Mara Leamon

#5

Journaling
What is it?
Journaling is a form of selfexpression where students can
process their thoughts, feelings,

Who will it work for?

-

General education students

ESL students
Students with disabilities

It has been largely documented

including:
Language/Communication

benefits from integrating journal

Disorders
English Language Learners
Learning disabilities
Emotional/behavior disorders
ADHD
Autism
Can be used for all subjects

opinions, and emotions on paper.

Journaling can be done on sheets
of paper, in a spiral, a composition
notebook, or something that the
students are comfortable writing
in.

Why does it work?

especially for literature and

reading.
*This strategy should not be limited to
these students only. This strategy has

that there are a large amount of

writing across the student

curriculum. Journaling helps
clarify for understanding, supports
the development of student
thinking, and sparks curiosity in
the students. Journaling is another
way to lessen the load of
expanding curriculum and while

proven successful in general

education classrooms and with a
variety of students.*

also sparking the students interest

and integrating them into the
topics discussed in class.

Examples:

Types of Journaling:
There are numerous ways to journal.
Some of them are listed below:
-

Warm-Up journals: students do some

type of activity or reflection as class
is beginning and before leading into

the main lesson

Summary journal: allow students to
write about their ideas, experiences,
and what they know about the topic

before you teach it

Personal journal: a place where
students have the freedom to write

whatever they wish

Dialogue journal: these journals are
interactive between teacher and
student. Teachers can comment on
what students write and vice versa

Double entry journal: this type of

journal can help improve
comprehension and help them
organize their thoughts. Create two
sides: on one side, have them write a
phrase or sentence and on the other
side, they write their reaction to that
passage.

Examples:

How to Use in the Classroom

Step 1:
Decide what kind of journals you want to use. Depending
on grade level, you can have your students create their
own by using construction paper as the covers and putting
notebook paper in the middle. You can also use
composition notebooks, spirals, or a binder with notebook
paper. As a teacher, you also must decide if you want to
provide these journals or if the students need to bring
them from home.
Step 2:
Incorporate the journaling into the lesson.
The teacher should decide how they want to include
journaling and what material would be most beneficial
using this tool. Also, decide when to use this tool in the
class, during warm-up, review, introduction to new
knowledge, practicing new topics or ideas, as a way to
assess comprehension, or a place for students to express
themselves through words discussing whatever they wish.
Step 3:
Teach the students how to use their journals. It is more
organized if one journal is used for one specific topic but
some teachers may do otherwise. Either way, teachers
must communicate exactly what they want their students
to write in these journals. Those writings can include but
are not limited to, new vocabulary words and definitions,
practice or warm-up problems, sentences or passages with
the students reactions to those sentences, personal stories
or experiences, or written ideas and opinions about new

topics about to be discussed. Also communicate with the

students when/if you will be picking up the journals to
look over them and let them know if they will or will not
be graded on their entries.

Strengths

References

Respects differences among students by inviting each

Cox, J. Journal teaching strategies, K-12 News,

student to write and think in his or her natural voice

Allow students to experiment with language, thoughts,

Lessons & Shared Resources by Teachers, For

and reactions
Encourages students to think in writing and make

meaning of content as they study it

Invites students to think open-mindedly about texts and

the world
Can be very therapeutic
Offers students a place where they do not have to
worry about spelling for grammar

Teachers.

Finely, T. (2010). The importance of student journals

and how to respond efficiently, Edutopia: What
Works in Education.

Sterling, S., & Tohe, L. (2016). Research and

discovery: teaching strategies, Teaching
Multicultural Literature.