“Doing all those assignments” can be really frustrating for kids, but they are nevertheless important. You do have to learn how to do a research paper and a book report. These are skills that you need for the years ahead -- in middle-, high school, and college. And beyond…
However, if these assignments are introduced too early – back to that developmentally-appropriate business – they can backfire. One way to balance “all those assignments” is too introduce journals and free-writing at the same time.
I still remember the first diary I was given as a young girl. It had a lock and key on it! What? There was a place where I was given the permission to have private thoughts? There was no privacy in my family when I was growing up, so this almost seemed like some kind of joke.
However, it was crucial for me to have an opportunity to write down my own thoughts, in private. Here’s why:
“Journaling encourages your child to grow while discovering open-ended writing. Instead of writing one assignment and being done, journal writing allows your child to write daily (or more!).
Not only can it be enjoyable and reflective, journaling also has multiple benefits related to literacy and social growth. Plus, you might just spark a fire in your budding writer!” – Scholastic.com