Journaling with Literature



Journaling with Literature

By: Jennifer Jones

December 7, 2005

RE 5140: Advanced Study of Children’s Literature

Dr. Connie Green

My inquiry project deals with an area I have struggled with for twelve years as a language art teacher, using journals with literature. I have struggled with how to use journals with literature, what students should write about the literature, should I give them topics, or not, and how do I grade them. This last summer I took a job for this school year teaching sixth grade language arts in the public school system. I have not taught sixth grade language arts for six years, so I decided I needed read the latest research on teaching middle school language arts. I started by reading Nancie Atwell’s In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning. In her book Atwell discusses using response journals with books, which brought me back to my struggle with journals. So, I have decided to use this project to answer my questions and struggles about using journals with literature. This paper is my findings.

Why use journals with literature?

The biggest reason to use journals with literature is that through reading and writing, students are collecting and connecting, for writing is a bridge to understanding (Bowman, 2000). Journals help students to learn material, and teachers to monitor that learning and understanding (Tichenor & Jewell, 1996). Student journal entries also give teachers clues about sources of comprehension difficulties, student understanding, misconceptions, biases, and questions (Carr, 2002). Teachers can use these insights into their students thinking skills to plan, provide, and model lessons for their students (Bowman, 2000). Individualized learning can be enhanced as teachers use entries to learn student interests, discoveries, and challenges (Werderich, 2002).

How do students benefit from using journals with literature?

Journaling with literature benefits students because it gives them a greater sense of their own learning (Tichenor & Jewell, 1996). It encourages thoughtful and personal engagement with literature. Thought this engagement students can construct meaning, discover and understand the text, themselves, and others. These things lead to increased comprehension, more reflective and insightful writing, and increased participation in stimulating and thought provoking class discussions (Bowman, 2000).

What are the different types of journals used with literature?

The different types of journals include: class, dialogue, readers response, audiocassette, double-entry (also called two column or double column), dialectical, blogs, simulation, speculation, and learning logs. A class journal is like a class memory book. In this collective journal, students’ responses on specific piece of literature are collected and put together in some form (Carr, 2002). A dialogue journal is a personal journal in which the student and teacher, or the student and other students have written conversations about the literature they are reading. These journals often include students’ feelings, personal connections with, and reactions to the literature (Carr, 2002). Many times dialogue journals are done in the form of a letter (Werderich, 2002). Response journals, like dialogue journals, are narrative journals. In response journals students respond to the reading assignment by writing their reactions to the materials. The student can also ask questions about the literature (Ross, 1998). For reluctant writers, audiocassette journals can be used. Students can record their verbal their reactions and questions on cassette tapes instead of writing them on paper (Bowman, 2000). Another type of journal to use with reluctant writers is the double-entry. Students create a double-entry journal by folding their papers down the middle of their paper lengthwise. The student writes on the left side their reactions and questions, and the teacher writes on the right side. The half of page is less intimidating to students. This same format can be used to have students take notes about what they are reading on the left side, and on the right side they respond and write questions about the material (Ross, 1998). This type of double-entry works well with non-fiction. Another type of double entry journal is the dialectical journal. A dialectical journal is one in which students write a quotation from the literature with the page number on the left side, and they answer the question why do I find this quotation interesting or important on the right side (Schools of California Online Resources for Education, n.d.). Bloging is the newest form of journaling with literature. Students use computers to journal about what they are reading. Blogs can be kept private within a class, or they can be posted to the public. Many students enjoy blogs because they use a computer instead of paper and pencil. This also creates a problems because not all students have a computer at home (Kajder, Bull, & Van Noy, 2004). Simulation journals are excellent to use with literature with rich characters. Students use these journals to imagine what it would be like to be a character, and walk in their shoes (Carr, 2002). Speculation journals encourage students to examine events in a book and speculate about the long-term effects of the events. In this journal students ask themselves what happened, and what could happen because of this (Schools of California Online Resources for Education, n.d.). This is a good choice when working on predictions with students. The most basic form of journal is the learning log. Learning logs tend to have the shortest and more objective entries. Learning logs are used to help students clarify their own thoughts about what they are learning. They also help students to remember and reflect (Carr, 2002).

How do you implement the use of journals with literature?

After choosing which type of journal to use, the teacher then plans its implementation. When implementing a journal is it is important to define the format, procedure, and purpose (Werderich, 2002). A good way to do this is to give students a handout that explains the purpose of the journal, how the journal is to be done, when it will be collected, and how it will be graded (Ross, 1998). It is also important to model for students through mini-lessons using read-alouds to demonstrate making connections, noticing characters and setting, and questions that occur when reading (Williams, 2001).

What kinds of issues can occur when using journals with literature?

One of the biggest issues with using journals with literature is how to grade them, or should they even be graded. Each individual teacher has to make that decision. It is important to remember that journals are not formal writing. When teachers read journals, their focus should be on the content of the entries, not the grammar, spelling, or punctuation (Ross, 1998). Many teachers use rubrics to help them grade journals (Williams, 2001). Teachers who use dialogue journals also need to think about how many entries to assign, and how extensive the comments they are going to write to students will be (Ross, 1998). To help with not having to read a large number of journals in one sitting, try setting up a rotating schedule (Carr, 2002).

What did I learn from doing this project?

I learned that using journals with literature is important. There are many benefits to using them not only for my students, but also for myself as a teacher. Journals can help me learn what my students know, and do not know. I can use this to better structure my lessons to fit their needs. I can also use their entries to individualize learning. I learned that there are many kinds of journals, and some work better with different kinds of literature. I have learned how to use journals that are not just giving students topics. and telling them to write. The areas I am still struggling with are which type of journal to use, and how to best implement journals. I have tried the notebook method. This did not work. The students kept losing the notebooks, they could not find the page, and it was just plain confusing. I also tried letting them write about whatever they wanted. Some wrote, others did not because they did not know what to write. I now am using a system with a single sheet of paper, stapled with other work to a folder. On this paper I give them critical stance questions to write about. We have solved the I can’t find it issue, but I am not happy with the responses I am getting. I will continue to work on the solution by trying to find what works best with my students.

Bibliography:

Bowman, C.A. (2000). Creating connections: challenging the text and

student writers. The English Journal, 89(4), 78-84.

Carr, S.C. (2002). Assessing learning processes: useful information for

teachers and students. Interventions in School and Clinic, 37(3),

156-162.

Kajder, S., Bull, G., & Van Noy, E. (2004). A space for “writing without

writing”: blogs in the language arts classroom. Learning and Leading

with Technology, 31(6), 32-35.

Ross, C.L. (1998). Journaling across the curriculum. The Clearing House,

71(3), 189-190.

Schools of California Online Resources for Education (n.d.). Activity Bank:

Journaling. Retrieved December 6, 2005, from

Tichenor, M.S., Jewell, M.J. (1996). A framework for journal writing in the

primary grades. Reading Improvement, 33, 81-87.

Werderich, D.E. (2002). Individualized responses: using journal letters as a

vehicle for differentiated reading instruction. Journal of Adolescent

and Adult Literacy, 45(8), 746-54.

Williams, M. (2001). Making connections: a workshop for adolescents who

struggle with reading. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy,

44(7), 588-602.

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