Ideas for a 1st grader's project book?

[Withacy]

I'm taking my godson (age 7) out of school for a trip to WDW December 12-20th. It'll be an extra long Christmas break for him!

His teacher is being wonderful about it. But she wants him to record his trip daily in some way that he can bring back and share.

He's very bright, and he's already ahead of his 1st grade class in reading, but obviously his writing skills are limited. So a traditional written journal probably isn't the best option (since this is supposed to be HIS creation, not mine...which it kind of would be if I ended up spelling out every word for him).

Any ideas on what he can do that will be heavily HIS work, and not dependent on other people (me or his mother when he gets home) creating it for him? He's very creative & imaginative, and I'd like to figure out a format that will let HIM explore that!

Unfortunately, my knowledge of 7 year olds and their projects is severely limited! Anyone? Parents? Teachers?

THANKS!!!

 

[TLinden16]

I'm going to move this to our family board. I'm sure the folks over there will have lots of great ideas.

 

[HLDisney]

How about having him draw pictures each day of the highlights of the day for him? For example, if his favorite ride of the day was Dumbo, have him draw a pic of the ride and label it. You could also print out photos for him (after the trip) of what he did each day and he could label it with simple descriptions like "My favorite ride", "We ate lunch here", etc.

Helen

 

[crisi]

We've had our kids keep a journal since preschool.

Early on it was drawing. Later they started adding words (and I added a translation sentence for later). In first grade that was where my kids were - their sentences on what they did were good, but needed a little translation for later reading. Now they are forth and fifth graders and we do paragraphs - pictures optional.

I have them do two pages (at that age I got a scrapbook with unlined pages - now they get a notebook). The first is "my favorite thing today" the second is "what I learned today."

More than that was difficult - they were tired and finding time to do that much each day could be challenging. (In third grade we lost half an hour to a boy who didn't want to do his journal from the previous day in the morning).

Sometimes you can find first grade notebooks with a space for drawing at the top and the big primary lines for writing at the bottom.

 

[MNdisneymom]

My son has used notebooks called My First Draw and Write Journal that have a space for a picture and lines for writing (and the lines are appropriately sized, not too small for a beginning writer.)

They come from an educational supply store called Lakeshore Learning...(I don't know where you are in Georgia, but I checked and there are 2 of them in the state.) But if you don't have that, I'm sure other ed. supply stores would have something.

(BTW, your godson sounds a lot like my six year old--who reads anything he can get his hands on, but moans and groans when asked to write a sentence or two...)

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I assume someone will have a camera in tow. Why not let him make a photo-journal of the trip. Obviously help him hold the camera, but let him take the pictures that he wants to take (let him compose the shot and take it - you'll be surprised at the change in perspective).

You could get him his own memory card so there are no mistakes between his and yours.

Then he could come home, print out his favorites and make a little book out of construction paper for his teacher. Break it down by park or by day, whichever you think is easiest.

Good luck!

 

[Withacy]

Maybe a combination of drawing & taking pictures?

I was wondering how to keep it all straight, but I realized that I'll have my laptop with me (so that I can email pictures as we go to his parents back home in Ohio). I can just separate the pictures in the evening, and create a file of the ones he wants to use for his project.

Hmmm....maybe I can create a standard form in Power Point. The photo/s he chooses embedded in the page for each day, then the lines added that he can write on and a place for him to draw.

Of course, if I do it that way, since I obviously won't have a printer with me, he wouldn't be able to write or draw until after the trip...not that he couldn't write it out in a notebook & copy it later.

Some very good ideas here! Thanks!

 

[allyphoe]

He's very bright, and he's already ahead of his 1st grade class in reading, but obviously his writing skills are limited. So a traditional written journal probably isn't the best option (since this is supposed to be HIS creation, not mine...which it kind of would be if I ended up spelling out every word for him).

I obviously can't speak for his school, but DD6's kindergarten and first-grade teachers have specifically requested that we not spell out words for the kids unless we just can't stand it. They're supposed to sound out the words on their own, and take a best guess. So if DD were to journal a trip day, she might write "We rod in the car fr a log tim" instead of "We rode in the car for a long time," and that would be what her teacher would expect. That plus a drawing of a very sad little girl in a car window, maybe.

Honestly, the photos in Powerpoint plan sounds like more your work than his - I'd stick with hand drawings (maybe interspersed with photos he took, then pasted himself on to a sheet of paper) plus a short sentence describing the drawing. 10 or 15 minutes a day of work.

 

[MNFootballMommy]

How about something with key words (possibly sight words that he knows) that will help him remember his trip? Maybe get some postcards and he can write a 'list' of about 5 words each day to describe what he saw/did, etc. You can date them and then put them on a ring, so they will be like a flip book.

You could do the same thing with your own pictures--sit down at the end of the day and look through your pics from the day and have him write the words down for the picture he chooses. You can then take a picture of those words or save the actual paper and assemble when you get home.

 

[Stitchnut]

I assume someone will have a camera in tow. Why not let him make a photo-journal of the trip. Obviously help him hold the camera, but let him take the pictures that he wants to take (let him compose the shot and take it - you'll be surprised at the change in perspective).


Get extra copies of the park maps and time guides and he can circle his favorite rides, etc. and glue them into the journal. You could buy a composition notebook for less than a dollar and buy some Disney cardstock at a local craft store and have him glue his paper, stickers, and such on the front of his notebook. Then he can label the heading Day 1... and use it as the above poster said and do a photo walk of his trip. He could add a few of his favorite Disney characters pictures and autographs in the journal as well. Have a fantastic time.

 

[Withacy]

I obviously can't speak for his school, but DD6's kindergarten and first-grade teachers have specifically requested that we not spell out words for the kids unless we just can't stand it. They're supposed to sound out the words on their own, and take a best guess. So if DD were to journal a trip day, she might write "We rod in the car fr a log tim" instead of "We rode in the car for a long time," and that would be what her teacher would expect. That plus a drawing of a very sad little girl in a car window, maybe.

Honestly, the photos in Powerpoint plan sounds like more your work than his - I'd stick with hand drawings (maybe interspersed with photos he took, then pasted himself on to a sheet of paper) plus a short sentence describing the drawing. 10 or 15 minutes a day of work.

Well, as I said - I don't want to spell things out for him, since that wouldn't be his work.

As for the Power Point, I'm not talking about creating a presentation or anything. Just creating something that looks like a notebook page (like the ones described above) - the only difference being that the photos he took would be on the page, instead of printing them out and taping them to a notebook page (and hoping they stayed there). He'd still handwrite and draw on the page.

BUT, since that would mean doing it after the fact, I may have to abandon that idea anyway.

The teacher left it pretty wide open. Maybe she'll have more instructions closer to the trip.

Do 7 year olds draw very well? I don't know if I've ever seen anything he's drawn. I know his sister loves to draw...

Boy, this stuff is tough for the childless. He's the youngest child I've taken to WDW, and the 1st boy. It's just the two of us, and I keep coming up with or being presented with issues I never thought of before. Like having to take him into the women's bathroom with me (never occured to me, until Mom brought it up). Dishing his food out at a Buffet. Writing my cell phone number on his stomach.

Wow. Kids are hard work, aren't they?

 

[devonsmommy]

Maybe you could check out the Creative Disign forum here. Some of the gals have created journal pages with just spots to fill in info and add a photo.

 

[KEichman]

WDW Guide to the Magic has several books that might help...and actual kids journal book, and a more expansive planning/journal book, etc.
http://www.guidetothemagic.com/shopping.htm#Journal

 

[Cedarmom]

Have you seen these?

http://www.themouseforless.com/downloads/kids/journal.shtml

My plan right now is to use them or something similar for my first grader. He can answer the questions without having to form complete sentences or paragraphs and yet the teacher will still know what the heck is going on. I'm also going to have him do a photo journal with pics he takes plus pics I take of him doing his favorite things.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

Last year when ds was in 1st grade he made a poster to share with the class. He used a combination of drawings and photos....I showed him how to make a photo collage with my editing software. He then wrote a sentence...phonetically as best he could..about what was in the picture. I love it!! This year he's a big boy and has to journal every day...not as fun.

 

[Chelley00]

Another vote for some of the Creative DISigns girls. There are some that have created very cute journals that have simple fill in the blanks, some go day by day, some go park and ride. I'm combining some of them for my DD to do a journal for her trip in Nov (she's in second grade)

Here's a thread with 3-4 different ones

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2290996&highlight=journal

 

[Leajess99]

I obviously can't speak for his school, but DD6's kindergarten and first-grade teachers have specifically requested that we not spell out words for the kids unless we just can't stand it. They're supposed to sound out the words on their own, and take a best guess. So if DD were to journal a trip day, she might write "We rod in the car fr a log tim" instead of "We rode in the car for a long time," and that would be what her teacher would expect. That plus a drawing of a very sad little girl in a car window, maybe.

Honestly, the photos in Powerpoint plan sounds like more your work than his - I'd stick with hand drawings (maybe interspersed with photos he took, then pasted himself on to a sheet of paper) plus a short sentence describing the drawing. 10 or 15 minutes a day of work.

This is how my DD's first grade teacher is as well. They write sentences weekly with their spelling words. At this age they are not going to spell many words correctly but it teaches them to sound it out.

 

[gr8leg8]

Journals can be very simple.

My favorite thing to DO today was...
My favorite thing to EAT today was...
&
Tomorrow I want to...

His answers will help you know how he's doing.

sounds like a Magical trip

 

[briannesmom]

If you are planning to go to Epcot in the World Showcase he can make a mask and get it stamped and decorate it in each of the countries. It is free to do and would be a souvenier he could take home and show his teacher.
We are taking DD (also 1st grade) out for a week in October and we plan to do this. The journal pages look like they would be fun too.

 

[tigger51276]

When I told my DD5 teacher that we would be going to Disney and she would be missing 7 days of school I asked her what she might like for me to have her do and she told me that nothing was really needed but that maybe she could keep a small journal to share with the class. I was expecting she'd want something more and had already come up with some ideas as I do not like going to Disney "on season" so I will encounter this problem every year. When I told the teacher my idea of her "vacation project" she was very surprised and is excited to see how it turns out. I was planning to get her a digital camera of her own for her birthday and so what I'm going to have her do it think about the alphabet and have her capture moments for every letter of the alphabet. So there will be 26 pages and 26 photos (i'm sure there will be plenty more pics but i figure she can pick out her favorites for the journal) and she can put a small caption under each picture. So for A it could be a pic of Animal Kingdom or Alice from Wonderland, Z can be Zebra, etc. I want her to be able to think about the letters and what things start with so that she is really learning something and hopefully it'll be fun also to try to find things for letters that could be hard to find....almost like our very own scavenger hunt. It can even be done with numbers if your kid is learning numbers. My overall plan is to have her do this very project every year as I'm excited to see how it evolves over the years and how the pics will differ and the captions as well!