Journal writing in kindergarten?

[willow33]

DS2 is in full day kindergarten in public school. This is our first year in this district as we just moved here this past summer. The K curriculum here seems very accelerated and I feel like DS is feeling discouraged and is falling behind. My observation is that most kids came into K already reading at some level...DS did not. I also assumed that they would start with the basics like they did in our last district with DS1.

I went into school this morning to speak with his teacher and to find out how he is doing. She told me that many kids in the class are reading above a 1st grade level. DS has trouble with the basic books they send home each week. He can do it with guidance and help, but not completely on his own yet. She also told me that they have journal writing time during class and that DS just sits there and stares at the blank page. They are supposed to think about what they want to write and then write it. How are they supposed to write in a journal if they can't spell words yet? He can spell some sight words, but to think of a sentence and then write it? No way.

I guess I'm just looking for some advice from those that have a Kindergartener and what they are doing in class right now. I feel like I made the wrong choice in school for him. He is a bright boy...he just needs to start with the basics.

I'm so sad for him and I'm just feeling awful right now.

Thanks for listening...

[pinkmomagain]

As far as reading, it sounds like your DS would fit right in the normal range in DD's Kindy class right now. She didn't know how to read coming into Kindy, just some sight words...she mostly knew letters and many sounds. She is reading now...simple stuff.

As far as journals are concerned, yes they have them in dd's class too. Kids are encouraged to draw a picture and then attempt (without correction) to write something...sounding out as best they can.

The only thing that concerns me is that he is not making an attempt at journal writing...and to find out what the problem is there. (Is he not sure what to do? What is acceptable? Is he intimidated by the teacher? Does he want it to be perfect and therefore doesn't even try?..etc.) Also, IF he is legitimately behind his peers...what is the teacher doing about that?

[lcarlson90]

I totally understand what you are going through. DS is also in K and a lot of the kids in his class were already reading when they started back in August. I know that his class does little writing assignments were they write short sentences mainly using sight words. I don't think they are doing a "journal" like what you described.

Maybe the teacher is having the kids journal because some of the students have the ability do it and maybe she figures it's okay if some kids can't do it.

[egoldber]

I agree with pinkmom. He sounds developmentally fine to me. What is the teacher saying that she is doing to help him? K kids are at a whole range here, some are fluent readers, but far, far more are new and emerging readers here.

[willow33]

The only thing that concerns me is that he is not making an attempt at journal writing...and to find out what the problem is there. (Is he not sure what to do? What is acceptable? Is he intimidated by the teacher? Does he want it to be perfect and therefore doesn't even try?..etc.) Also, IF he is legitimately behind his peers...what is the teacher doing about that?

I think it is this exactly. If he can't do it perfectly he won't try. It is the same way with homework. He is very hard on himself and wants it to look a certain way or will start crying.

He was pulled out for extra help with an aide at the beginning of the year, but they determined that he doesn't need it anymore and have put him back in the class during that time.

[ray7694]

I wouldn't worry about it until 1st grade. He sounds right on target for our Kind cirriculum. Not every kid reads in Kind and in my observation boys take even longer. My son also had journal writing and had to draw a picture and try to tell what it was below. I couldn't believe the progress that was made from the beginning of the year until the end.

As long as your son is making progress don't worry about what the other kids are doing.

[pinkmomagain]

I think it is this exactly. If he can't do it perfectly he won't try. It is the same way with homework. He is very hard on himself and wants it to look a certain way or will start crying.


Ha, I know the type...my kids can be that way in phases. I would encourage him at home as much as possible to try and do the best he can. I would not correct him. I would point out mistakes when you make them yourself...and be real casual about it. I would also share with the teacher your concern about your son's "perfectionist" attitude. Maybe she could also be sending him and the class messages about how their attempts are all acceptable and good. DDs teacher is really, really good about no pressure, good trying, etc.

[justlearning]

When DS started K, he didn't know how to read at all, but many (most?) kids in his class kid already knew how (some were quite advanced).

But they spent a lot of time teaching the Spalding curriculum, which includes learning about phonograms, their sounds, etc.

So that helped but I found that he still became frustrated when I had him trying to read easy reader books from the library. They were just too hard and it took him forever to sound everything out.

I ended up getting a really great deal on the Hooked on Phonics program and worked through the K level with him, then the 1st grade. I found it to be VERY helpful for him because the K level starts of with the very basics and then works up to harder words. I liked it more than the BOB books (which I also tried) because it has long lists of words in the book that are similar (e.g., rat cat bat sat mat). I would always have him read those lists first, and I'd define any words he didn't know. Then he would read the book (at the time it instructs you to do so).

His frustration went away as soon as we started that program because it was doable for him. So that may be something to look into if you want to help your DS at home. (You could also first try the BOB books to see if those work well for him.)

FWIW, DS was reading above the 4th grade level (when tested) in 1st grade so it didn't matter that he was a late reader in his K class.

Regarding the journal activity, fortunately DS never had to do that in his K class (or during most of 1st grade). I know he would have hated it because he's a perfectionist and never wanted to spell words unless he knew how to spell them correctly.

DS2, on the other hand, makes "books" in pre-K now and just writes out however he thinks the words sounds and draw pictures. So he's find doing that, but he has a different personality than DS1.

Have you tried to ask your teacher if your DS can be given an alternative to the journal assignment? Perhaps he could just draw pictures and then "dictate" his story to you or the teacher? K is a time when you want your kid to learn to love learning, so it's sad to hear that he's feeling frustrated (and understandably so).

ETA that here's the Hooked on Phonics set I bought: http://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Phonics-Learn-Read-Grade/dp/B001H8VQLG

I think that I paid about $35 or so, but IMO it's really good and worth more if it helps your kid learn to read.

[lilycat88]

DD had journal time in K as well but it wasn't a total emphasis on "writing". They were allowed to draw or just practice letters, etc. DD also was a perfectionist and we struggled at the beginning to get her to try things she knew she would make a mistake with. There was also NO emphasis on spelling at all in her kindergarten class. Pure phonetic spelling. They were just encouraged to sound it out and write what they thought it was. Sometimes they were guided a bit on where to go with their journal writing and sometimes not. See if she will give him a little guidance as far as something to write about. See if he can just draw and perhaps just write a description of what he is drawing.

[Katigre]

That does sound like an advanced K to me - the fact that it is full day is one tip-off that it's going to be more academic-oriented. It is hard to change districts and have that large of a divide between previous and current expectations.

I would ask her for a list of things to work on with him at home. See if that helps him get up to speed so he doesn't internalize 'i'm behind and bad at school' - that's a terrible message for a 5-6 year old to believe about themselves. And know that most likely it is simply a developmental/age thing. Boys in general are slower to develop academic readiness than girls, and it doesn't mean there's a thing wrong with them - they just need the gift of time and patience. I am willing to guess that by the start of 1st grade he'll be able to do these things far more easily.

And also make sure to make it abundantly clear that you are a dedicated parent invested in his school success. When a child comes in with less 'background knowledge' than the other students it is easy to dismiss the family as 'not as motivated with academics' and then not challenge the student to grow and just let them slide at their own pace (which can lead to them falling behind). As sad as it is, teacher preconceptions about a student and family have a significant impact on that child's treatment in the classroom. While you see him for who she is, she primarily sees his performance in school compared to the other students. If she does not have a personal connection with him then you need to work to foster that between you and her so she turns into an advocate for him.

[o_mom]

He honestly sounds like my DS2 who is in K also. His reading is OK - he can read a late K/early 1st book, but he is not fluent when reading it - lots of sounding out and struggle. He started the year with almost no reading, could sound out a few words, but that was about it. He is progressing, but he is no where near the top of the class. The journal... this is an on-going thing with DS2. He doesn't like to write and is easily distracted, so yeah, not much going on in his journal.

Our school has high standards, but I also have not felt at our school that they are pushing kids. There has been no suggestion that DS is too far behind or anything. Also, DS1 is in first and there were still kids sounding out three letter words in his class in the fall, so I don't think the expectation is for them to be reading at a high level by then. PM me if you want more details about our experience.

[bubbaray]

Wow, that's crazy. DD#1 just started doing "mini journals" (with pictures and text) and she's in the 2nd half of grade 1. No WAY could she have done that in Kindy. When I helped out at the Kindy Christmas party last year, at least 1/2 of the kids couldn't write their name (even though parents were asked to teach them that before K started).

I would ask the teacher how she is going HELP your DS LEARN these skills. If she won't help him, I would go to the principal. That is just crazy that in his first year of school, his teacher won't teach him???!!!

[kristenk]

DD was in K last year. Some kids started out the year already knowing how to read, but the vast majority did not.

Our K class also had journals. They were supposed to write in them daily, I belive, but sometimes a story could take several days to finish and that was okay. They were just supposed to get some writing done each day. They sounded out words as best as they could and it didn't matter if they spelled things correctly or not. Journals were not graded in any way.

I find it odd that the teacher's not doing anything about the situation. In DD's class, it was pretty much a requirement. Well, at least as much as anything else in K (which was ungraded) was a requirement. It sounds as if she doesn't care that he's not trying. That's the part that would concern me a bit.

[janeybwild]

Totally on track with my kindergartner. Approaching 100 days she can sound out 3-4 letter simple words but is not reading as I think of it. More than 5 words in a row and she loses the plot!
They do daily journal writing here too, but the emphasis is on the creative product. So the prompt might be "I want to ...." and she might draw a picture of herself doing something barely recognizable with this under it " et is krm" (that would be "eat ice cream" to those of you who don't kinde speak). Approaching 100 days they are working on having the kids stretch out the words to get more sounds in. She is typical in her class. I remember from my older DDs kinde year that the last half of the year saw an explosion in reading and writing. I would be concerned to hear that he doesn't try. I'd like to hear more about how the teacher encourages him, What suggestions does she have for you?

[o_mom]

Wow, that's crazy. DD#1 just started doing "mini journals" (with pictures and text) and she's in the 2nd half of grade 1. No WAY could she have done that in Kindy. When I helped out at the Kindy Christmas party last year, at least 1/2 of the kids couldn't write their name (even though parents were asked to teach them that before K started).

I would ask the teacher how she is going HELP your DS LEARN these skills. If she won't help him, I would go to the principal. That is just crazy that in his first year of school, his teacher won't teach him???!!!

Isn't your cutoff the end of the year, though? In this area the cutoff is Aug/Sept 1st and most kids with May/June/July b-days are held back. The age range is usually 5y 3mo - 6y 6mo for *starting* K, which makes a huge difference. They usually start K at the age your kids end K.

Other than that, though, I agree that getting a plan from the teacher about what is going to be done now, this year, before it becomes a bigger issue.

[egoldber]

Our cutoff is 9/30 and holding back is rampant and our experience is still similar to bubbaray's. There is a HUGE range of where kids are in K.

I am curious how the teacher presented this info, Was it 1) just an FYI, 2) this is an issue you need to deal with, 3) this is an issue that we are dealing with or 4) not an issue, but here's what we're doing.

[bubbaray]

Maybe its a cutoff thing, dunno.

What I do know is that I would be totally pi$$ed if a teacher observed (repeatedly, or even once) my child sitting in class not doing an assignment and DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT FROM A TEACHING PERSPECTIVE. That is just wrong. Isn't a teacher supposed to teach all students, not just the ones who have mastered a particular skill??

I just feel really strongly that K (and even G1) is all about engaging students and having them enjoy school. The primary grades should set children up for school SUCCESS, not instill failure and defeat.

OK, off my soapbox now.

[o_mom]

Our cutoff is 9/30 and holding back is rampant and our experience is still similar to bubbaray's. There is a HUGE range of where kids are in K.

While there is a huge range, half the kids not being able to write their name by winter break would be unusual IME. There are kids in DS2's K class that have the same birthday as Bubbaray's grade 1 DD, so I don't think that it is necessarily an unreasonable expectation. For our school, the journal is expected to be a drawing with a few words spelled phonetically - like a PPs example. Not full-on complete sentences with correct spelling and punctuation.


I am curious how the teacher presented this info, Was it 1) just an FYI, 2) this is an issue you need to deal with, 3) this is an issue that we are dealing with or 4) not an issue, but here's what we're doing.



What I do know is that I would be totally pi$$ed if a teacher observed (repeatedly, or even once) my child sitting in class not doing an assignment and DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT FROM A TEACHING PERSPECTIVE. That is just wrong. Isn't a teacher supposed to teach all students, not just the ones who have mastered a particular skill??

I just feel really strongly that K (and even G1) is all about engaging students and having them enjoy school. The primary grades should set children up for school SUCCESS, not instill failure and defeat.

OK, off my soapbox now.

:yeahthat: to both of these - context is everything. I wouldn't feel bad about asking the teacher to do her job of making sure he does the assignment. If he needs extra help or reminders, then she needs to figure a way to make that happen (DS2's teacher has had him come sit right next to her during the journal time to keep him on task, for example). If she is just letting you know or asking you to just give him some reminders at home, that's a different story.

[maestramommy]

Wow, in light of my last thread about Dora I'm thinking WTH?? I guess this is the other end of the spectrum. In a meeting last night about the school district some parents are very upset with teachers teaching to the lowest functioning level. One mom told me her kid was already reading by K and she couldn't handle it when he came home learning one letter a day. Some kids do start K not even knowing their letters. I guess this is the first time I've heard most of the class starting out already reading.

[smilequeen]

They do it in my son's K, yes. But for the kids who can't fully read yet, the teachers have different expecations and a different way of helping them do it. This is a Montessori school though, so everything is set up to be at each child's individual level.

My son does fine with journaling on his own, but I've been in there a lot and often the teachers will have a child tell them some thoughts and will print it out for them to copy and practice handwriting and storytelling. It's only a few sentences and doesn't take much time for the teacher to do. If they are having actual journaling time it would seem like the teacher might have a little time to devote to writing out a few sentences maybe?

It's too bad that K has too often become developmentally inappropriate. What you are describing is not an issue with your son. He's a normal bright kid and he's in K. The expectations are too high.

[smilequeen]

Wow, that's crazy. DD#1 just started doing "mini journals" (with pictures and text) and she's in the 2nd half of grade 1. No WAY could she have done that in Kindy. When I helped out at the Kindy Christmas party last year, at least 1/2 of the kids couldn't write their name (even though parents were asked to teach them that before K started).

I would ask the teacher how she is going HELP your DS LEARN these skills. If she won't help him, I would go to the principal. That is just crazy that in his first year of school, his teacher won't teach him???!!!

I totally agree with this too. I mean, are they all journaling at the same time, and she's just observing and sitting on her a$$ letting him not do anything???? She needs to do her job and work with him.

[minnie-zb]

You sound like me last January. Our youngest is 6. She turned 5 in August 2009 and started Kindergarten in September of 2009. Last January 2010, we were told she wasn't doing the work. She couldn't do the writing in the journal (just like your child) and I had the same argument. She couldn't read, had no interest, etc. Long story short, she was held back. We are repeating Kindergarten this year. And honestly, it was the right decision. She's doing really well this year.

We went through lots of testing for her last spring in the school system.

[Moneypenny]

DD had to do writing in K, but the teaching was pretty differentiated so some kids practiced letters while some kids wrote "stories". DD was also a kid who did not want to try if it wasn't perfect, and when we mentioned at her first conference that DD was saying that she didn't like center time, we deduced with her teacher that it was likely a perfectionist thing. Her teacher was WONDERFUL then about emphasizing the trying, not the product, praising for every attempt, etc. DD's confidence soared and she was like a different child within a very short time frame.

I would think a talk with your son's teacher along the lines of, "Are you saying this is a problem? If so, what can we all do to address it?" would be very helpful.

[willow33]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with me...it really helped. To answer some of your questions:

DS received his first report card this month and I requested the parent/teacher conf to get more info. His report card was fine...great in some areas and other areas need improvement. Nothing that really surprised me. This the first year that our district does not do parent/teacher conferences. You have to request them.

The teacher told me that when DS is just sitting there she tries to prompt him to write about something. I think they can also draw pictures and then write a sentence about it. I really believe that he just gets overwhelmed with the assignment and has a hard time starting. She told me that she knows which kids he can and can't sit near to minimize distractions.

He bring a very simple book home each week and we read it together each night. I've also added either a BOB or a Starfall book to our nightly routine. He is doing okay with help and seems to really want to read it and is very proud when he completes it.

And DS is a late April baby and there are a lot of children in his class that are six already. Some that I know turned six last summer.

And thank you for the Hooked on Phonics recommendation. I will be looking into it.

* Just wanted to add that she never indicated that it is a problem, but that it is something we should watch and talk about again in the spring. She said that 1st grade is a "big jump" (her words) and that there is a lot of writing in 1st grade. She said to continue reading at home and to encourage him to try to write during journal time.

[erosenst]

Knowing exactly where he is, a few things:

* Think I told you that I, and almost every parent I know, was underwhelmed (at best) with the K teachers.

* Agree that there's a hugerange of abilities. DD is in first grade, and both her K and 1st teacher have said that her year has been the widest range that they've taught, but that there's always a very wide range of what's expected.

* When we went to K orientation, there were 5 things they wanted kids to be able to do: Write their name, recognize their name, be able to zip a zipper, tie their shoes, and be read to every night. So while there are kids at all levels, I don't think they expect a really high level coming in.

After all of that...


What is the teacher saying that she is doing to help him? This, to me, is the key question. And sadly, my guess is, not a whole lot.

BUT - I had heard that the first grade teachers were much better, and I would totally agree with that. In addition, they have a brigada (?) of aides who help kids who may need a little (or a lot) of extra help. In addition, there were a lot of kids (I can think of 4 off hand, but I'm sure there are more) who went to a private K so they could start after the cutoff - ie they are very young for their grade. (One little girl just turned 6 in January...a few days before DD turned 7. The cutoff is August 1st.)

Looking at the 'beginning of first grade' writing, there are a few kids who write very well - good grammar, good spelling, etc. The majority are still using a limited range of words, with phonetic spelling. The improvement so far this year is really amazing.

I agree with PP's who suggested "working" on his ability to work on the task at his pace - ie drawing in the journal, or phonetically writing a few words. Also - the principal this year is great. Suggest setting up a meeting with him if you remain concerned.

Writing this reminds me - did you get the email I sent? Have a feeling it may have ended up in your spam....

[mmommy]

The teacher told me that when DS is just sitting there she tries to prompt him to write about something. I think they can also draw pictures and then write a sentence about it. I really believe that he just gets overwhelmed with the assignment and has a hard time starting. She told me that she knows which kids he can and can't sit near to minimize distractions.


Didn't have a chance to read through everything, but this caught my eye. I don't teach young children, but I do teach college students - is she giving them a topic to write about? Because even many college students have trouble getting started with assignments when they're "too open". If she isn't giving ideas as jumping points, maybe you could offer a few each morning to your DC? Sometimes that is all it takes to get someone started.

My DD is too young for these assignments, but my DN has written some awesome stories about donuts, cars, and baseball in his K journals. Of course he has to read them to us because they're totally not written in a way anyone else can decipher - that is great because this can be a real exercise for the creative muscles, and eventually the spelling and vocabulary, etc will come.

[Tondi G]

Just curious are you in the Carmel school district? I have a friend who moved from CA to Indiana and the school district they are in is WAY more rigorous than the curriculum here in CA. My friends DS had a lot of trouble in school. She was told she should have held him back because that is what everyone else does, especially with their "boys". She was told that her 5 year old had no impulse control and might have ADD. She immediately took him to a child psychologist who within 5 minutes of being with her son, stated that there was nothing wrong with him, that he was an normal, energetic, active child. The teacher didn't care and continued to make her feel like there was something wrong with her child.

My DS2 is in K and there is NO WAY he would be able to come up with a sentence and write it. He is still working on sight words and writing letters properly.... they are working on the long A sound right now and thinking of and making pictures for words that have the long A sound in them.

It is not your DS's fault that the other kids are reading at a 1st grade level. The teacher should be working with all the children... and helping the kids who are not reading to catch up with their peers. Your DS sounds totally normal to me.

[willow33]

Just curious are you in the Carmel school district?

Wow...excellent guess...yes we are! And we just moved here from Massachusetts and from what I thought were excellent schools and challenging. Challenging takes on a whole new meaning here!

[o_mom]

* Just wanted to add that she never indicated that it is a problem, but that it is something we should watch and talk about again in the spring. She said that 1st grade is a "big jump" (her words) and that there is a lot of writing in 1st grade. She said to continue reading at home and to encourage him to try to write during journal time.

Just a thought here, and only you can tell if this might be. It may be that the teacher felt she had to come up with something to tell you to improve on. It can be a bit awkward to schedule a conference and basically say 'Yep, everything's fine'. I know with DS1, he was way ahead in K and yet I always got the feeling in PT conferences that the teacher was trying to find something to give us to work on. Our conferences would be over in less than 5 min because there was nothing to really discuss and yet I think both of us felt like we had to stretch to at least try to fill the allotted 20 min. I would ask more questions, trying to find something that he needed to work on, but really, there wasn't anything.

You can always clarify with the teacher - see if it is a "really big deal", or just a "hey, he could improve on this, but still very normal". It's hard to tell online the tone and feeling of what the teacher said, so I could be way off, too.

[KrisM]

I really believe that he just gets overwhelmed with the assignment and has a hard time starting. She told me that she knows which kids he can and can't sit near to minimize distractions.



DS has a hard time writing too. He's in 1st and doing this journaling. Anyhow, I started mentioning things he could write about as they happen. So, he has a weekend writing project for Monday and today, we played a game and I told him he could write about that. We're going to gymnastics tonight and I will let him know he could write about that. It seems to have helped him figure out ideas and get him unstuck.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Apologies that I am skipping the replies here as time is short.

Ds1's k had a "word box" and you could look at pictures of things to find words and some other things that helped kiddos figure out words. They also had 3 teachers (full time for 22 kids!!) and they could work with the kids. Lots of phonetic spelling. They can really get a lot of their point across even if they don't know how to write or spell well.

Ds1 could not read in k, maybe some sight words, and it wasn't expected or necessary. He picked up the reading skill in grade one, midyear and by 2nd grade was moving along with the higher reading group.


Beth

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

Are you ever in the classroom to see what is actually going on? Do you know that journaling means writing a complete sentence?

I volunteered in my son's K classroom last year and they did journaling almost every day. It would be related to rug time and the book they read or the topic they discussed. The teacher would write a few key words on an easel for the kids to look at. The kids were to write a few words and draw a picture. They did "kindergarden" spelling, which meant just sounding it out using phonics, not worrying about real spelling. The teacher did not help them at this table as they did a table rotation and she would be teaching math at another table. This was an independent table. I didn't think it was out of place at all and my son wasn't reading nor was he a good writer. The teacher would encourage the kids who were more advanced in writing to write a whole page and kids that were just getting it to write a couple words.

FWIW, my son's K class had 29 children and 1 teacher, no aids.

[s7714]

That sounds like a really advanced expectations for K, IMO!

They don't do journal writing here until 1st grade. Right now in my DDs K class, they are still going over letters and learning basic sight words. I don't have the whole list, but it's seriously just the basic words like I, see, a, my, like, their colors, etc.

I help out in the class weekly, so I see first hand what levels the kids are at. Of the 12 K kids (it's a K/1st split class, so there are 11-12 of each grade level) 4 kids are capable of writing basic sentences like "I see a cat." Reading-wise there are 5 or 6 that are able to sound out or know basic words better than their classmates, but even they are not proficient to the level of 1st grade or above!

ETA: Will the teacher allow him to just randomly write things like the alphabet or numbers if he can't think of an idea? Maybe he could try copying words he sees around the room or something as well. I agree with PPs that the teacher should be helping him if she's expecting him to actually do things daily in the journal.

[inmypjs]

My son's K class has a set time for writing and journaling every day. However, the kids are encouraged to draw and write at whatever level they are at. Some draw very detailed pictures with legible words and sentences. My DS struggles a bit with fine motor, so he mostly draws, though he has started adding a few letters and words. His teacher seems to have a wonderful understanding that all kids are at different levels, and because of this my son doesn't seem to feel self conscious about his drawing and writing at all. So I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn't seem unusual to me to have journaling time every day, but I do think it's really important for the teacher to understand that not all kids can actually journal, in the truest sense of the word. To me your child sounds just fine developmentally. I do think if my son felt like how he "journaled" was not good enough, he probably wouldn't try at all either.

[Karenn]

"Journals" in kindergarten are pretty common around here. The thing to realize is that a good teacher isn't expecting conventionally spelled words. They are expecting a few letters that generally correspond with the sounds of the words. Instead of "I like to go ice skating." "I LK T GO ISKTG." Or like another poster said, a picture with a few non-conventionally spelled words labeling the picture. i.e. a picture of your DS ice skating and then the word "skats" written by the feet.

However, kindergarten journals were still the bane of my ds' existence. Writer's block is not uncommon and little boys who might be a bit later on the continuum in terms of their fine motor skills are likely to find them tedious. I think it takes a particularly good teacher to keep some kids from feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. It was the writers block that was the worst for DS. He was always supposed to write about his weekend so we would brainstorm things for him to write about before I sent him off to school on journal days. It helped some, but it's taken him half way through second grade and an amazing teacher to really get him over his issues with "journals."

[spanannie]

Journals are standard in my daughter's kindergarten. In fact, they had "journals" in Pre-K. However, there was a prompt and the kids drew a picture. In kindergarten, there is always a prompt and they write in whatever way they can -- which is usually very phonetic spelling -- and usually a picture to go with it. There is a huge range of abilities. I would say that the majority aren't reading at the beginning of Kindergarten and that really starts to happen after Christmas. Again, a huge range of abilities.

[sophiesmom03]

Ds1 could not read in k, maybe some sight words, and it wasn't expected or necessary. He picked up the reading skill in grade one, midyear and by 2nd grade was moving along with the higher reading group.


This was us. There was a lot of variation in skill in DD1's K class but reading wasn't expected or necessary. They did do journal writing, and the teacher was wonderful. She talked a lot about being a writer, about all the kids being writers, and to help them think of what to write, she said you always write about what you know. (I think that also kept her from getting lots of journals full of My Little Pony or Transformers stories, lol!). Spelling was expected to be phonetic and not correct by any means.

Anyway, maybe he just doesn't know what to write, and talking to him about expectations might help.


Good luck and I'm sure he will learn to love reading and writing in his own time!

[ett]

I don't recall DS1 doing any kind of journal writing in K. They were still working on correctly forming their letters. In terms of how to write if they can't spell the words, in DS1's writer's workshop, they are just supposed to write and not worry about getting the correct spelling and punctuation. In fact, in first grade, they did all their writer's workshop writing with pens. The point being that they shouldn't stop to correct mistakes but just focus on getting their thoughts down on paper.

[purpleeyes]

I have kind of a funny perspective-I work in my son's school in the resource center, so I assist teachers from time to time with classroom issues-so I see what she does to help kids who need the extra support. My DS is reading, and we have a structured, leveled system so the kids who aren't reading or who are sort of reading are getting work at their level.
They do write journals, for sure-but they all have a 'word' book to check in case they cannot spell something. Inventive spelling is encouraged. They always have a prompt. For kids that couldn't/wouldn't do it, she encouraged them to draw, and set up benchmarks-first they would draw, then she would check. Then they would write one/two words and she would check. For a particularly reticent child, she created a sticker chart.
I think the writing is really important-as long as it is done at their level.

[Tondi G]

Wow...excellent guess...yes we are! And we just moved here from Massachusetts and from what I thought were excellent schools and challenging. Challenging takes on a whole new meaning here!

I'm sorry to hear another mommy having issues with that school district. My friend was told a few times that if her son was in the Indianapolis SD that he would been fine but that their standards are high and curriculum is rigorous. The majority of people in my friends neighborhood either send their children to private school or homeschool (which is something my friend considered when they started suggesting that her son be held back in 2nd grade).

Hope your little one hangs in there and catches up so you won't be stressed. It's hard. Don't let anyone cause you to second guess your child and his capabilities. He'll get it all when he's ready.

If you want another Carmel mommy to talk to I bet my friend would be happy to e-mail back and forth! Lemme know. She has 3 kiddos and another on the way. Her DS2 is turning 5 in July and she is already stressing on whether to send him to Kindergarten or not in the fall!

[minnie-zb]

I think I made it sound like my daughter is in some sort of draconian kindy. Our kindy journals a lot, but they aren't concerned with perfectionism. They simply want the kids to try. She wasn't trying at all last year. This year with some extra help in the curriculum she is doing really, really well. We're super pleased with how far she's come.

They have a word wall to help them write words and they are encouraged to come up with their own ideas. For example, every Monday they write/draw about something they did over the weekend.

[ncat]

DD did journals in full day K last year. However, the focus seemed different. At the beginning of the year, the journal pages had a large space for a picture and a small space for a few words. As the kids advanced, they moved up (on an individual basis) to a page with more room for words.
DD's teacher encouraged the kids to try and not worry about mistakes (he wouldn't let them have erasers, either). They worked hard on sounding things out and getting words down on paper not worrying about "kindergarten spelling" or making mistakes. I really appreciated his approach and his emphasis on getting the kids excited about trying and learning and not worrying about perfection!

I wouldn't worry about your son's abilities, but I would worry about the empty journal. I would talk to the teacher to better understand her goals for the journaling and figure out together how to encourage your son.

[okinawama]

When I taught kindergarten we had journal time every day. Having said that though, I started on day one with VERY basic instruction ie: this is the front of your journal, this is the back, this is the top of the page, this is how you turn the page,......basically just concepts of print in the beginning. At the end of the instruction for the day they would draw a picture, and then I'd focus on one particular group each day and the child would tell me what was happening.

As time went on, the instruction became more and more detailed ( spaces between words, sight words, sounding words out, punctuation....) to the point that after Christmas every child was able/expected to at least use sight words and beginning and ending sounds to write at least one sentence about what was happening in their picture.

Journal time was many of my students favorite part of the day, and they often (literally) cheered when it was time to get their journal.

I don't think that journaling is developmentally inappropriate if the instruction prior prepares a child to successfully write in a journal.

[ehf]

I would ask the teacher how she is going HELP your DS LEARN these skills. If she won't help him, I would go to the principal. That is just crazy that in his first year of school, his teacher won't teach him???!!!

It sounds like the teacher is giving you a heads up about what's happening in the classroom.

I would actually ask the teacher if there's anything she would suggest you do at home, in addition to asking what kind of help is available at school. I'd be clear with her about whether or not you are hoping to help him catch up to the new expectations.

I don't think the teacher is at all saying that she won't teach him.