Understand that prior to writing, students often need time to discuss ideas with peers, to draw or to contemplate. What Students Learn about Language Personal, expressive writing can be used to develop self-awareness and to clarify thoughts, feelings and experiences. Journal entries may occasionally be shared in author's chair sessions. Daily records or personal diaries can be used to record classroom experiences. Students may keep learning logs in which they record their understandings, feelings and attitudes about particular subjects areas.
Dialogue journals encourage and extend students' reading and writing efforts.
Teachers, the most common audience for these journals, write responses to each journal entry. The teacher's shared insights, comments, questions or suggestions are read by the student who then responds in the form of another journal entry and the dialogue continues. Students could respond to the journal entries of the teacher or their peers. Reading logs can be used to clarify thoughts as students read or listen to selections.