Writing Life Stories

Journal writing provides daily opportunities for students to express themselves, practice using the features of print they controlled, and extend their knowledge of print. By publishing the journals, two additional benefits are gained: the creation of more readable text for emergent readers; and the motivation to write more. "Life Stories" is an umbrella term for independent writing that includes any event or feelings pertaining to a student's life. At first Life Stories are composed of disjointed thoughts relating to a variety of topics. Eventually the text evolves into real stories with connected events. Writing Life Stories in journals proved to be a natural way to promote independent writing in one teacher's first grade classroom. This article describes the step-by-step process of young writers writing Life Stories in journals. The article discusses the following steps: getting students ready to write; the writing process itself; after the writing; after proofreading; ready to publish; bringing "Life Stories" to life; and sharing with an audience.