Encouraging students to be thankful isn’t always easy.

Learn to help your student practice gratitude and become more thankful while improving writing simultaneously.

As teachers, we often find ourselves telling our students to be thankful and to appreciate the small things, but do we ever encourage them to take action to show their gratitude?

For example, writing a grateful list in a journal is an effective way to help children understand the importance of gratitude and to help them practice becoming more grateful.

What are the benefits of kids writing a thankful list?

There are so many benefits for our students to sit down, plan out, organize, and write a solid list of things they are thankful for.

Top Benefits of Writing a Thankful List:

1. Improve general happiness
2. Sleep better at night
3. Reduce worry and concerns
4. Be more optimistic
5. Improve relationships with family, friends, and teachers
6. Improve brainstorming skills
7. Improve writing skills

Help Kids Reflect on what they’re Thankful for:

Gratitude is good for everyone, students and teachers. Sometimes it is difficult for students to sit down and write a long list of what they are thankful for. 

Try to have students write down a few things throughout the day. For example, students can write down one or two things they are grateful for when they first arrive at school, maybe a few more right after lunch, and then again before it is time to go home for the day.

MORE Writing Freebies:

• More Journal Writing and Writing Checklist
• Reading Response Journal Here

Examples of what kids could add to their “Thankful List”

Below, you will find a list of people and things that students can write on their I Am Thankful For List:

1. family members
2. classmates and friends
3. home they live in
4. their community
5. their school and learning
6. sports or after-school activities
7. food or favorite foods
8. clothes
9. a favorite toy
10. pets

This is a general list of things to be thankful for, but students can get more specific.

So, while you may create an essential list as a class, students can expand on the idea and include things that apply to them in a more personal way.

Specific Examples of Being Thankful for Kids

1. my grandmother – Nanny
2. James in my homeroom class
3. my house
4. my neighborhood
5. Crockett Elementary School
6. my baseball team and teammates
7. pepperoni pizza
8. my favorite red hoodie
9. Nintendo Switch
10. my chihuahua, Cindy

Keep Your Students Writing

While it can be a little tricky to get students to start writing and complete the assignment, encouraging students to continue writing can be even more difficult.

After writing the FREE My Top 10 Thankful List for Students, students can take the information listed and write further.

To keep your students engaged in writing this Fall and Thanksgiving season, check out the Thankful Journal – Interactive Tab Journal for Thanksgiving.

Student Gratitude – Write a Thankful List

Lastly, writing a thankful list in a journal is an excellent and rewarding way to help kids express gratitude.

We’ve learned that not only will it foster a better appreciation for the small things in life, but it can also help them to think critically and constructively about their thoughts and emotions.

Click here if you want to help your student practice gratitude and become more thankful while improving writing at the same time.