Outside Reading Journal

Purpose: To practice reading strategies, develop the habit of reading, increase reading stamina, and improve reading comprehension. The reading journal is designed to allow students to customize and to think more deeply about their reading. The journal will help students to remember what they have read, highlight important moments from the reading, think through the reading and to develop an interest in the reading. In order to be successful in this endeavor, students must spend time with their reading. They must be able to remember what they have read and think critically about the reading. Critical reading means you are able to synthesize, evaluate, analyze, apply, interpret, and translate your reading. See attached sheet for more information.

Directions:

In your blue book:

State the name and the author of the book you are reading.

2. Every time you read write down the date, number of pages read, and the amount of time you spent reading e.g. 11/27/01, 10 minutes, 6 pages.

3. At the end of the week, total the number of pages you have read. You should be reading a minimum of 30 pages a week.

4. Write a summary of what you read. Your summary should include major events and characters. Summaries do not contain opinion and should be written in complete sentences. Reread you summary to make sure it makes sense.

5. Respond to what you have read. You may respond in a variety of ways but do not simply summarize what you have read. You may tell why you liked the reading or why you didn’t like it. You can tell what you are learning about the characters in the novel. You can make a connection between this section of the reading and something else that you noticed in the novel. You may make predictions based on the ideas in the selection. You may ask questions about parts that you don’t understand or about why characters are acting in a certain way. You can tell how the passage made you feel. Or you may relate a story in your life that is similar to something from that section. Remember: comment, predict, relate, question, but don’t summarize.

Good ways to begin your response are

I think This passage is I remember I agree

I like This seems This passage reminds me

I don’t like I guess I don’t understand I don’t agree

I wonder This shows that I am surprised I predict

Rubric:

Excellent

All parts of reading log are complete.

A minimum of 30 pages read every week.

Log is turned in on time.

The summary is thorough, well written, and is written in the students own words.

Reaction is thoughtful and contains evidence of critical reading.

Satisfactory

All parts of reading log are complete.

A minimum of 30 pages are read every week.

Log is turned in on time.

The summary is essentially correct but is not entirely stated in the student’s own words.

Reaction is thoughtful and contains some evidence of critical reading.

Unsatisfactory

All parts of reading log are not complete.

Fewer than 30 pages have been read.

Log is not turned in on time.

The summary does not follow the rules of summary writing: e.g. in your own words and contains most important information.

Reaction is too brief, superficial, and does not contain evidence of critical reading.