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 families and lives outside of the classroom. This process helps to develop children’s ability to de-center and tell stories so that others can understand them. Allowing children to vote on the story they wish to write about forms a democratic community. They decide as a class, through questions, discussions, and exchange of opinions which story will be written in our journals. This method provides a written class history. Children are allowed the freedom to experiment with writing and construct their own ideas about written and oral language. Through this experimentation, children are encouraged to use their knowledge of initial consonant sounds to record the chosen story. Children’s invented spellings are a valuable part of the process that provides evidence of their growth as a writer, from scribbling to conventional spelling. Through conversations and questions involved in the Shared Journal process, children become more accepting of cultural and individual differences. Teachers provide daily one-on-one instruction to facilitate each child’s advancement in his/her writing ability.