"I Don't Know What to Write About."

"I Don't Know What to Write About."

For those of you who know me, you know that one of the greatest joys in my role as a literacy specialist is working with young writers.  When I observe those students who are reluctant writers, I find that the biggest obstacle is that they don't know what to write about or so they believe.  The first thing I encourage them to do, as well as their teachers, is to keep a writer's notebook with the first entries to be of things that they notice.

Ralph Fletcher says, “Writers are like other people, except for at least one important difference. Other people have daily thoughts and feelings, notice this sky or that smell, but they don’t do much about it. All those thoughts, feelings, sensations, and opinions pass through them like the air they breathe. Not writers. Writers react.”  

One way to react is to record their reactions in a notebook...just like these two young girls who were recently featured on The Today Show.  Watch the clip yourself or show it to your students.  Get inspired to start notebooking and never have to wonder what to write about again.

http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50506311#50506311

This blurb comes from http://lookinatliteracy.blogspot.com/ with Mary Huberty. Mary and I worked on a Notebooking Two District Partnership with UWGB. Notebooking is an exciting way to get kids excited and ready to write.