What Is a Journal?

A journal is a special notebook where you write about YOUR life. It is a place to record things that happen to you, how you feel, and what you think. A journal is private and personal — it belongs to you!

Why Keep a Journal?#

Keeping a journal is wonderful for many reasons:

• It helps you remember fun and important things that happen
• It helps you practice writing every day
• It helps you think through your feelings and ideas
• It is something special you can look back on years from now

Imagine reading your journal when you are ten years old and looking back at what you wrote when you were six or seven. How fun would that be?

What Gös in a Journal?#

You can write about almost anything in your journal! Here are some ideas:

• Something fun you did: Today I went to the park.
• Something you ate: I had pancakes for breakfast.
• Something that made you happy: My grandma called me today.
• Something you learned: I learned to tie my shös.
• A wish or dream: I wish I could have a puppy.
• What the weather was like: It rained all day today.

Drawing in Your Journal#

At first, if writing is still hard, start with a drawing. Draw a picture of something that happened. Then try to write one or two sentences about your picture.

For example, draw a picture of yourself at the playground. Then write: I played on the slide. It was fun!

Drawing + writing together tells a great story!

Starting Today#

You do not need a fancy notebook. Any paper will do! Date the top of your page (your teacher can help). Then draw and write about your day.

Even just a few sentences is enough. The most important thing is that you do it regularly. A little journal writing every day adds up to a lot of writing practice over time!