Unique Reading Journals
In some of my workshops this past summer I admitted that writing in my reading journal was a weakness. For that reason, I believe my children had not done well writing in their journals. I made some changes for the upcoming year. So far, we are off to a good start. Here are the ideas we began.
1. Buy unique journals for each family member - I purchased mine from Staples, one for myself and each of my children.
2. Use a small journal - I bought small journals, about 57. I thought the kids would not be so intimidated to record their thoughts if the page was smaller. The first day, my daughter actually wrote 1 1/2 pages for her first entry.
3. Talk about what each person wrote - We started the day with Family Group Time where we read out loud. But that’s another story. Each person tells something about what they wrote in their journal from the previous day. This makes us accountable each day. This activity won’t take more than 5 minutes per day, unless you’re on an interesting subject… Keep it short and simple to maintain enthusiasm.
4. Give the person the freedom to choose what to read - At this point in time, I let my children journal what book they want. These entries are in response to either our reading aloud or their own rindividual reading. Making their own descisions helps them take control of their academics. Interest on books depend upon each reader, so the best option is to let your kids choose.
5. Make it fun & easy - As they begin the reading journal process, I want it to be fun and easy for them. They can simply retell what happened in their book as we begin daily reading journals. As the weeks go by, I will encourage them to record their thoughts about the book. This will develop higher level thinking skills as they analyze or give their opinion about the reading.
When these strategies are used on your own pupils, you will soon find out that their writings, readings and discussions have improved. Where ever it may be, in a home setting or the classroom setting, theses strategies will augment your children’s reading and writing skills.
