Lynda Graham
Lynda Graham 2003 'Organising Writing journal sessions' from 'Children's Writing Journals'
Graham describes how to establish guidelines and sustain writing journals with Primary children, encouraging both personalisation and responsibility. This requires a trusting classroom relationship in which all are given the opportunity to behave freely as writers. The teacher needs to ensure that all are included and to respect different ways of working in journal-time: drawing/illustrating, teacher scribing, discussing, sharing, collaborating, cutting and sticking, re-reading - as well as writing.
These sessions provide valuable time to observe the children as writers as well as to:
The main benefit of working with journals is that pupils write better when they have developed the habit of writing about their own concerns and interests, In Reception classes pupils may move between a journalling time which is about telling and re-telling stories, and so begin to tune in to the rhythms of written language. In year 1, pupils' writing is helped by following their own interests, being 'held' in picture form and added to by speech-bubble and caption. In later years the use of journals allows pupils to develop self-confidence through reflecting on their friendships. When their own culture, 'crazes' and common interests are shared and explored with a trusted audience (Bernstein 1970: 'the culture of the child must be in the consciousness of the teacher."), writing becomes a 'tool for social learning' (Dyson 1997). Children's budding personalities will not grow if they write only what the teacher thinks (Vygotsky 1978).
Graham describes how to establish guidelines and sustain writing journals with Primary children, encouraging both personalisation and responsibility. This requires a trusting classroom relationship in which all are given the opportunity to behave freely as writers. The teacher needs to ensure that all are included and to respect different ways of working in journal-time: drawing/illustrating, teacher scribing, discussing, sharing, collaborating, cutting and sticking, re-reading - as well as writing.
These sessions provide valuable time to observe the children as writers as well as to:
- be ready to respond to invitations to listen (non-judgementally)
- arrange sharing times, reading aloud at the end of sessions
- establish and maintain a sense of writing community
- allow freedom of choice about what to write, where and how ( e.g. lists, scripts, cutting up magazines, devising and participating in surveys and questionnaires)
- provide time to continue, to rework pieces at their own pace, or to abandon them
- revisit and choose their favourite journal entry at the end of each term/year
The main benefit of working with journals is that pupils write better when they have developed the habit of writing about their own concerns and interests, In Reception classes pupils may move between a journalling time which is about telling and re-telling stories, and so begin to tune in to the rhythms of written language. In year 1, pupils' writing is helped by following their own interests, being 'held' in picture form and added to by speech-bubble and caption. In later years the use of journals allows pupils to develop self-confidence through reflecting on their friendships. When their own culture, 'crazes' and common interests are shared and explored with a trusted audience (Bernstein 1970: 'the culture of the child must be in the consciousness of the teacher."), writing becomes a 'tool for social learning' (Dyson 1997). Children's budding personalities will not grow if they write only what the teacher thinks (Vygotsky 1978).