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Reading Response Journals

A powerful tool for developing reading comprehension, critical thinking, and meaningful connections to texts.

Activity Overview

Reading Response Journals are personalized notebooks where students record their thoughts, questions, and reactions to texts they read. This activity encourages students to engage more deeply with reading materials by making connections, analyzing story elements, and reflecting on their reading experiences. Journals provide a safe space for students to develop and express their opinions about literature.

Reading Response Journal Activity

Learning Outcomes

  • Develop deeper comprehension of texts through written reflection
  • Build critical thinking skills by analyzing character motives, plot developments, and themes
  • Make meaningful connections between texts and personal experiences
  • Express opinions about reading materials with supporting evidence
  • Develop writing skills through regular, purposeful writing
  • Create a record of reading growth and preferences over time

Curriculum Connections

ELO 2: Learners will demonstrate a variety of ways to use background knowledge and interests to select and engage critically with a range of culturally diverse paper-based, visual, and digital texts for pleasure and personal growth.

  • SCO 2.3: Apply comprehension strategies during reading
  • SCO 2.4: Demonstrate understanding of texts through responses
  • SCO 2.5: Respond critically to texts by asking questions

ELO 3: Learners will interact meaningfully with a variety of genres using background knowledge, comprehension strategies, vocabulary, and graphophonic cues.

  • SCO 3.2: Apply comprehension strategies to demonstrate understanding
  • SCO 3.3: Demonstrate understanding through varied responses
  • SCO 3.4: Respond critically to texts

Implementation Steps

1Setting Up Journals

  • Provide each student with a notebook or have them create a digital journal
  • Allow students to personalize journal covers to build ownership
  • Create a table of contents page for organization
  • Include a reference section with response prompts and strategies
  • Review the purpose of reading journals and set expectations

2Modeling Effective Responses (15-20 minutes)

  • Read a short text excerpt to the class
  • Think aloud while writing a model response, demonstrating strategies
  • Show multiple types of responses: questions, predictions, connections, opinions
  • Display anchor charts of sample responses and prompts
  • Emphasize that responses should go beyond simple summaries

3Guided Practice (20-30 minutes)

  • Read another short text or continue with the same text
  • Use think-pair-share to discuss possible responses
  • Guide students in writing responses using prompts
  • Circulate to provide feedback and support
  • Share exemplary student responses as models

4Independent Application (Ongoing)

  • Schedule regular journal writing time after independent reading
  • Provide a variety of prompts that rotate throughout the week
  • Set expectations for response length and depth
  • Allow choice in response format when appropriate
  • Ensure students date entries and reference the text

5Feedback and Sharing (10-15 minutes)

  • Implement a regular schedule for teacher feedback
  • Create opportunities for peer response sharing
  • Use small group discussions based on similar books or responses
  • Allow students to highlight favorite entries periodically
  • Use journals as a basis for reading conferences

6Reflection and Growth (Monthly)

  • Guide students to review past entries and note growth
  • Set goals for future journal entries
  • Create a reading profile based on journal content
  • Celebrate achievements and improvements

Teacher Resources

Materials Needed

  • Notebooks or digital journal platforms
  • Supplies for personalizing journals (if physical)
  • Reading response prompts reference sheet
  • Anchor charts of sample responses
  • Selection of texts for modeling and practice
  • Sticky notes for marking passages to respond to

Sample Response Prompts

Making Connections

  • This reminds me of...
  • I can relate to... because...
  • This is similar to... because...

Asking Questions

  • I wonder why...
  • What if...
  • How did... happen?

Making Predictions

  • I think... will happen next because...
  • The character might...
  • The problem will be solved by...

Forming Opinions

  • I agree/disagree with... because...
  • I think the author wants us to...
  • The most important part was...

Assessment Ideas

  • Create a rubric focusing on depth of thinking rather than quantity
  • Use sticky notes for focused feedback on specific entries
  • Track growth in comprehension strategies over time
  • Collect journals periodically for more thorough assessment
  • Use journal entries as conversation starters for reading conferences

Differentiation Strategies

For Students Who Excel

  • Introduce more complex response prompts focusing on themes and author's craft
  • Encourage multi-text comparisons and analysis
  • Allow for creative response formats (poems, letters to characters)
  • Introduce literary criticism concepts at an appropriate level

For Students Who Need Support

  • Provide sentence starters and structured response frames
  • Allow drawing responses with simple captions
  • Use graphic organizers to scaffold responses
  • Consider audio recording options for responses
  • Focus initially on personal connections before more complex analysis

Language Considerations

  • Allow responses in Home Language with gradual transition to Standard English
  • Provide bilingual prompt cards as needed
  • Pre-teach vocabulary for response writing
  • Accept varied forms of expression that demonstrate understanding

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should students write in their journals?

Aim for at least 2-3 entries per week. Quality is more important than quantity, so allow enough time for thoughtful responses rather than daily brief entries.

How do I prevent students from just summarizing?

Model and explicitly teach the difference between summary and response. Use prompts that require analysis and opinion. When students summarize, ask follow-up questions to deepen thinking.

Should I correct grammar and spelling in journals?

Focus primarily on content and thinking. Address major patterns of error, but avoid extensive corrections that might discourage writing fluency. Consider separate mini-lessons for common issues.

How can I manage reading all the journals regularly?

Develop a rotation schedule to read a few journals each day. Use focused reading for specific elements rather than comprehensive checks of every entry. Have students flag entries they especially want feedback on.

How can I keep the activity engaging all year?

Vary the response prompts and formats regularly. Incorporate occasional creative or multimedia responses. Connect journal writing to special projects and class discussions to maintain relevance.

Cross-Curricular Connections

Science

Have students respond to science texts using observation skills. They can make connections between scientific concepts and real-world applications, or respond to "what if" scenarios related to scientific discoveries.

Social Studies

Students can respond to historical narratives from multiple perspectives, make connections between historical events and current issues, or reflect on how geography influences culture and community.

Arts

Incorporate visual responses to texts through illustrations, diagrams, or symbols. Students can connect visual art, music, or performance to themes and emotions in their reading.