Dialogue Journals Help Improve Writing
Interactive Writing Builds Language Skills in a Meaningful Context
Aug 14, 2009
Writing is a highly desired skill, yet very few students enjoy it. Students are required to write papers, narratives, expository essays, and reports. The better students will complete the assignment, but the struggling students will labor through it or just give up. Those students need a better reason than a grade to write. Dialogue journals are informal and give students the freedom to choose their own topics.
What is a Dialogue Journal?
A dialogue journal is interactive writing, or a written conversation between two people. In a classroom it is usually between the teacher and the student. By writing things down, the teacher has a written record of each student's progress in the class. The journal also provides a place for the teacher to privately respond to questions and comments the student might not want to bring up during class. Teachers can ask questions and get to know each student individually, or provide individualized instruction.
The dialogue journal should not be a place for corrections. Instead, the teacher should model correct English and correctly use words that have been used or spelled incorrectly. Since these are individual journals, the teacher should also be aware of each student’s language proficiency level and adjust the writing accordingly. Newcomers with no English can be allowed to write in their native language or to draw pictures.
Benefits of Using Dialogue Journals
Most of the writing required in school is unconnected to the students’ lives. They write their spelling words in alphabetical order, or create sentences with as many spelling words as possible. They answer questions about the reading or list the reasons for the American Revolution. All of this writing requires knowledge. If a student doesn’t know about earthquakes, it’ll be very hard to write a report on one. Dialogue journals take away all the pressure. Students do not need to know a lot to write. They are free to write about themselves and their own interests, allowing teachers to get a glimpse into each student’s life. By knowing students’ personal interests, teachers can choose topics that will appeal to their class.
Most school assignments go one way. They are designed for the teacher as proof of student learning. In a dialogue journal the writing is interactive. The key is in the meaning and not the mechanics. The students look forward to each response. If there’s a word they don’t know, they’ll ask or look it up. Students will share more as they build stronger ties with the teacher. The journals provide the space for individualized attention that each student needs. If teachers could suggest that home run book for their students, this would be a nation of readers.
Creating a Dialogue Journal
Composition notebooks make the best dialogue journals. Set aside a ten to fifteen minute session to write. Topics can be assigned or students can choose a topic of their own.
The dialogue journal works best if it is done daily, however it can also be done weekly. To have daily writing without so much paperwork, the teacher can assign certain days to different students. For example, the teacher can respond to Table One’s journals on Mondays and Table Two’s journals on Tuesdays.
Even if dialogue journals are done once a week, students will benefit. Reading and writing will improve along with spelling and handwriting. Teachers can only respond when they can read and understand the message. Students want to be understood, and they want to understand the world. These are the two best motivators for learning to read and write.
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