A Journal Writing Checklist helps your students assess their own progress each time they write.
Here is a list of teacher-tested journal topics to help you get started in your journal writing routine:
- What do you like to do at recess?
- Do you think boys or girls have it easier?
- Do you think you have too many chores? If you could choose whichever chores you want, which ones would you prefer to do?
- What would you do if everyone in your family forgot your birthday?
- If you could travel in a time machine and go any distance into the past or future, where would you decide to go? Why?
- What makes our class special?
- If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?
- If you could choose any bedtime you wanted, what time would you pick?
- Pretend that you were already grown up with children. How would you treat them differently from the way your parents treat you?
- Would you like to have an identical twin? What would be the best thing about it? What would be the worst thing about it?
- Are you excited to grow up? What does it mean to be "grown-up" and what do you think will be the best thing about it? What about the worst thing?
- If your mother promised to be home at 2:00 in the afternoon to take you to the movies but didn’t show up until suppertime and didn’t even phone, what would be a good punishment for her?
- If you were alone and only had a few minutes to hide from crooks who were about to break into your house, where would you hide? What is the best hiding place in your house?
- Would you rather that your family spend more time with you or give you more presents? Which would make you feel more loved by your family?
- Describe the worst nightmare you can remember? Would you be willing to have the same scary dream tonight if it meant that you could spend a weekend in Disneyland?
- If you woke up tomorrow and by magic were already grown up and had kids of your own, how would you treat them differently from the way your parents treat you?
- If you could be as talented as some friend of yours at any one thing, what would you choose?
- Would you rather pick what you wear to school or wear the same uniform every day? What would you wear if no one paid any attention to the way you dressed?
- Clean your room! Take a bath! Wash your hands! Why do you think adults care so much about cleanliness?
- If you told your friends everything about yourself, including the things you are most ashamed and afraid of, do you think they would like you less or more than the do now? Why?
- Are you in a hurry to grow up? What does it mean to be “grown-up” and when do you think it will happen to you?
- If you had only five minutes to think up a nickname for yourself and knew everyone would use it for years, what would you pick? What would you pick for your best friend? What would you pick for your parents?
- What makes our class special?
- Some adults have a lot of trouble enjoying themselves. If you were asked to give them advice about how to play and have more fun, what would you say?
- Do you sometimes find yourself sitting in front of some awful-tasting food that you have been told you have to eat? If so, what is your best trick to get rid of it without getting caught?
- If you could choose any bedtime you wanted for the next year, what time would you pick?
- Would you like to have an identical twin? What would be the best thing about it? What would be the worst thing about it?
