Benefits of Journal Writing

Get the benefits of journal writing! Journal writing ideas are used for more than just a daily creative writing exercise.

What is your teaching goal for using journal writing ideas?

One of the benefits is that your students will learn to love to write.

We enjoy what we are good at, and we need students to feel confident in their writing abilities.

One of the best benefits of journal writing is that it provides a non-threatening way to be able to explore different thoughts, ideas and topics without being concerned about audience presentation.

The ultimate purpose of daily journal writing is to be able to write freely about anything.

Students need to be given ample opportunities to write because there is much value in journal writing.

Why Journal Writing Ideas Are Beneficial

I love to buy my students journals to write in. They feel very important because their teacher got them a special book to write in, and I like it because I have gotten exactly what I want to fit in with my style of teaching.

I order the ones from Primary Concepts. They are sturdy and hold up well with all the abuse little hands can give them.

The line spacing is perfect for primary writers, and each page has a section for students to illustrate their writing.

Why Write in Journals?

• Brainstorming
How often do you have a child who just cannot think of anything to write? This is the ideal time to make a list. Ask the children to write lists of their favorite foods, sports, qualities of a good friend...these brainstorming lists can turn into fully developed topics at a later time. Also, a list is certainly a worthwhile writing skill for students to develop!





• Builds Student Confidence
Struggling writers absolutely must have opportunities to build their confidence in their writing skills. If they are assessed on every piece they write, there will be no reason for them to take risks. Don't we want our students to apply what we teach them? Of course, and they need practice time without recrimination. Present a mini-lesson on one specific skill before you begin your writing sessions, encourage the students to apply the skill, and then step back and allow them to try. Remember that research shows it takes at least 28 repetitions of a concept or skill before it is actually solidified in the brain.


• Allows the Teacher to Gain Student Insight
Out of all the benefits of journal writing, this one touches on both the academic and the interpersonal. By analyzing journals, teachers can learn much about their students' development as writers, the stages of spelling they are in and are able to pinpoint weaker areas students may need mini-lessons on. As well, a journal is often the only place some children will reveal their thoughts, feelings and opinions about what really matters to them. This emotional connection is not to be taken lightly or overlooked as it can be the foundational building block for meeting the needs of certain students.


• A Safe Haven for Beginning Writers
Even non-writers can journal through drawing. Young students can illustrate their responses to prompts and try using labels to show what is happening. After drawing, a teacher can write down what the child tells him or her about the picture. Students who are just beginning to gain confidence in writing sentences know a journal is a safe place to try new ideas, apply learned spelling strategies and be able to "mess up" without it counting against them.


• Indirect Growth in Grammar and Mechanics
By going back and re-reading previous entries, students begin to self-diagnose their writing skills. They tend to notice their own errors and begin applying new strategies and rules. The more this is done, the more of a habit it becomes. Of course, if you see a student consistently making the same error, you need to intervene and provide a very quick mini-lesson.


• Helps Some Students to Deal with Issues
By paying attention to what is written in a journal, teachers can be more aware of what is really happening outside of school to our students. One of the benefits of journal writing is that it is cathartic, and often a student will write about something he or she would never say. Getting it on paper alone is very helpful, but for some issues it may be the only warning sign we get that a student needs help. The benefits of journal writing here are apparent for the student.


• A Fun Way to Practice Writing to a Prompt
In the age of accountability, it is critical that our students be able to write to a prompt. Daily practice is the best way to increase this skill, and fun prompts can make it seem like it is not work at all. Learning should be fun - it opens the brain up to receive new information and retrieve stored information.

Don't forget to allow your students an opportunity to share, if they want to.

Most children love to sit in the Author's Chair and read aloud their entries to the class.

Another one of the benefits of journal writing: use it to work on oral speaking skills!

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