Jules in MI Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Can anyone point me to a good resource for my 3rd grader regarding daily journaling?? I have tried to explain the process to him, that he can write about anything he wants like what he did the day before, something fun he did over the summer, etc. SHould I just give him a sheet of possible topics?? What should i expect from him in 3rd grade? thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayle in Guatemala Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Here are some good sites to help you with your journaling: Tooter4Kids CanTeach Journal Buddies Journal Writing for Kids I have them write every day in their journals. Sometimes I have them write with prompts, but, I would say 3 days a week they write their own stuff. The prompts just help them to get creative. As they start to get creative, their own daily entries get better as well. There isn't as much, "Mom, I don't know what to write about!" coming from them!!!!! Anyway, hope these help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 My 8 yr old boys write in their journals several times/week. One ds can easily write 1-2 notebook pages using his own topics. My other ds frequently needs help thinking of topics and writes 1/2 to 1 page, and takes longer than his brother. On Mondays, they usually write about something fun they did over the weekend. My reluctant writer frequently writes about his favorite hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcara Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Is it possible that he's not ready for the skill of journaling? In WWE, SWB says that most kids of this age find this frustrating. They still need a lot of practice with narration and dictation before they're ready for original writing. My dd was having a lot of trouble with writing last year, and I just thought she was being lazy, but now I know that it's just a difficult skill for the age. We're developing her skills with WWE. Just a thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Let me instead point you to one of SWB's article on creative writing, and why it can't be 'taught.' It comes complete with a hilarious story about why her extremely intelligent and successful brother failed freshman writing in college: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/journaling.php I wouldn't spend a lot of time or effort trying to explain journaling to him. I'd teach him how to write complete sentences, make sure he always has a ready supply of pens/pencils/notebooks in case he DOES get inspired, and leave it at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingmommy Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 I bought a little paperback booklet at Lifeway called From Heart to Page--Journaling Through the Year for Young Writers. The author is Michelle Van Loon. Often, the empty page is quite intimidating, especially to young writers. This book has a starter topic for every day of the year, broken up into seasons. It is Christian in content, but could easily be used if you prefer secular topics. It has simple topics like "What sorts of things make you laugh?" or "Look out your window. What do you see? Be as descriptive as possible!" I am using it for journaling ideas for both my 2nd grader and my 7th grader. It is working out very well. And, it's an inexpensive little book! Always a plus! J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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