Every morning I journal with my students. It’s a great way to start off the day and it is easily scaffolded for all student’s learning levels and skills. You can also cover any subject as a means of review. As an added bonus, at the end of the year you get to send home a book to parents that has a piece of their child from every day. What an amazing way to showcase growth.
Each day has a theme:
Make Believe Monday- Each Monday students exercises their imagination. For example: “Imagine you found a unicorn tied to a tree in your backyard. Who do you think left it there? What will you do with the unicorn? How do you feel, are you afraid or excited?”
Tell me About it Tuesday- Students practice sequencing by telling me directions for an activity. “Tell me how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich”
Worth a Thousand Words Wednesday- I choose a picture and students have to describe what is going on in the picture and what they see. Using rich adjectives and descriptive statements the goal is to have me be able to picture it with my eyes closed!
Think about it Thursday: Current events or On this Day in History is covered in history. If we have recently covered a current event, then I ask them to write about it. Otherwise, I state “This day in History” and students write about that event. For example: “On this day in history, the elevator was invented. What do you think life would be like if we didn’t have elevators? What impact to you think elevators have had on our world? What other inventions were possible by the invention of the elevator?
Flashback Friday or Free Write Friday- If students have earned enough bonus points by doing great journaling during the week they can have a free write. However otherwise they tell me about a memory
Happy Journaling!
Amanda Grace 