What do you do with an idea? Where do you let your ideas take you? Do you generally act on your ideas or put them on the back burner and eventually forget about them?
Two years ago, I had an idea to create my own reading journal for kids to help keep track of the books they were reading. I began working with a talented illustrator who I found online to bring my first reading journal to life.
The end result is Storyville, a full-color 138 page reading journal filled with enough space to log up to 60 books. Plus, there is additional space in the back for activities, extra drawing and writing space, and additional lists. I’m thrilled to finally share this journal with the general public that I’ve kept under wraps for the past two years.
Right now, you can purchase a printable download of my Storyville journal on the Teachers Pay Teachers website.
The purpose of this journal is two fold: to help promote lifelong reading habits and help maintain a reading routine. It’s recommended for ages 5-12, but can be used by anyone at home or in a classroom setting.
My kids enjoy using their journal to document their reading journey. It’s so fun to watch them use it and think critically to either write or draw their thoughts for each book they read. The activities in the back matter add an additional element of fun with word searches, book bingo and extra space for notes, drawing and writing.
We like to keep our journal in a central location in our home and encourage the kids to write/draw in it at least once a day.
People who use this journal can:
* Write their own questions about the story.
* Record observations about the characters and events.
* Make predictions about where the story is going and how it will end.
* Note favorite moments and quotes from the story.
* Draw pictures of favorite characters and scenes.
* Complete an activity in the activities section
When your journal is done, you’ll have a wonderful memory book of your family’s reading adventures that you can treasure for years to come!
So the next time you have an idea: draw it out on paper, write it down, share it with a friend, research the details, do anything you can right now to see that your ideas are pursued and don’t end up at the bottom of your ideas stack or to-do items.
I hope this encourages you to go forth and act upon your next big idea.
Happy Reading and Journaling!
To purchase a printable copy of Storyville: A Reading Journal for Little Bookworms Ages 5 – 12 click here.
