Daily Reading Log - Instructions • Back To Sections »


Reading Log Instruction

We learn to read by reading. Reading is a fundamental skill that students need to practice daily. The district requires that all students in all grades read for at least 30 minutes each day. To keep track of the students' reading the students will record a reading log entry for each day in a composition notebook. 

Reading Log entries are considered daily home learning assignments and must be completed as such. They may affect students' grades. Reading log entries must be done according to the following guidelines.

Guidelines for Reading Logs

 Books:  You may choose any book within your AR (Accelerated Reader) range which will be given to you at the beginning of the school year and will change throughout the year.

 Log Entries:   A minimum of five entries per week are expected. All entries must include the following information:

Date:

Title of Book:

Time read for:

Pages read:

§         What you write in this log should be what you want to preserve/remember as a reader. Written entries are your thoughts, reactions, interpretations, and questions to what you are reading. Your comments may also be in response to the author's process as a writer, and your process as a reader, writer, and learner. Be truthful, thoughtful, and thorough. Write about what you like or dislike, and what seems confusing or unusual. Make predictions, relate personal experiences, and relate this work to others you have read.

§         Do NOT summarize the plot. §         You will be graded on the content of your reaction, on how well you show that you have read, and on your independent thinking about the book.

§         Each entry should be a minimum of a half page.

  If you are stuck, think about the following:

Questions: What confuses you or don't understand? What would you have done if you were the writer?

Experiences or memories: Does this book remind you of anything? How does this book make you think or feel?

Reactions: Do you love/dislike/can't stop reading this book? What makes you feel that way?

Evaluations: How does this book compare to others? What makes it an effective or ineffective piece of writing?

Some sentence lead-ins that may be helpful: Ø        I really like/dislike this idea because. . .

Ø        This character reminds me of___________ because_____________...

Ø        I think this setting is important because...

Ø        This scene reminds me of a similar scene in _________ because...

Ø        If I were writing this book, I would....

Ø        I like/dislike this writing style because...

Ø        If the story were told from __________'s point of view, would be different because...

Ø        This section is particularly effective because...

Ø        This section makes me think about _________ because...

Ø        I think the relationship between ____and ____is...

Ø        This situation reminds me of...

Ø        I think the point the author was trying to make in this part is that...

Ø        I could really "relate" to this part/character because....

Ø        I think ___________will happen next because...

Ø        You would really like this book because....

Ø        I think is symbolic in this novel because....

Ø        A different way could have handled the problem of would be to...

Ø        I don't understand this part because...

Ø        This part is humorous/sad/scary/ironic because...