Hot Summer Days and Writing

July is the month of long, hot summer days. My little darlings often take shelter in the shade with a good book. My encouragement this month is: Do some writing!

Have your little darlings choose a topic to write about from the bounty of nature and all that summer has to offer. One paragraph, one page, or a short story are all an imagination away.

To begin, gather a notebook or journal and something to write with. If a journal is being used I would choose a pen over a pencil for preservation. If notebook paper is being used a pencil is great if the work is going to be edited and rewritten.

Possible topics:

• My favorite sport
• Why I love summer
• Animals of summer in the water
• Animals of summer on the land
• Bugs of summer
• Cloud formations
• My summer chores
• Family reunion
• Summer camp

Have your writers choose their own topic, if they wish. Encourage creativity, imagination, and fun. Summer writing isn't about grades and hard work - it is about expression and enjoyment.

Bite Size Writing Assignment: June Journal Pages

June journal pages are a fun way to get creative and document summer break at the same time! Have your student(s) grab a notebook and choose some topics to journal about this month.

Keeping a journal is a great way to get in some writing without having it feel like school. Journals are personal. Journals are expressive. Journals are creative!

June Journal Topics:

• What our flag means to me (June 14 is national Flag Day in the U.S.)
• My dad (June 16 is Fathers Day)
• What I did on the first day of summer (summer begins June 21)
• My favorite flavor of ice cream
• Bugs I find outside
• My summer job
• My favorite summer activity
• What I see in the clouds
• Summer is fun because...

Encourage your student(s) to journal about any other topics they can come up with. For the free spirited writer, go ahead and let them simply sit and write whatever comes to mind. The trick to keeping a journal is to throw off the confines of writing rules and have fun. A journal can be whatever the writer wants it to be!