Grammar Interactive Notebook Checklist
Since the publication of Erin Cobb’s wonderful Interactive GRAMMAR Notebook in 2014, the sale of Interactive Notebooks (INBs) in every subject area has boomed on such key teacher-author curriculum sites as Teachers Pay Teachers.
To say that Erin has been successful is an understatement. As of this writing, her interactive grammar notebook has sold over 30,000 downloads with 6,958 reviews (most all gushingly supportive and/or at least thankful in order to receive the 5% credit for a rating and review on the Teachers Pay Teachers site).
Erin has also been influential. Her clever grammar activities, foldable templates, cover art, and incredibly low price have set the standard for other interactive notebooks. Erin is also prolific. The number of her Lovin Lit products increases at a seemingly exponential rate.
Although secure in her market share of interactive grammar notebooks because of Teacher Pay Teachers page/site position by sales and reviews and Erin’s renowned customer service, any industry standard can be improved upon… After all, “New and Improved” is the American way.
Rather than a specific critique of what an interactive notebook should not be (see my article titled “10 Reasons Not to Use Interactive Notebooks”), let’s learn from Erin’s example and the improvements other teacher-authors have made to the interactive notebook style of instruction for grammar. Here’s a checklist of what to look for in your first grammar INB or if you’re looking for a “New and Improved” version of a grammar INB.
The ideal grammar interactive notebook should include the following characteristics:
- Less class time wasted… no more than ninety minutes of instructional time per week… two lessons of 45 minutes each seems to be ideal (you do have other subjects to teach)
- More focus on concepts and skills, less focus on art work
- Cute, but not too cute with fonts and graphics which do not get in the way of clarity and purpose
- Less mess and less waste. Keep on the good side of your custodian
- Minimal prep for each lesson… teach on the fly. Good curriculum is user-friendly.
- A completed teacher INB for absent students to copy
- Clear, consistent, and simple directions to be user-friendly to students and so that a new teacher or substitute could teach any lesson with success
- Less simplistic copying and more time in truly interactive learning via writing down relevant examples, highlighting, annotation, making connections… in short, student response to teacher-provided content… that’s interactive learning
- Rigorous, grade-level Standards-based lessons based upon a balance of grammar, usage, and mechanics. Check for specific grade-level Standards alignment documents, not a general one page reference.
- Narrow focus on grade levels… A grades 4-8 notebook will either be too simplistic or too challenging, too juvenile or too mature for any one grade level
- Enough practice, but not too much practice in the lesson’s concepts and skills
- Application of the concepts and skills in the reading and writing contexts
- Easy for students to self-correct and less time-consuming for teachers to skim grade
- Graphic organizers, aka foldables, templates, pop-outs which are quick and easy for students to cut, glue or tape
- Graphic organizers which help students problem-solve, classify, reinforce lesson content, and provide a study review for unit tests
- Biweekly unit tests (with answers) which require students to define, identify, and apply the grammar and mechanics skills in their own writing
- Formative assessments for each grammar and mechanics lesson to provide immediate feedback to individual students and the teacher
- Specific remedial worksheets (not just extra practice) to help individual students master grammar and mechanics concepts and skills yet unmastered following the lessons and/or unit test. That’s assessment-based, individualized instruction with a formative assessment to determine mastery on each and every worksheet.
- Cornell note-taking… the note-taking format used by most every high school teacher
- Online links and resources with proper copyright permission. Teachers need to model proper digital citizenship and fair use. If we insist upon student citations and warn against plagiarism, then… enough said.
- Online links and resources need to be extensive and integral to instruction, not mere window dressing
Before buying a grammar interactive notebook, perhaps consider a FREE Teaching Grammar and Mechanics Interactive Notebook spelling rules and parts of speech review unit (which includes all of the “New and Improved” instructional features mentioned above. Why not try before you buy?
Get the Teaching Grammar and Mechanics Interactive Notebook FREE Resource:
