InstructorSharon LindeShow bio
Sharon has an Masters of Science in Mathematics and a Masters in Education
Want to start using writing journals but out of ideas? Busy teachers, we have you covered. This lesson provides various types of writing prompts and gives tips on how to make sure all students succeed.
Table of Contents
- Why Journal?
- Journal Prompts for First Grade
- Journaling Tips
Gather the fun pens and decorate the notebooks - it's time to do some journaling! Common Core standards require first grade students to write in a variety of ways daily, including focusing on a topic and responding to questions. They're also required to produce writing that introduces a topic, states an opinion, and backs up their thinking with evidence. Many teachers use daily journal writing, a short-and-sweet activity that allows students to fine tune skills and practice getting their thoughts on paper.
Coming up with journal prompts, though, can leave busy teachers lacking. We've done the leg work for you, gathering ideas and putting them in easy-to-access categories; all you have to do is choose. How easy is that?
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Finish the Thought
Use these simple thought finishers to get pencils to paper and ideas flowing. Differentiate by asking students to finish the sentence, provide details, or add literary elements such as adjectives depending on ability.
- I get excited when………
- My favorite birthday present was……….
- If I could be a superhero I would be………
- My idea of fun is……..
- If I lived in a jungle I would....
- My favorite season is…….
- On my first day of school I………
- If I could be an animal I would be……
- My favorite kind of weather is……
- What I know most about is……..
- People think that I'm……..
- I'm a good friend because.....
- My favorite out-of-school activity is.....
- If I was president I would.....
- I'm best at.....
- I wish people knew that.....
- If trees could talk they would say....
- If I was invisible I would....
- The last time I laughed really hard was when.....
- My favorite food/color/sport/sibling/teacher/subject/animal/season is.....
Subject Area
Journaling after math, science, or social studies is a great way to extend learning and ask students to be reflective. Use these ideas in your everyday journaling notebooks, or create special places to write related to subject areas.
- Explain what you learned today.
- What made the most sense about your learning today?
- What surprised you about the lesson today?
- Tell about your 'ah-ha' moment from today's lesson.
- What was the most fun about today's lesson?
- How did today's lesson connect to what you already knew?
- Think about your work today and describe what you think we'll learn about next.
- Imagine you are a (subject matter, such as fraction or cloud) and tell about yourself.
Fun-Loving
Bringing in a little fun to student's writing increases interest and creates opportunities for all students to succeed. Use these fun-loving prompts to give students a chance to let their creativity shine.
- Imagine you could talk to animals. Which would you choose? What would you ask?
- Would you rather play with friends or read a book? Why?
- What would you do if you saw a dinosaur peek in the window?
- What if you could switch places with someone for a day. Who would you choose? What would you do?
- What if kids could drive?
- If you were teacher for a day, what would you do?
- Imagine you're a bird and describe what you see.
- If you worked at a carnival or zoo, what job would you choose? Tell about your day.
- Imagine you were locked in school/a store/an amusem*nt park after it closed. What would you do?
- If you could invent one thing, what would it be? Why?
- Describe your day as a high-school student.
- Would you rather fly a plane, steer a ship, or drive a bus? Why?
- Imagine you're an astronaut and tell about your day in space.
- If the president visited our classroom, what would you say?
- If you had a castle, what would you put in it?
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Journaling is a wonderful way to watch your students grow as writers. Strengthen the experience by following a few easy tips:
- Model your expectations. Show students what you want them to do. Write on chart paper and display.
- Create task cards/posters. If you expect students to write the date/capitalize sentences/etc., write it on a poster and display.
- Confer with students consistently and look over journal entries. Things can get sloppy if students know you're not checking in.
- Make a big deal out of the experience. Use special pens, decorate journals, and find a special 'writing spot' to get the message across that journaling is a special time.
When you clearly communicate your ideas and expectations, your students will feel comfortable learning to express themselves in writing. Happy journaling!
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