Alphabet Journals...4 Steps for Journal Writing

Writing can be challenging at the beginning of first grade. These journals can help students decode, create, and illustrate.
First grade teachers work hard every year to send independent readers and writers to second grade. But every first grade teacher forgets what September means in first grade...it means they are still kindergartners.  The re-post can be a good idea for journals at the beginning of first grade.


What can I write about?

UGH!  This is one way to curb the "I don't know what to write about blues."  These alphabet journals combine decoding, illustrating and writing in a way that can be completely individualized.
I have always suggested teachers use the sound chart as a topic chart for writing, but when I sat down to make a journal for that, I decided I could make the journal decodable.

4 Easy Steps

Writing can be challenging at the beginning of first grade. These journals can help students decode, create, and illustrate.

1. Decode.

Each page has a decodable picture.  MOST pages are cvc words (dig for d, log for l, pan for p).  The highlighted initial letter keeps the journal is alphabetical order.  Of course, the vowels were tricky.  I have 2 options for each of the vowels.  Option #1 has a cvc word with the vowel highlighted in the middle.  Option #2 is a two-letter or three-letter word starting with the vowel (ant for a and up for you).
Writing can be challenging at the beginning of first grade. These journals can help students decode, create, and illustrate.

2. Illustrate.

If you want a good story, give your students time to make a good illustration.  Each page includes a clip art picture for the decodable word.  Students will complete the picture.  The picture above shows a boy digging on a construction site.  Another student used the same picture to draw a garden scene and a third student drew a the boy digging with a pirate flag in the picture.
Writing can be challenging at the beginning of first grade. These journals can help students decode, create, and illustrate.

3.  Write.

Of course, this is the goal.  Students have to write about their picture.  The more detail in the picture, the more detail in the writing.  "The gum is in the gum shop. The gum is mine.  The gum is different colors. The gum comes out."
Writing can be challenging at the beginning of first grade. These journals can help students decode, create, and illustrate.

4. Repeat.

Students can use this journal to create a book of stories.  

If you'd like a FREEBIE sample of this set, feel free to click on the picture below or CLICK HERE
If you would like to visit my TPT store and check out Alphabet Journals, click the picture below or CLICK HERE.  There is also Set 2, 3, and 4.

No comments

Post a Comment