Journal Writing is a great way to develop students' fluency and increase their comfort level with writing. You will want to establish a consistent routine for this. Here are a few questions to keep in mind as you establish your class's routine and goals for journal writing:
PURPOSE:
Why are we keeping this journal? What do we hope to achieve?
TIMING:
For how long will we write?
How often will we write? Daily? Weekly?
CONTENT:
What will students write about? Will I give them suggestions, or let them write on whatever they choose? How closely will the journal be connected to other aspects of the curriculum?
FEEDBACK/GRADING:
How will I hold students accountable for their journal entries? How frequently will I collect journals?What sort of feedback will I provide--i.e., a simple checkmark or a brief comment in response? Will the feedback vary? Will I make any grammar corrections in students' journals?
Here are a few useful links with journal writing prompts:
CanTeach: Writing Prompts/Journal Topics: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html
Write Source: Writing Topics for Grades 1-12: http://www.thewritesource.com/writing_topics/
NY Times "500 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing"--click HERE or download the list from the Download Zone.
IN THE DOWNLOAD ZONE for Journal Writing:
