Explores a group of strategies that use dialectical journals in a sequential instructional plan which guides students through a progression of skills to improve their thinking skills. Provides examples illustrating how these strategies can be used with any textual or orally presented material in all content areas, not just with literature. (SR)

Discusses problems associated with journal writing in courses, particularly overuse, ethics, goals, and grading. Offers suggestions to consider how journals can help students reflect on their own learning. (SR)

Argues that teachers can determine the instructional frameworks which can empower students to understand more about their own learning. Describes activities (learning logs, directed reading-thinking activities) that develop higher level thinking skills using writing, reading, and reasoning. Concludes that such activities facilitate students'…

Describes a coding system to motivate and assess students' journal entries as they respond to books they are reading. Argues that coded journal entries are an effective means for diagnosing reading comprehension difficulties. Contends that coding journal entries permits the students to become more conscious of their reading processes. (RS)

Describes using a loose framework of response journal writing and small and large group sharing with two classes of ninth-grade English students. Describes students' deep involvement as they constructed important meanings from a story that went beyond their own experiences. (SR)

Notes that given constraints on time, class size, and material to be covered, language and reading teachers may have difficulty implementing the richer, more contextualized language activities called for by second language and reading researchers. Describes the dialogue journal as one way of promoting such teacher-student interaction. (RS)