Journals, if done correctly, can be a fun and helpful students. There are numerous ways to use journals in your classroom. Click on the links below to see different kinds.
Journal Prompts If you're having trouble figuring out how to start your students off, here are some ideas...
Personal Journals Journals where students respond to literature. They can write what they like and don't like, how the text makes them feel, or how they can tie the story into their own life.
Students can write down vocabulary learned from the story, interesting quotes, quick-writes, charts, and diagrams.
Free Write Journals Students write down comments, concerns, or anything else on their mind. It doesn't necessarily have to be academic. It can include problems at home, suggestions for the teacher (move closer to the chalkboard, etc.) The student is encouraged to write and not worry about being graded.
Learning Journals Students write down things they have learned from the story, including information about other subjects, like Science concepts or history facts.
Double-Entry Journals Students predict what is going to happen in the story on a T-Chart. On the other side, the student writes what actually happens.
Simulated Journals Students take on a character and write how they might feel, what they might think, etc.
