Do You Need a Treasure-Trove of Creative Writing Prompts?

Do you find inspiration in short supply when you need daily creative writing prompts? Fear not! That page in your plan book shall be empty no more! I've collected and catalogued all of the journal ideas I've composed during my career. The wealth is now yours to plunder and share! Best of all, these ideas are kid-tested and approved! Your students will be journaling away in no time! Ready to get started? Great!

Establish expectations and a routine:

• When will you journal? In the morning when students are fresh with ideas? After lunch, as a quiet, reflective activity? Before dismissal,as a closure to the day? Choose what works best for you and your classes.
• What criteria will you look for each week? Free response? A set number of paragraphs? Fully planned stories or essays? Set these goals with your kids.
• How will you store your students' work? Spiral-bound notebooks? Loose-leaf binders? Pocket folders?

Management and assessment Tips:

• Collect and respond to students'journals on a scheduled,rotating basis. Remember,kids hunger for meaningful contact with you, so be consistent! Give substantive, thoughful feedback: "I owned three dogs, too, Robert! I understand the expense!" OR "I love the ending! So thrilling! But now I want to read your sequel!"
• Provide weekly checklists for students to evaluate themselves,ie,"Did I support my opinion with evidence?"or"Does my opening sentence hook my reader?"
• Allow students to self-select their favorite pieces for a portfolio.Portfolios wonderfully display progress over the calendar year! Not to mention bragging rights to mom and dad!

Other Ideas:

• Occasionally,break the class into groups and assign a journal topic to each group.Students must interact to pen a joint response.Have each group present its resulting responses.
• Begin a class collection of original journal ideas! Keep a community notebook!Add the most intriguing contributions!

Oh, and one last thing! Don't forget to journal with your students! They won't always admit it, but they love it when you commandeer an empty desk in the middle of the room,pull out your own decorated notebook,and begin penning a response to the creative writing prompt you just assigned! If you glance quickly enough, you'll catch the smiles on their faces. Browse through this treasury of ideas. Check back often for updates! Share the wealth! Encourage your colleagues to visit these pages!

Tips to develop original writing prompts.

January Need journal ideas after the school holidays? Fill your plan book with these engaging, pen-to-paper January topics!

February Traditionally a month symbolic of love, your students will love these February narrative ideas.

March This month heralds the first day of spring. Spring into March with these breezy March story-starters!

April Create a shower of expressive essays with these April ideas!

May Imagination blossoms with these May story starters!

June Creativity sparkles with these June writing prompts!

July Ideas for July journals...

August Jumpstart a new school semester by including many of these narrative ideas in your August lesson plans.

September Polish up your students' creative writing skills with this list of super September writing prompts!

October Match those crisp October days with equally crisp creative writing!

November As you "write through" this list with your students, remember to discuss the blessings of writing itself!

December The season sparkles with imagination!

Really Amazing Animals Science writing extensions.

Fairy Tales Tales With a Twist!

Return From Creative Writing Prompts to Creative Writing Ideas and Activities

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