Activity Description

Preparation:

1. Assemble home journals
   1. Obtain a notebook
   2. Place a list of the criteria for successful writing into an envelope that is attached to the back page of the journal
      • Note that these criteria are determined by both teacher and students on Session 1 and so must be attached to each journal following Session 1
2. Create the success criteria chart
   1. Prior to Session 2, synthesize information from brainstorm session and create a table to demonstrate the criteria for successful writing
   2. Beside each criterion, generate an explicit piece of evidence that students can look for to determine whether or not they have met the requirement
      • For example, if the success criterion is “it is easy to read” an example of evidence would include “spelling has been checked with a dictionary”
3. Write a letter to parents explaining their role in the home journal activity
   1. Encourage parents to ask questions and elicit further details when they respond to their child’s letter

Implementation:

Session 1:

1. Explain the purpose of the home journal
   1. Students will reflect on the week’s events and write about them in the form of a letter to their parents
   2. Parents will respond to students’ entries by posing questions or offering comments
   3. Students will be invited to write back to parents to answer their questions and so forth
   4. Explain that this form of writing combines elements of letter writing with journal writing because students are reflecting on their experiences and then communicating them in the form of a letter
2. Brainstorm a list of criteria for successful journal writing
   1. For example: an appropriate greeting, exciting details, descriptive vocabulary and the date
3. Provide students with a letter to give to parents that will inform them about the activity
   1. Remind students to share the letter with their parents and to explain the activity

Session 2:

1. Present students with the synthesized list of criteria for success as well as the evidence that is associated with each criterion
   1. Explain that the evidence is helpful for students to determine whether or not they have met the success criteria
   2. Go through each criterion and explain the accompanying evidence that is required

Session 3:

1. Brainstorm the week’s major events
   1. Record students’ ideas on chart paper
2. Have students select an event to write about
   1. Assemble students into topic-based groups so they can engage in pre-writing brainstorm
   2. In topic-based groups, encourage students to think about the who, what, where, when, why and how of the event so they can generate details to write about
3. Reassemble the whole class and review requisite vocabulary
   1. Go through each of the week’s events (writing topics) and beside each, write potential vocabulary that students may need to use
4. Present students with their home journals
   1. Indicate that the success criteria are located in an envelope at the back of the journal
   2. Remind students to refer to the success criteria as they write to their parents
5. Invite students to begin writing

Adaptations For

English Language Learners/ESL:

- Invite students to create pictorial representations of ideas
- Encourage students to write some letters in their first language
- Allow students who speak the same first language to work together during pre-writing brainstorming

LD/Reading & Writing Difficulties:

- Allow students to type letters on the computer
- Provide sentence starters and other graphic organizers to help further scaffold writing

Cultural Appropriateness & Diversity:

- Ensure that writing topics are meaningful to all students

Differentiated Instruction:

- Challenge proficient writers to write about more than one classroom event

Related References

Evidence:
Gambrell, L. B., Hughes, E. M., Calvert, L., Malloy, J. A., Igo, B. (2011). Authentic reading, writing, and discussion. The Elementary School Journal, 112, 234-358.