Journal writing is an expressive form of writing that teachers in all curricula can use to help their students increase writing fluency, facilitate learning, and promote cognitive growth. It combines the positive aspects of diaries and class notebooks, focusing on academic subjects from a personal point of view. Teachers can assign journal entries…

Presents three activities designed motivate student journal writing as a way to help students confront personal fears and open dialogue between troubled students and teachers. (HTH)

Sketches the historical movement from orality to literacy, as described by Walter J. Ong, and discusses some general suggestions for teaching writing in a developmental sequence. (Author/GT)

The middle school and junior high school years are extremely important ones in the language, cognitive, and personal development of students. During this time, students should begin using longer sentences with more sophisticated embeddings and showing greater awareness of audience and organization in writing, speaking, listening, and reading. At…