Nothing is worse than having a student spend precious school time leafing through a book that is four grade levels too difficult. Independent reading is liberating when done appropriately because students can enjoy it without any adult intervention. This is a written dialogue or conversation between a student and an educator. In dialogue journals, the adult does not correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling, but demonstrates these skills by modeling correct English in replying to the student. The teacher who knows the child and knows the general pattern of child development targets the skills the child is ready to learn, demonstrating these through writing back on a topic of the child's interest.
Dialogue journals give children the chance to write independently.
A form of free writing, it should be done daily. Other Journals and Logs Other types of journals and logs are used to record, explore, and reflect issues or experiences in classes such as science, math, social studies, or deaf culture. The teacher or other classroom adult reads and responds to the journals regularly. Both student and adult monitor individual development and progress. These journals are excellent for promoting scientific literacy by developing the ability to read and write graphs, charts, maps, pictures, and other visual representations of events.