20 May 2009

Journaling as a writing strategy

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Reading; writing.

When our sons were 4 and 6 we gave each of them a journal. We had had read-aloud sessions, visits to the library, and the usual writing exercises. But I thought as a strategy for writing and self-expression, it would also be good to allow our boys to learn to put their thoughts down in words.

The 280-page journal came with few rules and even fewer expectations. I told them what it was for, that they were to write a page a day – anything – something that happened, movies they had seen, books read, places they had been, stuff they did. A sentence, a paragraph, maybe even longer, it didn’t matter, I said.  Fortunately, the boys took to it without a fuss.

Ethan’s first entry in that brand new hardcover journal was dated 3 September 1996, while his last entry in that same book was March 11, 2001. As the pages ran out, Ethan asked for a new one and wrote his request down as an entry on March 10, 2001: “I got myself a BRAND NEW JOURNAL!!! I told Dad how the pages in my journal (this one) had only two or three left before asking him to get a new one.” It was then that we knew the boys had  adopted the habit of journaling while unwittingly honing their writing skills. Ethan proved more consistent of the two and he appropriately titled his first journal Book 1. Here’s an entry when he was 10 years old:

Thursday February 22, 2001 A few days ago I decided to draw a huge multiplication board which goes further than 12 X 12! The usual multiplication board goes as far as 12 X 12, but mine goes as far as 25 X19! I plan to add a few dozen more numbers to the board. So far I’m almost done. Hopefully, I’ll be able to complete it before the weekend comes.

This morning Mom sent Elliot down to buy the newspapers. But he didn’t come back after 10 minutes, as we usually do. So Mom sent me down to meet him. But he wasn’t there. I waited for him for 10 minutes or so, still, he didn’t come. What happened to Elliot?

”I hope he hasn’t got lost or got kidnapped!” I told myself while walking up the road home.

“What if he got hit by a car?!” Elliot had a series of near death escapes, like the part when a car almost hit him.

Mom looked anxious, when I told Mom I didn’t meet him. I was already trying to imagine life without Elliot, if he got kidnapped or got hit by a car.

Just as Mom and I ran down the road to look for Elliot, we saw Elliot walking up the road with a newspaper tucked under his arm, and whistling!! Mom was so happy that she kissed him. Elliot looked a bit confused. On the way back we explained what happened.

“Whew!” I thought. “He’s safe! At least he didn’t get kidnapped!”

Elliot had walked all the way down to Esso which is quite far, to buy the papers! No wonder he took a long time!!

We never corrected their spelling or grammar, although we frequently read their entries and commended their efforts. Occasionally we would bring it up but we didn’t make a big deal of their mistakes. Eventually a year into the exercise, I told the boys that they should try to write with a certain structure in mind, ie, what, where, who, why, when. It was amazing seeing how their writing matured, revealing nascent sophistication and wit.

I must say the whole experiment went enormously well. With the years behind us, what pleasure we had reading their entries and daily impressions. What a full life the journals revealed. The sum of a boy’s life in a journal, written in innocence and simplicity,  they were also snapshots of learning and growing away from the dull confines of school. And what a wonderful journey it has been for us all.

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