Howdy everyone!
I got my back to school letter in the mail this week… so I guess it is official.  My summer is coming to a close. Is it weird that I LOVE all of the back to school displays in the stores?  They make me giddy!  Seriously exciting!

I just finished making class journals for my kiddos.  I made them much cuter than my old ones and added a word bank. (Cute makes me happy!) Journals are great for early-finishers.  In my room I tell my students “You always have something to do!” I repeat it.  All the time. The journals are also a great alternate writing activity for a kiddo who might need a break from his/her writing assignment.  Sometimes taking a break and then going back to a piece makes a big difference to a stuck writer! They also love to read what others have written.

Whole class writing journals are simple to make, and the kiddos love writing in them.  I use composition books for my journals.  They were only 50 CENTS at my Target.  I have seen them other places for the same! Whoo-hoo! I like the composition books better than spirals because they are sturdier.  

Print and glue the cover on the front, and the word bank in the inside of the cover. I like to cover my books with packing tape, too.  That makes the covers shiny, and even more durable.

The premise is simple.  Students select a journal from the basket and write about that topic. There are directions on the front of the book. *You can also add a Table of Contents to the front and have the students add their name and the page number each time they write, but I that is totally optional!

My set of 8 journal covers with coordinating word banks is now available in my TPT store.  The cute basket sign you see in the picture is also included. Check it out HERE or by clicking one of the pictures above.   Happy writing!

Teach-a-Roo