Book Description
ABSTRACT: This qualitative research study documents the observed and reported experiences of fourth grade math students and their teacher when math journals are implemented in their curriculum to increase student understanding and motivation to write in math class. In this study, the teacher explored the process of designing journal prompts, establishing a routine in the classroom where these journal prompts were completed, and fostering motivation within the students to adapt to this new classroom routine. The author designed the study so that the students saw a purpose for each prompt, engaged the students in writing and sharing, and provided opportunities for students to work collaboratively using their journal entries. In order to maintain complete journal prompts, the author established a routine for writing, a connection to content being taught with journal prompts, and assistance when students needed prompting for their entries. The teacher engaged in dialogue with the students through the journals as well as feedback during group observations. The author discovered many of these implementations to be successful for the students in the classroom. Since the classroom contained a variety of diverse learners with different learning styles and needs, the author found that some students had different strategies that enabled them to be successful with their writing.