created by Matthews & Shubitz (2006).
 Management Tips
to establish during the first weeks of school

1. Always work towards independence.

2. Don’t be afraid to use Workshop time to teach management.
• What to do when you’re done with an entry.
• My job/your job in a conference.
3. Make sure you’re building stamina.
4. Use mid-workshop interruptions to give students a break.
• Can be compliments that reflect independence.
5. Create word walls and portable spelling lists (for WW folders) to
help students with their spelling.
6. Self-Assignment Boxes (see next slide)
7. Compliment Conferences
• Quick conferences that consist of 1-2 research questions, then give the
student a “paragraph worth of speech” as a compliment. Then, move
on!
8. Teach-Only Conference
• Drop a teaching point to kids as you work the room.
• Example: “Oh, don’t forget to do _______________.”
9. Build-in time to move around the room to see what’s going on in-
between conferences.
Adapted from a presentation at T.C. by Jen Serravallo, 8/18/06.
 “Self-Assignment Boxes” in
Writer’s Notebooks
EXAMPLE #1: EXAMPLE #2:

Pick another entry Write a scene

from my where I show the
notebook and internal and
rewrite it in tiny external story.
little steps.
 Closing Quotations
• “Walk through life like a writer.” --Lucy
Calkins
• “Tell the truth about your life and
what’s really going on.” --Georgia
Heard
• “We know the truth of ordinary life
events. Everything doesn’t end with
‘happily ever after’.” --Georgia Heard
• “Careful control in craft makes for
artful writing.” --Lester Laminack