Journal Writing with Students

1. Journal Writing with Students Tonja L. Root, Ed.D. Early Childhood & Reading Education Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA 31698-0092 troot@valdosta.edu

2. Purposes for Journal Writing • Share experiences • Explore thinking • Personalize learning • Develop interpretations • Wonder and predict • Engage the imagination http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

3. Purposes for Journal Writing • Develop independent thinkers • Develop creative thinkers • Process for discovery & clarification of ideas • Build trust, acceptance, appreciation of different opinions • Learn that writing is thinking • Expose them to others' thinking http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

4. Types of Journals &Trade Books http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

5. Personal Journals • Students write about self-selected topics of personal interest. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

6. Personal Journals • Private: Sharing journals is voluntary. or • Monitored: Teacher checks to ensure that entries have been made but does not read unless entries are marked, "Read me." or http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

7. Personal Journals (cont.) • Shared Journals: Teacher reads all entries except those marked "private," & offers encouragement & suggestions. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

8. Trade Books: Personal Journals • Baer, E. (1990). This is the way we go to school: A book about children around the world. New York: Scholastic. • Cheltenham Elementary School kindergarteners. (1991). We are all alike…we are all different. New York: Scholastic. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

9. Trade Books: Personal Journals • dePaola, T. (1996). The baby sister. New York: Scholastic. • Fox, M. (1997). Whoever you are. New York: Scholastic. • Katz, K. (1999). The colors of us. New York: Henry Holt. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

10. Trade Books: Personal Journals • Krensky, S. (1998). Arthur and the lost diary. New York: Little, Brown and Company. • Moss, M. (1995). Amelia’s notebook. Berkeley: Tricycle. • Moss, M. (1996). Amelia writes again. Berkeley: Tricycle. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

11. Your Turn • As an example of a personal journal entry, write a few sentences that you could share with students. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

12. Home-School Connection Journals • Students take turns taking home a journal in which a family member may write something about the child &/or the family. • Student returns the journal to school the next day. • Teacher reads the entry to the class (if the student is unable to). http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

13. Home-School Connection Journals (cont.) • Students take turns writing about school experiences, events, assignments, &/or programs. • Students take the journal home to share with family members. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

14. Home-School Connection Journals (cont.) • Family member(s) may respond in writing to the entry. • Students return journal to school next day for another student to take home. • Entries may be shared with the entire class. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

15. Home-School Connection Journals (cont.) • Serves as an alternative or supplement to a classroom newsletter. • Family members have an opportunity to view school from their child’s perspective & other children’s perspectives. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

16. Home-School Connection Journals (cont.) • Family has an opportunity to respond to whatever the child writes. • Suggestion: Have several circulating in the classroom simultaneously: Family could read an entry every week. • Entries do not need to be lengthy. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

17. Trade Books: Content of Home- School Connection Journals • Fox, M. (1997). Whoever you are. New York: Scholastic. • Pelegrini, N. (1991). Families are different. New York: Scholastic. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

18. Reading Journals • Students respond to stories and poems. • Entries may be shared with classmates. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

19. Double-entry Reading Journals • A type of reading log. • Students write quotes from a story in left column. • They relate each quote to their own life & other literature read in the right column. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

20. Dialogue Journals • Students write entries to share with teacher or classmate. • The receiver reads & responds. • Entries are written like a conversation. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

21. Professional Resource: Journaling • Bromley, K. (1993). Journaling: Engagements in reading, writing, and thinking. New York: Scholastic. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

22. Journal Writing: Summary • There are many types of journals. • Purpose & variety are the key to a balanced writing program involving journal writing. http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot/read7140/journal_writing.htm

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