Shared
Journal
Shared journal is a daily
literacy/writing process in which children share real life experiences with the
class. The children learn about
each other’s life experiences outside of the classroom.
Journals provide a written class history. Students use their knowledge of print to represent thoughts
and ideas on paper. When writing is
complete the student will conference with the teacher.
The teacher, in turn, questions and challenges the student to move beyond
their current understanding of the conventions of writing.
Journal writing and conferencing afford effective means for the teacher
to assess the student’s current level of literacy development in order to plan
individual instruction, which will enhance the student’s current notions of
print.
Objectives:
1.
The students will become a community of writers.
2.
The students will gain confidence in their ability as an oral and written
communicator.
3.
The students will construct relationships involving the functions and
purpose of writing.
4.
The students will develop knowledge of time and history.
Steps:
1.
Signing Up: three students will share a story for the day.
2.
Sharing: The students who
signed up take turns sitting in front of the class and tell their stories.
3.
Questioning: The other
students in the class question each person sharing to obtain more details
relating to their story. Focusing
on the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how.
4.
Naming the Story: After each
story has been shared, each student names his/her story.
5.
Negotiating: The students
discuss which story is the most significant one to record in their journal for
that day.
6.
Voting: If a consensus is
not reached, the students vote for the story they believe to be the most
significant. The story with the
most votes is written about for that day.
7.
Writing: The students record
the selected story using their current understanding of print.
Students are encouraged to illustrate their stories.
8.
Reading: The students read
their journal entries to each other and to the teacher.
Students and teacher conference about their journal entry.
9.
Whole Class Sharing: Selected
journal entries are shared with the whole class.
10.
Home sharing: At the end of
each month the students take home their journals to share with their parents.
11.
Classroom Uses: The journals
are placed in the classroom library. The
journals may be used in a variety of ways, including reading, sharing, and
reminiscing.
Sharing:
·
Helps children learn each other’s names
·
Helps children learn about each other’s families
·
Helps children learn to ask questions
·
Helps children learn the elements of a story – who, what, where, when,
and how
·
Helps children learn that we all share common experiences
·
Helps children know how others feel
·
Helps children develop closeness and a bond with each other
Sharing
Takes Place:
·
With other children
·
With the teacher
·
Writing is shared with the other children, with the teacher, and with
parents