perspectives in Education and Deafness

Dialogue Journals

Fellowship, Conversation, and English Modeling

Dialogue Journals

This is a written dialogue between a student and an adult that transpires daily. The adult does not correct the grammar, punctuation, and spelling, but demonstrates the use of correct English by writing back to the student.

Are you searching for ways to immerse students in English naturally? Consider asking students to participate with you in writing in a dialogue journal. Dialogue journals can be important additions to the classroom routine.

	ABOVE: Dialogue journals from students in Team 1-2 at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School in Washington, DC.
	ABOVE: Dialogue Journals provide a literacy tool for all ages.

Dialogue journals are journals written on a continuous, preferably daily, basis. They are also dialogues, usually between students and their teachers, but also between parents and students, parents and teachers, and students and students.

Dialogue journals are ideal classroom tools. They require no planning, meet the individual needs of groups of diverse students, and can be with used in every age and ability level. Best of all, they are immensely enjoyable for both student and teacher.

Student-centered

Dialogue journals have been used successfully with deaf and hard of hearing children since the early 1980s. They are successful in large part because they give students the power to make choices on what will be written. Students usually prefer to write about things that are of keen interest to them. As a result they write more. The best way to learn to write is to write—and write a lot. Asking students to write daily about matters they select themselves gets them well along the path to developing necessary writing skills. Thus, dialogue journals are an excellent tool to encourage student writing.

	ABOVE: Dialogue journals should not be restricted to children who already know who to use print. A teacher models English for a seven-year-old student as she encourages him to make the transition from drawing pictures to using words.

For example, Janie, a fourth-grade basketball player, wrote frequently about basketball in her journal. Her teacher, who helped coach her team, always responded. Eventually Janie began to write about other topics that interested her—her home life and the baby animals in the classroom.

Privacy

Dialogue journals are places of private exchange. Teachers should never share the journals without permission of the student. When the dialogue represents a student-to-student exchange, teachers should not read any entry without permission of participating students. Students are free to share their journals, and teachers simply ask permission when they want to do so. This imparts a feeling of trust, confidentiality, and ownership—all the better to encourage more writing and develop further writing skills.

Students First!

The first entries are written by students. Teachers can suggest ideas if the students are stuck. But it is important that students write first because that underlines the fact that it is students themselves who have the power to choose the topics. If students are not used to making choices in these matters, this may be difficult at first. Be patient and encouraging. They will come around.

ABOVE: On the school's "Wacky Day," the teacher uses mirror writing for one student, who responsds by writing upside down.

Here is Janie's first entry.

Janie: I try hard but I did not score. I need more practice.

Teacher (and team coach): Well, you scored on Friday! You are improving. How was school today? What did I miss?

Teachers Respond to Students

Every time the student writes an entry, the teacher responds. Dialogue—from the wonderful Greek word logos, which translates as both word and logic—is the interactive discourse of two individuals. The difference in journals is that the dialogue is in writing. The teacher's response should be approximately the same length as the student's. Teachers can comment on the student writing, answer any questions, and ask questions for clarification. Teachers may introduce topics as well, but this should be done with special care, with an eye to student interests and concerns. The dialogue should remain student-centered. Students have a lot to write, if only teachers will let them.

Here is Janie, ever interested in basketball. Notice how the teacher responds to this in a personal way, not sharing her own experience merely as its own sake, but with a specific purpose.

Janie: I liked the game. It was fun but I hurt my knee. Later I want to get a brace for my knee.

Teacher: You should not get a brace for your leg because that makes you depend on it and it will not be strong.

Janie: Why not get brace but weak. How know who told you.

Teacher: Who told me? I learned when I used to play basketball. I had to tape (like a brace) my ankle when I hurt it and then my ankle was weak for many years and I had to always tape it.

To underscore her point the teacher drew a picture of a taped ankle in the middle of her sentence.

Continuous Writing

There is only one way to become skilled in any given area: practice. The more time students spend writing in their dialogue journals, the better writers they will become. Daily writing is the most effective. In my experience, students look forward to reading what their teachers have written.

An ideal routine would be that students write in their journals for the first 15 to 20 minutes of the school day. This is an excellent way for them to make the transition from home to classroom, from leisure time to academics. Schedule a regular time to respond so that you can have your responses recorded in their journals by the following morning. Soon you will find your students rushing to read—they will want to know what you have written.

No Corrections!

Dialogues are stifled if one of the participants is constantly correcting the other. It doesn't matter whether the dialogue is through the air or in writing. Constant correction is a damper on expression. So keep the red pens at bay! Instead, repeat a misspelled word naturally when the response is generated. In the following entry, Janie is unclear in her description of an incident. Notice how her teacher responds. She does not correct language but models it, maintaining a natural conversation, and adding a topic at the end.

Janie: ...Boy with wild three 3 girls don't want boy friends crazy then lot more crazy. And wild.

Yesterday me and mom went to the store to find Christmas gifts. I made a list of the things I want. Easy-bake oven, Splat, Electronic Monopoly, mall madness, King Tut 3D, Mcdonaldland Happy meal…

Teacher: Wow, you want a lot for Christmas! I remember I wanted an Easy-bake Oven when I was a kid, too!

You mean yesterday one boy was wild? I am glad you cooperated.

What do you think of our new baby birds?

For All Ages and Abilities

Dialogue journal writing should not be restricted to those who already know how to use print and convey meaning. They are useful for all ages and ability levels. Young children can convey their messages through drawings and approximations. After they write, they read their journals to their teachers. Teachers write back and read their responses to the students. As students become older, they read and write more and more independently.

Teachers use dialogue journals for many reasons. One compelling reason is that they immerse students in the use of written English naturally. Even better, they provide a highly rewarding and motivating way for teachers and students to share their lives. Excellent for developing readers and writers, dialogue journals are risk-free and fun! While journals provide opportunities for teachers to model correct English, they are primarily social events. They are enjoyable for teachers and students alike because teachers pay attention to the content of their students' conversation, and both enjoy the fellowship.