Guest Author - Alissa Moy
Teaching your preschooler at home can be a rewarding experience. Helping your child to create a journal of pictures and writing will build their confidence and provide you with a portfolio to treasure. What can you use for the journal? There are many options, from a handmade book to an elaborate scrapbook. I love to create books out of construction paper and plain white paper. You can have sheets that are lined, but use the primary paper for those. Mead company offers primary notebooks for early writers. You can also use a sketchbook, like the Ecojot ones that have sturdy binding and colorful covers. Some homeschoolers excel using a "Create a Book" kit, which is often used for child "authors" to write and illustrate their story. These book kits are extremely well made and sturdy, and they add a look of professionalism to the journal. Whether you choose a fun journal made of scrapbook and construction paper, or a premade journal, your child will delight at reading and displaying their own work.
1. Create a Creature- Use several of your favorite animals and create a unique creature or animal. Describe it by writing some descriptive adjectives. Draw a picture of this creature!
2. I Scream for Ice Cream- You are the new chef at an ice cream shop! Invent a tasty flavor everyone will love. Draw your edible creation and write a few adjectives to describe the flavor combination. If your mom or dad allows, create this flavor for real at home and taste the results for yourself.
3. Nature Hunt- Take a walk outside with a parent and gather five items from nature. Write the names of these items and draw their pictures. Be sure to notice the details when drawing your nature finds, like the lines on a leaf.
4. Career Plans- What job would you like to have when you grow up? Write the name of the job you'd like to have, and one sentence on why it would be perfect for you. Draw yourself doing this job in the future.
5. Holiday Fun- What is your favorite holiday? Write the name of it in your journal and the month it is in. Draw a picture of what is wonderful about the holiday you chose.
6. A Sunny Day- It is a hot and sunny day. What will you do? Draw a picture of what you plan to do, like swim or play outside. Write what you are doing in your picture.
7. Be in a Book- If you could be a character in your favorite book who would it be? Write why you would be this character and draw a picture of him/her.
8. Animal Antics- What is your favorite animal? Write the name of this animal and one thing you love about it. Don't forget to draw a picture!
9. Alphabet Soup- List and draw foods that begin with ten different letters in the alphabet. For example, A could be an apple, H could be a hamburger. Choose letters randomly. Place all the letters of the alphabet on index cards with your child. Then shuffle the cards and have them choose ten from a face down pile. It will be a great brainstorming activity.
10. Fond of Friendship- Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Write their names (don't forget to capitalize) and draw their pictures.
Creating a journal with your preschool homeschooler is not only educational, but it is also a keepsake to treasure forever!
