School Journal

I have Sparkle keep a daily journal for school. I got the idea from her pre-K class last year. (She went to a private school for pre-K.) Her journal is a Primary Composition book with a blank space at the top for drawing a picture and three-ruled lines at the bottom. When we started school last fall, Sparkle drew a picture for the cover. I glued the cover to the front and laminated it with tape.

purchased journal	custom cover

Every school day she does one journal entry right after breakfast. She draws a picture, then writes something at the bottom, and then writes the date. She is free to use markers, colored pencils, crayons, or regular pencil, all of which are readily available.



Her pictures range from pictures of the family to scenes from movies to copying something from a drawing book. I have considered giving her drawing prompts, but always refrained as she has never asked for one and is never at a loss for what to draw. I also suspect that she would resent me telling her what put in her journal. Her captions are invariably "This is ..." followed by whatever she drew.

Sparkle usually shows me her journal as soon as it is finished for me to ooh and aah over. Occasionally she hides her journal and then I know that she's drawn something that she thinks is embarrassing. I limit my comments to only positive ones and I ignore any writing mistakes or other strange markings. I only make corrections when she's done something careless, like writing the wrong date.

Occasionally I've wondered about the benefit of the journal, but since it takes no effort on my part, I'm having Sparkle continue doing it. Plus, it will be an amusing record of her progress in drawing and writing.