Inviting Journal Writing 3rd, 4th & 5th Grade: Adding Details and Writing Narrative Mini Stories

Are you looking for a class to help your child grow their love of writing? What about a class where they will learn to write stronger more detailed personal narratives? Look no further. In this ongoing journal writing class, kids will learn specific writing strategies to help them write interesting mini-stories from their experiences. By giving learners choice in what they write about, they discover and develop their unique writer’s voice, as well as find the joy in writing. We use the gradual release method of instruction which includes: I do (teacher example), we do (group story telling) and you do (independent writing). Our awesome journal writing class has the following structure:

•	Quick share of something cool or awesome we did this week

•	Teacher reads the example mini story shared on the whiteboard and learners highlight specific words (I DO)

•	We write a story on the whiteboard together using the detail word of the week, describing words and transition words (WE DO)

•	Learners write their own journal mini story using the writing strategies we have practiced (YOU DO)

•	While learners are writing, they are welcome to message the teacher in the chat for help if they need it

•	Learners share their mini story with the group

•	Learners are welcome to send their work to the teacher after class and they will receive personalized video feedback

****Learners have the right to pass and do not have to share if they don’t want to

After four classes your child will be able to:

•	Add details to their journal writing using the detail words
•	Use descriptive words in their journal writing
•	Use transition words in their journal writing
•	Discover their unique writer’s voice
•	Zoom in and stretch out the moment to create an interesting mini-story
•	Make changes to their work after receiving constructive feedback from the teacher (this one requires the learner to send their writing to the teacher for video feedback)
•	Enjoy writing!

Whether your child is new to writing or already has a passion for it, this class will foster their creativity and help them find their unique voice. By the end of the class, they will have a collection of original writing pieces that they can be proud of and a newfound love for journal writing that they can continue to cultivate for years to come.

Here is the weekly schedule: 

Week of January 2nd: The detail word we are focusing on is when
Week of January 2nd: The detail word we are focusing on is if
Week of January 9th: The detail word we are focusing on is once
Week of January 16th: The detail word we are focusing on is sometimes
Week of  January 23rd: The detail word we are focusing on is when
Week of January 30th: The detail word we are focusing on is if
Week of February 6th: The detail word we are focusing on is once
Week of February 13th: The detail word we are focusing on is sometimes
Week of February 20th: The detail word we are focusing on is when
Week of February 27th: The detail word we are focusing on is if
Week of March 6th: The detail word we are focusing on is once
Week of March 13th: The detail word we are focusing on is sometimes
Week of March 20th: The detail word we are focusing on is when
Week of March 27th: The detail word we are focusing on is if