Read examples of journals written by famous authors. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were two presidents that journaled their experiences in office and out. The author of "The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland", Lewis Carroll, also wrote several journals. Explain and discuss what possible purposes journals hold.
Create a list of daily prompts. When given a topic to write about, students take less prep time and are better able to organize their thoughts. This prepares them for later essay assignments. Some sample essays appropriate for fifth graders are: What is your favorite series of books and why?, If you had a million dollars to give away to help the world, how would you do it? and Who influenced you the most, why?
Be confidential. Students are more likely to gain personal enjoyment from the journaling activities if they know that only the teacher will be reading their writing. This allows the teacher to get to know the students on a deeper level, as well as helping the students learn to articulate and recognize their own opinions.
Evaluate. Don't grade the students on grammar or spelling, but on completion and adherence to topic. Because journaling has the components of free writing and drafting -- students should spend less time worrying about the mechanics -- and more time focused on getting their thoughts down on paper.