Are you a teacher who wonders if student reading journals might be a good fit in your classroom? Learn 3 surprising benefits of journaling in the classroom below. ⤵️
As an educator with over 6 years of classroom experience, I fully understand how challenging it can be to get students excited to write.
For years, whenever I mentioned it to my students, I got eye rolls and deep sighs; I’m sure you can relate!
To help my students overcome the dread of writing (and fear of failure), I created Monday Musings. Each week, I asked students to respond to a simple prompt. Some weeks, it was a written prompt. Other times, it was a piece of art or a video clip.
Then, I would set a timer for 5 minutes and tell them to “go!”
There were no rules; they just had to write for 5 minutes.
As the year progressed, I got fewer eye rolls and bewildered sighs. In fact, many students asked to write. If we were out on a Monday, they would insist we do our Monday Musings on a Tuesday.
That, my friend, is the beauty of journaling in the classroom. When done well, journals serve as an idea outlet, not another grade to worry about.
So today, I’m sharing 3 surprising benefits of student reading journals. I’ll cover what they are, how to use them, and how they can make a big impact in your classroom!
What is a Reading Journal
Students use reading (or listening) journals to record their ideas about a text. Students can write about facts they learned, personal reflections, and/or their reactions to the text.
It’s important to remember that digital journals count as well! Check out the 12-month digital journal I created!
The most important thing to remember about reading journals is that students should be free to write without fear of failure.
Related: 5 Ideas for Reading Journals for Easy and Fun Writing
But what are the benefits of reading journals? Read on to find out!
How to Use Student Reading Journals
Reading journals are great classroom assets because they don’t require a lot of planning. It’s simply a space where students can write (or even draw) about what they’ve read.
That said, you can also provide prompts to get those creative juices flowing.
Here are a few to help you get started.
- Make your writing prompts part of morning work
- Include a prompt in your centers or stations
- Add prompts to weekly assignments or check-ins
- Allow for short responses as a “ticket out the door”, utilizing post-its or notecards
- Give students a blank calendar each month and have them track how many days they journal. This puts them in control of the time and place while still encouraging writing.
Benefit #1: Reading Journals Can Improve Academic Success
Reading journals can improve academic success in a variety of ways!
I’ve observed that my students can better comprehend and retell what they’ve read when they journal about it. And when they put the texts’ main ideas into their own words, they understand and remember those concepts at higher rates.
Benefit #2: Student Reading Journals Enhance Communication Skills
Do you remember the joys of passing notes in class? I loved getting notes from my friends, folded in fun shapes, and filled with all the color gel pens they had on hand! Students today are more into texting than note passing, so a reading journal is a great way to connect casual conversations with comprehension.
Kids can write to the author or a character from the text. They can practice specific grammar skills or use their creativity to write in the voice of a character.
When students journal, they practice writing sentences that make sense and share their ideas.
The WRITER framework:
Benefit #3: Student Reading Journals Enhance Critical Thinking Skills
Journals allow students to practice summarizing a text and analyze it.
To encourage critical thinking, consider these writing prompts:
- How would you solve the problem the protagonist faces?
- Why does _______ matter?
- What’s another way to look at this conflict?
Student Reading Journals and Book Clubs
Lastly, reading journals are excellent editions to book clubs, where members can use their journals to facilitate discussions, organize thoughts, and keep track of their book selections over time.
Wrapping Up
Reading journals have significantly improved how my students comprehend and discuss the texts we read in class. They also help facilitate deeper discussions and have enhanced their critical thinking skills.
For more reading and writing tips, tricks, and resources, check out these links:
- NoRedInk.com
- BookCreator.com
- Quill.com
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