Kindergarten Math Journals: Getting Started
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Kindergarten math journals are such an amazing tool to help students review the skills they’re learning in math. It might feel daunting to add this learning routine to everything else you have going on in your classroom. But it’s actually easier than you think! I’m going to give you some tips to get your math journal routine up and running smoothly in no time!
What Are Math Journals?
Math journals are simple notebooks that students can use to record the strategies they are using to solve a daily word problem. Students can use their math journals to make simple drawings that help them visualize and work through the problem.
Getting in the habit of showing their thought process will help them so much during future math instruction!
Getting Started with Kindergarten Math Journals
You can have this routine up and running in no time at all! Here are my tips to help the process go as smoothly as possible.
Step One: Choose Notebooks
The first step is to decide what type of notebook you’d like to use for your math journals. A simple composition notebook is perfect because, if you are like me, you likely have a few journals going in your classroom. I usually have three:
- Math Journals
- Poetry Notebooks
- Thinking (or Learning Journal)
You don’t need to spend a lot of time making them fancy! All you need is a simple method for color-coding so students can keep their notebooks straight.
Step Two: Color Code...the EASY Way!
I’ve always liked to use color-coding to keep multiple journals straight and I have found ways to simplify things over the years. It used to be that I would buy all of the notebooks myself because they HAD to be color-coded for the different subjects in a matchy-matchy kind of way.
I used to be that crazy woman you saw sitting on the floor of WalMart around mid-August. I was desperate to find three different sets of 25 composition notebooks. I would have them spread out all over the place and I would dig so I could find 25 blue, 25 red, 25 green. SIGH! Then inevitably someone would move, someone would throw up, or some other disaster would happen to ruin my perfectly matching journals.
THEN I discovered the beauty of duct tape! Each journal has a different colored duct tape spine and life is HAPPY! It is easier for the students to grab the right one QUICKLY, without needing the whole class to have the same color combination of notebooks!
Step Three: Add a "Next Blank Page" Ribbon
One of the biggest time wasters in a math journal routine is waiting for students to flip through their journals to find the next blank page. They often get distracted looking at their drawings from previous days and forget what they’re doing!
A quick fix for this is to attach a black ribbon to the notebooks. Students can easily find the next blank page with the ribbon. All you need is a few minutes to introduce the procedure and how to take care of the ribbon so it lasts all year.
Step Four: Introduce the Journals
You know nothing is really easy the first week of school, so dialing back the pace a bit while students are learning the routines is important.
So when I introduce math journals, I want the students really close to me. This makes it feel more like a small group activity and I can keep a close eye on them. I have them bring their crayon box to the carpet and then I hand out their journals. This is always a big deal. I explain that this is where we will be recording our math thinking ALL YEAR. These journals are PRECIOUS! We must treat them that way.
Then I read the prompt. We brainstorm how we should respond and then I model it. I am REALLY specific on how and where they should glue their journal prompt. (Yes, THEY glue them in). I always remember the words of my master teacher, “Don’t do things for them if they can do it themselves.”
Then the students get to work in their notebook, recording their own thinking as they respond to the prompt.
Start with VERY simple prompts so you can more easily build in complexity throughout the year. Starting off with simple prompts will help students build a solid foundation for this routine!
Kindergarten Math Journals: Frequently Asked Questions
Over the years, I have been asked additional questions about starting a math journal routine. Here are some of those questions and answers:
How long do you keep this routine at the carpet?
As long as it takes! If we are working on a prompt that they have not encountered before, we solve the prompt together. This happens a lot during the first month of school because EVERYTHING is new… right? So we answer the first prompt together with modeling. The next day, they will get a similar prompt. Now they have to apply what they learned the previous day to today’s word problem. (Each journal prompt has 3-5 variations of the same prompt… so they have plenty of opportunities for independent application.)
Why don't they have manipulatives to use or cut out?
Well, that would be cute, but math journals are not about being cute. Math journals are about creating strategies for solving word problems. They will always be able to do a quick sketch to solve a word problem. They will not always have cute clip art to cut out.
Why glue? Why don't you print the prompts on labels?
I am cheap! I print the entire month’s worth of prompts (25 different prompts) in advance on paper. Then I select the next day’s prompt based on what I think the students need.
If they have mastered a particular type of prompt I might move on. At the end of the month, I could have five to ten prompts that have to be recycled. If these were expensive labels, I would probably cry. Plus it is SO much easier to drop the paper prompt in the lid of their crayon box. Those labels would be a hot mess! I suppose I could put them in there myself…but umm… WHY? Why do I want to either take our valuable instructional time to do it OR my ever shrinking prep time to do it? My kindergartners have been doing it this way for YEARS.
Do you align your prompts with the common core?
Yes, several years ago I revised the math journal prompts I used and they are all aligned to the CCSS. If you want to use my prompts, but you’re not in a common core state… no worries! The actual CCSS is not listed on each individual prompt, only at the top of the page.
Do you align your prompts with your math program?
No, I created these to be a spiral review. I don’t want my students to lose a skill because we have moved onto a new math focus in the math program. So each month, we review, review, review.
How long does this routine take once it's up and running?
After the first few weeks, math journals take just minutes. You can read about how quickly we do them in THIS blog post.
An Entire Year of Printable Math Journal Prompts
If you want to get started with math journals in your kindergarten class, I’ve put together a resource that will save you time! It’s a set of printable math journal prompts that provides standards-based review for your students all year long!
You can find the entire year’s worth of math journal prompts HERE.
Kindergarten Math Journal Sample
I hope you give math journals a try! If you click below, you can get a free set of journal prompts and a math journal cover to get you started!
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Deedee Wills
My teaching career allowed me to experience teaching in different classroom environments and grades. My heart belongs to early childhood education. My job is to make teaching FUN, ENGAGING, and EASIER. Welcome!
Hi, I'm DeedeE.
My teaching career allowed me to experience teaching in different classroom environments and grades. My heart belongs to early childhood education. My job is to make teaching FUN, ENGAGING, and EASIER. Welcome!
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12 Responses
Thank you so very much for sharing with us! I learn so much and greatly appreciate all your expertise and creativity! Do you do a math workshop set up for your math each day?
I love all your ideas and signed up to receive your emails! I was also hopping to download the FREE Easter game but can’t seem to find the link to do so. Help?!
Hi Susan! Do you see the link at the bottom of the post? You can email if you get stuck! deedee@mrswillskindergarten.com
Hi DeeDee
I purchased your math journals. I was wondering if you had an easy journal to start off the year. Aug/Sept begin with basic addition and subtraction, my kinders come in not even knowing their shapes and numbers. The second have of Aug/Sept deal with spatial relations… which some may be able to do, but again most dont’ know their shapes. Is there a beginning journal prompt somewhere that goes over colors, simple things like the sample you have with the backpack “I brought my backpack to school”
Just wondering…
Hi Michelle,
My class was no different. Many didn’t know their colors, how to write their names… it is amazing how quickly they learn though. If you grab the free one in my TpT store, there are some simpler “starter” prompts. Those would be great for a few days, then I’d love to encourage you to dive into the challenge. Remember, you are modeling (and teaching) these prompts alongside them at first. Let me know how it goes.
do you start off with “I do” you do? Some of my kids become dependent on this and fear ever trying on their own. I’ll download the free ones and start with that. Thank you so much. I just love your products…..
What size label did you use to print your adorable notebook labels? Love these ideas, thank you!
For this picture, I made two labels for an 8 1/2 by 11 paper. I am working on a blog post that will come out this week, with new labels if you are interested. If you want the labels before the blog post is finished, just email me and I will send them your way.
deedee@mrswillskindergarten.com
Hi! I have a question, do you “grade” these or do you look at it for completion?
I just look for completion 🙂
Hello Deedee. I love these math journals and hoping to start these this year. I understand about model and teaching them how to do this for the beginning of the school year but do you ever have them do these on their own? How does that work if they aren’t readers or do you always read the prompt for them? Thanks for your help!
Hi Brooke!
Yes, you can absolutely have students do the work independently if they are able. If your students are unable to read the prompt, then yes I would still read it for them. The reading of the prompt isn’t what we want them to practice, but rather the math skill.