How to Start a Writing Journal for Kindergarten

Journal writing is a useful skill for children as young as kindergarteners.

When it comes to reading and writing, the earlier is always better for young students. Journal writing is a useful skill for kindergarteners. It gets them comfortable with informative and creative writing, while allowing them to practice their penmanship skills. Writing also helps children become better readers and critical thinkers. Still another benefit of journal writing is for teachers and parents. It provides a tangible and reviewable item to measure progress and find out more about the child’s interests.

Things You'll Need

• Journal

Instructions

1. Give each child a writing journal of his own. Before they even begin writing, you may want to offer the children the opportunity to decorate the journal as they like. They can put a personal and creative touch on their journals so they are less likely to use or abuse them.

2. Teach the students to follow a specific format for creating entries in their journals. Make sure the students know to put the full date on each journal entry. Unlike a diary, this journal does not have to be addressed to anyone. However, you might want to ask them to title each page. This teaches them about formatting documents and makes it easy to reference.

3. Follow a routine when having students write in the journal. For example, you might ask the children to submit an entry at the beginning or end of the school day. Set aside a clear time so they get in the habit of writing regularly.

4. Offer the children writing prompts to stimulate their writing. Some students may be put off by the idea of writing in their journal because they feel they don’t have anything to say. Offer prompts on topics such as favorite foods or gifts, holiday ideas, class observations, friends and family.

5. Encourage the children to add entries to their journal whenever they have something they want to say. While it is a good idea to follow a writing routine that helps keep them on track, encourage the children to write whenever they feel moved to do so.

References

• Hubbards Cupboard: Writing Workshop
• Nellie Edge: Writing to Read in Kindergarten
• Letter of the Week: Primary Journal Ideas