Journal+Research

What Research says About Journal Writing **(Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2003) ** 1. Incorporating a journal writing routine in to the classroom is critical to developing autonomous writers. 2. The study confirmed the importance of implementing and establishing the authentic and meaningful journal writing sessions. 3. Journal writing with proper teacher support empowers students by increasing their writing abilities through increased confidence and control over written language. 4. The teachers of beginning writers must provide opportunities and purposes for writing and engage children’s interests as active participants. Educators must inspire, motivate, and empower children to explore writing and to be immersed in the writing process. 5. Journaling gives teachers the unique opportunity to reach all children individually. Teachers must work to determine students’ individual strengths and needs and then encourage them to soar in their writing. 6. Taking time to conference with each child during journal writing sessions is imperative to differentiate the instruction based on the strengths and needs of each student. Conferencing helped the teacher to set goals for the student and build on the child’s confidence by confirming strengths. 7. Consistent journal writing sessions can engage students and inspire their development into strong, independent writers. 8. Research found that in grade 1 the most important elements of journal writing were: daily practice, consistent feedback, and integration to other subjects, a supportive environment, and sharing opportunities (e.g. turn and talk). 9. Improvement in writing occurred when: the journal writing process was interwoven throughout the day, in various subjects, using a word wall, spelling dictionary, have-a-go books, and alphabet/sound charts. 10. It was also stated the children needed to be acutely aware that they were writing for an audience. They had the opportunity to read their work during turn and talks and to other people such as reading buddies, principlas.etc.
 * This study involved a quest to discover the importance of creating successful writers during the course of one year in grade one classroom. **
 * Their findings: **

**Dunsmuir,S. And Blatchford, P. (2004) Predictors of Writing Competence in 4-7 Year Old Children. British Journal of Educational Psychology, pp461-483 ** 1. Journal writing has been found to be a valid and important tool in both assessing a childs’writing and giving them an audience to find their “writing voice “and for teachers to see their true potential. 2. Journal writing was found to be an essential tool for the ‘reluctant writer’ giving them the freedom and space to experiment with their written skills. (One teacher wrote, “ I had no idea that Joseph had such an imaginative mind until he was given his journal to express himself”. He was not writing something the teacher wanted; he was writing something he wanted the teacher to read. 3. Journal writing need to be supported by collaboration and scaffolding. Young children and special needs children need an opportunity in journal writing to organize their writing. Students need the extra time and opportunity to organize their writing beforehand. ( stems, sentence starters) 4. One research project compared one class of journal writing throughout the whole year and found that all areas :( ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions) showed that the majority increased by 2 points. 5. Journal writing was seen as more positive experience when writing about personal topics or happy topics not topics such as. My Worst Day”.

**Juliana Donna Nag (2007) Ministry of Education, Nanyany Technological University ( With the goal of teaching children to communicate in math she conducted the research) ** 1. Math Journaling – Her research showed teachers had a better understanding of student weaknesses as well as strengths and journal writing helped enhance the teaching of strategies of the teachers. Journal writing helped to communicate to teachers that what is taught may not be learned in the same way by all students. It also provided an avenue for teachers to reflect on their teaching strategies as can be seen in the majority responses from their students.