Notes for adults

Age 6 · 20 min · Easy

A journal page for drawing a special day from summer vacation and writing a sentence about it.

Learning objectives

• Tell about a real or imagined day during vacation.
• Express an idea through a drawing.
• Write a sentence related to the drawing.

What you need

• Printed journal page
• Pencil and eraser
• Colored pencils or crayons

How to do it

1. Set out the printed page and the drawing and writing materials.
2. Talk about a special day during vacation, or invite the child to imagine one.
3. Share a simple example and model a sentence, such as “I played in the yard.”
4. Invite the child to draw their day in the space on the page.
5. Ask them to tell you about their drawing and write a sentence on the lines.
6. Invite them to share their page and celebrate their effort.

Teaching suggestions

• Ask, “What would you like to remember about that day?”
• If the child needs help, write the words they want to use on a separate piece of paper for them to refer to.
• Accept the child's early writing and help them reread the sentence without expecting perfect spelling.
• In a group, offer children the choice to share their drawing or keep it private.

Variations

• Make it easier: Let the child dictate a sentence for you to write. If they like, they can copy one word.
• Add a challenge: Invite the child to add a second sentence about how they felt.
• Extend the activity: On another piece of paper, draw together something the child would like to do on a future summer day.

Talk about it

• What happened that day?
• What made that day special to you?
• How did you feel?
• What part of your drawing would you like to tell me about?

What to look for

• Notice whether the child tells about a real or imagined event.
• Look for something in the drawing that represents what the child described.
• Notice whether the written sentence relates to the drawing, with support as needed.