Q&A: Can we talk about notebooks?

We haven’t talked much about reading/writing notebooks around here since the early days of COVID school, when digital notebooks were the only thing that made sense to me. (You can find ye olde post here.)

But there has been notebook chatter in our community chat this month, and I thought it would be worth revisiting not simply what notebooks are but what they can be for student readers and writers. And also how we might deepen students’ notebook work to make them more effective.

Here’s what we’re going to chat about today:

• What kind of notebook?

• What stuff goes in it?

• How should it be organized?

• To grade or not to grade?

• 10 Ideas for Taking Notebook Engagement Up a Notch

I have fewer firm, all-in opinions about notebooks than almost any other element of my classroom (except my all-in opinion that keeping them is a MUST), so I’m going to share a range of options that I’ve tried, what others have tried, and what I’m liking best right now.