Living Life Twice

  Writing has a dimension that extends well beyond the page and the pen.      While the words spill across the page, the ideas driving them frequently arise well away from where the writing eventually takes place.      As author, Jane Yolen notes in her book, Take Joy, ‘Writing is not always done on the page.’      Experienced writers devote a significant amount of time to the preparation for writing. They may at various times, read, research, discuss, draw, plan, think, brainstorm, either individually, or in concert.       From these pre-writing activities they may simultaneously launch into rehearsal of words and ideas in locations well away from their favoured writing location.      Rehearsal is an impressively portable concept. It can be conducted anywhere, anytime- in the car, in the shower, in a café, at the beach, the airport, or just before you drift off to sleep. It can be activated whi...

The writer sits down to face the blank page, only to be greeted by the dazzling whiteness of the paper. The pen is tightly gripped as the writer stares at the empty page. There is hope that time will deliver the wondrous words desperately sought. The empty lines beckon inviting the young writer’s words. The challenge remains- How to begin? If you have experienced this feeling, you will have greater empathy for your students and those feelings that sometimes overwhelm them as beginning writers. They often have a broad idea regarding their writing, but have little idea where, or how, to begin. They want to produce something that effectively conveys a message but remain unsure of how to begin the process. 'I know what I want to write about, but I don't know how to start.' We need to recognize that it is at this point we can provide meaningful support to allay such writing anxieties. Teaching students how to think of something to write, provides a way forward. This p...

  Some of my earliest memories of writing are entwined around the weekly writing topics I was given in primary school. We wrote every Thursday afternoon, immediately after the lunch break. It wasn't even called writing. Our teacher referred to it as 'composition time.' We wrote for about twenty minutes in absolute silence in our 'composition' books.  At the end of the allotted time, we handed in our written responses, then waited an entire week to receive feedback for our labored efforts. It consisted of a mark out of ten and a page of red ink comments and slashes across the page. Then we sat and waited for the next teacher topic to be thrown our way. We wrote one day a week for twenty minutes. It wasn't much of a writing program by today's standards. It wasn't much of a way to learn writing back then either. I'm surprised we learned to write at all on such a starvation diet. I was just lucky enough to be the kind of kid who was driven to write in pl...

 Wonderful, wonderful Words... Writers collect words. It is almost compulsive. I have always had a fascination for words.  If we can get the right word in the right place, you can give the reader a nudge and make then pay extra attention. For this reason alone words deserve our respect. I recently saw the word – skedaddle in a story. It’s a word I recall from my childhood, but I had neither seen or heard it for yonks (an indeterminate yet substantial period of time). I love the sound of skedaddle. I have been sharing it with young writers recently in the hope I can singlehandedly revive its use in common conversation. I vividly recall reading Colin Theile’s wonderful short story ‘ The Lock Out’ to a Grade 6 class I taught quite some years back and coming across the words ‘agog’ and ’gingerly.’ I wrote them on the board, and we discussed them and savoured the sounds they made. I encouraged the students to try and use them in their writing. In time these special words alon...

  By the time students reach Grade three they have been exposed to, continually reminded and alerted to the importance of using ending punctuation at the conclusion of sentences. However, if we look at the writing samples they produce early in the school year, we notice how intermittently such marks appear in their work. Punctuation often appears by chance rather than conscious effort. If we want developing writers to exhibit consistency in the use of punctuation, we need to teach them to value its use in their writing. The best case scenario is to have young writers using punctuation with thoughtful intent. How do we achieve this? Let’s start by initiating a close study of how such ending punctuation can be used to make writing more interesting for the reader.  The message needs to be- This punctuation helps to convey the writer’s voice!  Remind them to link their reading of their writing to an emotion - anger, happiness, frustration etc. The me...

Some initial reviews of my latest book -Notebook Notions sighted on various on line book platforms -Fishpond, Booktopia, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I am most gratified by these affirming responses. Let me tell you, I am happier than a dog with two tails... ORDER NOW @ Amba Press Karsan on February 15, 2026 'Alan's books have been a trusted companion in shaping how I support students’ writing through writer’s notebooks. Notebook Notions reminded me that writing must be lived, not just taught. Alan positions the notebook as more than a classroom tool... it’s a space for thinking, noticing and developing an authentic writing identity. His message is clear: if we want students to see themselves as writers, teachers must also write alongside them. And I've don't exactly that! I love the “Consider” sections at the end of each chapter, which provide prompts that translate into writing lesson ideas. Alan encourages collecting ideas, observations and sentences which support...

Quite some   years back, I found myself talking to a group of enthusiastic Year one writers keen to commence their writing pieces. As they stood up from the carpet to return to their seats, I realized that the spark of imagination that would fire my own writing ideas, had suddenly evaporated.  The students all seemed fired up and ready to create the miracle of meaningful marks on paper There I   was the most experienced writer in the room,  completely blank, unable to conjure up a single thing to write about. I was trying to will my brain into action. A damp foggy mist had descended upon my writing mind. An unexpected intrusion on my normally rich inner world of ideas. A small boy stood beside me at this critical juncture and casually announced, 'I’m going to write about the first time I went fishing on Saturday with my Dad.' 'Oh thank you,' I said with an audible sigh of relief. The bemused child looked at me unsure as to what he had actually done. 'You have ju...

  Sparking A Desire To Write Among Young Writers As the start of another Australian school year begins to settle in, the question arises –How do we most effectively engage my students in authentic literacy experiences? How do we encourage them to become lifelong readers and writers? It is important to remember that during the summer, many of them have not consistently engaged any considered reading and writing. For some, virtually no time has been spent on such pursuits. How do we rebuild their literacy muscles? How do we build their stamina for these critical literacy experiences? In these early days and weeks when students re-enter school, building personal relationships should be priority one, -finding out what defines them as literate beings. Students need an opportunity to talk and think about their reading and writing intentions. Some may need to draw, sketch create maps etc to further stimulate their thinking about potential writing ideas. It would make sense to...

Writing's Launch Pad in the Classroom As the start of another Australian school year begins to settle in, the question arises –How do I most effectively engage my students in authentic literacy experiences? How do I encourage them to become lifelong readers and writers? It is important to remember that during the summer, many of them have not consistently engaged any considered reading and writing. For some, virtually no time has been spent on such pursuits. How do we rebuild their literacy muscles? How do we build their stamina for these critical literacy experiences? In these early days and weeks when students re-enter school, building personal relationships should be priority one, -finding out what defines them as literate beings. Students need an opportunity to talk and think about their reading and writing intentions. Some may need to draw, sketch create maps etc to further stimulate their thinking about potential writing ideas. It would make sense to challenge them to create ...