Summer Journal

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An Authentic Writing Experience

Motivates Young Writers

Present your students with an authentic writing experience for summer. Children can write in their own voices to audiences outside the classroom and on significant topics about their summer activities. They will write for the purposes of informing an audience, persuading readers to agree with their opinions, or presenting a solution to a problem. Whatever the purpose, authentic writing is a real world format to write about what is important to the writer. When children write for real reasons they become motivated to write more... and they can create a keepsake by writing in a summer journal.

"We cannot teach writing well unless we trust that there is a real, human reason to write." - Lucy Calkins

Sail Away to a Summer Authentic Writing Experience. Assign this summer writing journal to your students so they maintain their writing skills and write about summer events. This is an engaging writing activity. Students will choose from "topic squares" and write about summer events when they happen. These writing topic squares can be used in the summer journal booklet you create with these cover pages and inside journal pages or you can also use the topic squares to assign with a composition notebook. Choose the pages you like and keep your students writing.

Students are directed to cut out the topic square as summer events unfold, paste it in their booklet or composition notebook; write the date, write about the topic; reread their writing to correct any mistakes. This summer journal can be a great way to start the next school year with sharing summer events.

Pages include three pages of summer 'topic squares', one page where students can design their own topic square, three design covers, inside journal pages with no lines, primary lines and lines for more experienced writers, extra lined pages and no lines pages if you make a booklet journal, teacher notes and directions and student directions.

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