Why do we have Reading Logs?
Contrary to popular belief, the rationale behind the weekly Reading Log is not to torture students. Research and common sense show that the more an individual engages in an activity the better he or she becomes. If you want to learn how to play a challenging piece of music, make a perfect free throw, or finally beat that level in the video game you are playing, what to you do? The answer is practice; the same rule applies to reading.
Studies confirm that individuals which read regularly considerably improve the reading proficiency, habits, fluency, vocabulary, and writing and spelling skills of students (Nation 1997). Furthermore, experience shows that students who actively make reading a part of their day achieve higher scores on standardized tests such as the FCAT.
Studies confirm that individuals which read regularly considerably improve the reading proficiency, habits, fluency, vocabulary, and writing and spelling skills of students (Nation 1997). Furthermore, experience shows that students who actively make reading a part of their day achieve higher scores on standardized tests such as the FCAT.
What's a Reading Log?
In the Reading Log students will note what they have read (title, author, page numbers), summarize what they have read, and answer a question about what they have read using textual support (a quote).
The Reading Log is a weekly assignment. Students are required to read a minimum of 50 pages of a grade level appropriate novel in the approved genres of the quarter. However, simply reading the text, as important as that is, is not the only desired outcome of the assignment. After students finish their reading for the week, a weekly Reading Log is completed to apply what they have read to the skills they are learning in class.
A good reader doesn't just sit back and idly let the book take them along wherever it may lead. Critical literacy requires more than passively absorbing what is on the printed page; "it requires attaining a deep understanding of what is read, remembering important information, linking newly learned information to existing schemata, knowing when and where to use that information, using it appropriately in varied contexts in and out of school, and communicating effectively with others" (Graves, Juel, and Graves 2000, 24). Being a critical reader means you think about what you are reading, ask questions, and apply those answers to both real world and academic situations.
The Reading Log is a weekly assignment. Students are required to read a minimum of 50 pages of a grade level appropriate novel in the approved genres of the quarter. However, simply reading the text, as important as that is, is not the only desired outcome of the assignment. After students finish their reading for the week, a weekly Reading Log is completed to apply what they have read to the skills they are learning in class.
A good reader doesn't just sit back and idly let the book take them along wherever it may lead. Critical literacy requires more than passively absorbing what is on the printed page; "it requires attaining a deep understanding of what is read, remembering important information, linking newly learned information to existing schemata, knowing when and where to use that information, using it appropriately in varied contexts in and out of school, and communicating effectively with others" (Graves, Juel, and Graves 2000, 24). Being a critical reader means you think about what you are reading, ask questions, and apply those answers to both real world and academic situations.
Reading Log:
Forget to pick up a Reading Log?
No problem! Download the file below!
reading_log.doc | |
File Size: | 29 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Missing your weekly Reading Response Questions?
No problem! Download the file below!
reading_response_questions.doc | |
File Size: | 35 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Graves, M. F., C. Juel, and B. B. Graves. Teaching Reading in the 21st Century. 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 2000.
Nation, P. The Language Learning Benefits of Extensive Reading. The Language Teacher Online 21 (5). 1997.
Nation, P. The Language Learning Benefits of Extensive Reading. The Language Teacher Online 21 (5). 1997.