Here is a great place to start in regards to narration. Carrie's reply especially will be helpful. Instructions are in the appendix of most gudies to help the parent and student:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8118
Notebooking is done mostly in science and history. Some times special studies will also include notebooking. Notebooking is a way of recording what you are learning. In CtC and higher, the notebooking is done on pages HOD created. for history There are drawing, copywork, and responses (including narrations) recorded on the notebooking pages. In earlier guides (Bigger and Preparing) as well as science, notebooking is done on plain white paper following the instructions in the guide. Here is the first week of CtC:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/CTC-First-Week.pdf If you look at the Reading About History and Science boxes, you will see some of the notebooking information (as well as narration).
And here is the information from the CtC introduction about Rod and Staff English (which is basically the same in other guides):
Grammar lessons are scheduled twice in each unit and focus on grammar,
mechanics, and usage for the purpose of improving writing. Choose either
Building with Diligence: English 4 or Following the Plan: English 5. Half of the
grammar text will be covered this year, with the other half to be completed in the
guide that follows. Systematic lessons focus on one rule or concept per lesson. In
order to keep the lessons short, you may want to do most of the lesson orally or on a
white board, requiring only one set of practice exercises to be written by the student
each day. The Teacher’s Manual is considered to be necessary at this level. See the
“Table of Contents” in either Building with Diligence: English 4 or Following the
Plan: English 5 for a scope and sequence. Students need a lined composition book
or notebook for their written work.