Reading Tip: Writing Journals

My middle child had a tough time reading. In fact, given a choice she’d probably still rather pick up a sketchpad and pencil versus a book. I tried to tap into her love of writing by doing a joint journal. You can find, like I did, $1 notebooks at Target to start your “journal.” I ask her simple questions about her day, like, “Who did you sit with at lunch today?” or “What was your favorite thing you did today.”

Usually, I slip the journal under her pillow with a pen tucked inside. She answers my questions and usually finds an equally stealth spot to pass back the journal. We went a few weeks going back and forth with our little journal entries. I got a peek into what she was really thinking about; and she had a chance to form stories and ideas herself instead of just struggling to understand them while reading through a book.

I wish I could say we’ve kept up our journal every day, but usually I just dust it off when I feel like she’s slacking off on her reading practice. How about you? Do you ever use writing to get your child more interested in reading?


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