Children who are three and four years old get excited about holidays, as well as the days leading up to the holiday. Use this excitement to assign journal topics for children. They can draw pictures of what they want to dress up as for Halloween, what their family eats on Thanksgiving, or Christmas traditions. For Valentine's Day, children can write about a person they love, and in the spring children can share what they found in an Easter basket.
Preschoolers are starting to form definite opinions about what they like and dislike, and many are quick to declare something their "favorite." Journal topics around favorites will not only help teachers get to know students, but children will have an innate passion for writing about things they enjoy. Ask students to write about their favorite day, food, person, movie, or television show. Children may also have a favorite toy, vacation spot, shirt, or playground.
In addition to favorites, challenge students to think of things in categories. This activity will challenge children in grouping and counting. On different days, ask children to think of three things in a category. The website, Journal Buddies, suggests categories such as things they are thankful for, things they dislike, friends, things you find outdoors or things you keep in the refrigerator.
Preschoolers are learning new things every day, and a journal is one way they can build confidence by showing off what they know. Children can draw pictures that give instructions on things they have learned, such as how to bake cookies, how to make a pizza, or how to ride a bike. Some children have unique knowledge from home, such as how to take care of a guinea pig, or how to make modeling dough, that they can share with the class after writing in their journal.
Prompting children to write in their journal about other subjects helps reinforce learning. The online resource site, Preschool Lesson Plans, suggests that children can draw different types of precipitation in their journal after a lesson about weather. A nature hike can result in a journal entry that shows the different discoveries made outdoors. Children can draw items that start with certain letters, or draw a corresponding amount of items to a number they are learning.