Journaling Tips, Strategies & Topics

Listed below you'll find links to various articles and printables on journal writing, where students can keep a continual documentation of their expressions, feelings, and experiences. Journals are also an excellent form of non-traditional assessment. Students can reflect on their thoughts about new concepts without feeling as if they are being tested.

The Concept of Journaling Journaling Learn how to incorporate journaling in your classroom. Teachers can use journaling as a kind of window into how students are thinking about what they are learning. This is a great assessment tool as well. Writing Journal Guidelines for Students This printable outline of journal guidelines describes the method students should follow when keeping a journal for class. Alternative Assessment Techniques Distribute an article that explains four alternative ways to assess your students' reading skills. Blank Journal Page Use this blank page for journal writing in any subject or grade. Daily Journal Topics Daily Journals Using a daily journal helps students maintain a collection of their thoughts and feelings. Daily Journal Topics: My Community Assign one of 10 journal topics for students on the subject of communities. Daily Journal Topics: Going to School Assign one of 10 journal topics for students on the subject of school. Daily Journal Topics: Fabulous Families Assign one of seven journal topics for students on the subject of Fabulous Families. Daily Journal Topics: Fabulous Food Assign one of 10 journal topics for students on the subject of food. Daily Journal Topics: A Trip to Washington, D.C. Assign one of six journal topics for students on the subject of "A Trip to Washington, D.C." Daily Journal Topics: Early American Life Assign one of five journal topics for students on the subject of Early American Life. Daily Journal Topics: Native Americans Assign one of eight journal topics for students on the subject of Native Americans. Daily Journal Topics: Look at Me Assign one of 10 journal topics for students. Daily Journal Topics: Friends Forever Assign one of 10 journal topics for students on the subject of friends. Daily Journal Topics: Hooray for the U.S.A.! Assign one of seven journal topics for students on the subject of Hooray for the U.S.A. Daily Journal Topics: My State Assign one of 10 journal topics for students on the subject of their state. Daily Journal Topics: Faraway Children and Celebrations Assign one of eight journal topics for students on the subject of Faraway Children and Celebrations. Daily Journal Topics: The Father of Our Country Assign one of seven journal topics for students on the subject of George Washington. These writing prompts are perfect for Presidents' Day. Daily Journal Topics: Honest Abe Assign one of seven journal topics for students on the subject of Abraham Lincoln. These writing prompts are perfect for Presidents' Day. Daily Journal Topics: Martin Luther King, Jr. Assign one of 10 journal topics for students on the subject of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This printable provides a great starting-off point for sparking critical thinking about Dr. King, civil rights, and American history. Use it in your Black History Month curriculum (February). Daily Journal Topics: Shelter Students explore the topic of shelter with related activities. Daily Journal Topics: Thanksgiving Assign one of 10 journal topics for students on the subject of Thanksgiving. This printable activity will improve students' writing skills while encouraging them to think critically about the American holiday of Thanksgiving. Daily Journal Topics: Maps and Globes Assign one of 10 journal topics for students on the subject of maps and globes. Daily Journal Topics: Exceptional Explorers Assign one of six journal topics for students on the subject of Exceptional Explorers. Daily Journal Topics: Hail to the Chief Assign one of six journal topics for students on the subject of the U.S. presidency. Daily Journal Topics: Famous Figures in History Students are asked to write on topics about famous people. Topics for Beginning a Journal A list of suggested journal entry topics for students to use when writing.

Observational Journal Writing Journal Activity: What Do You See? Journal writing allows students to express their feelings about a variety of topics. Observational Journal Writing Students learn to look beyond the basics and see things as they really are. Then they write about these observations in their journals. Snow Journals In this winter science activity, your students will learn observational skills while viewing snow. Journal of Children of the World Explore multiculturalism and diversity with this printable. Students will learn about a child living in another country and share the story with their peers through a class book. Writing from Personal Experience Personal Experience Journal Writing Students use personal experiences as writing topics; a personal inventory is included. Reflective Journals Reflective journals are notebooks that students use when writing about their own thoughts. This encourages the development of metacognitive skills by helping students sort what they know from what they don't know. Journal Writing Introduce students to autobiographical journal writing with this lesson plan. Reading Response Journals Double-Entry Journals Use a double-entry journal, a graphic organizer included with this article, to encourage students to organize their thoughts on a specific subject in a new way. New teachers will find this resource particularly valuable. Double Entry Journal Template In the left column of a double entry journal graphic organizer, students write a piece of information, such as a quotation or a concept, which they want to question. In the right column, students relate to or analyze the information that is written in the left column. This printable is customizable. Tailor the PDF to your teaching needs by typing in the highlighted fields before printing. Using a Double-Entry Journal with Shakespeare's Hamlet Learn how to incorporate journaling in while teaching Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Teachers can use journaling as a window into how students are thinking about what they are learning. Reading Response Journals Encourage your students to react to books on a personal level with reading response journals. Reading Journals Students will use these journals to respond to reading assignments. My Journal Students pretend to be a character in a book as they create journal entries. Dialogue Journals A dialogue journal is an informal written conversation between two or more people (student-student or student-teacher) about topics of mutual interest. These written conversations reinforce learning while forming bonds between students that can provide a foundation for later cooperative learning activities. Dialogue Journals with Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Students will demonstrate a beginning understanding of how to use dialogue journals or written conversations to express themselves in a written format by identifying previous experiences and relating them to the story. Journaling with The Sun, Wind, and the Rain This lesson, to be completed after reading The Sun, the Wind, and the Rain, has students practice their journaling skills. Journaling in Math Journaling in Math Writing about mathematics helps students articulate their thinking, and provides useful information for teachers about learning difficulties, incorrect assumptions, and student's progress in communicating about mathematics. Math Journal This form is for students to comment on their performance during daily math lessons. This is a great way for children to monitor their own progress of their math skills. Comparing Fractions with Unlike Denominators Using Journaling Discover an introduction to comparing fractions with unlike denominators. Students will compare fractions represented by drawings or models with unlike denominators. Comparing Fractions with Unlike Numerators Using Journaling Use a lesson that is an introduction to comparing fractions with like denominators and unlike numerators, for students with a basic understanding of fractions as part of a whole, numerators, and denominators. Students use math journals to complete the lesson.