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Why Use Reading Journals?
Journaling is an important part of any reading program because it gives kids the opportunity to reflect with and interact with the text they are reading, as well as a space for the educator to give feedback and interact with each other. Sometimes I use journals as letters that student and teacher write back and forth about books, and sometimes I have students keep their jots from class in one place about what we are working on or what they may be reading independently. When I introduce the journal I have students section off their composition notebook into two sections: reading journal (letters back and forth) and jots section (specific skills). In the reading journal (letter) students typically write once a week.
The first expectation is that the communication is written in letter format beginning with a greeting. Because these are letters written back and forth between student and teacher, I always ask questions. Paragraph one is used to answer my questions. I try to use my these to weave in skills we have been working on, such as making connections, etc.. I find that letter writing is an added bonus to help kids with communication skills.
In the second paragraph, students write a short summary of what is currently happening in the book they are reading. Additionally, I ask for the title and author. The idea is for them to give me a quick run down, which is working on a skill of pulling the most important information. They can focus on the Ws including who? what? where? etc. Every step of the way I model the expectation with a read aloud book we currently have going in class.
Next is the bulk of the journal, and the most important part where students show critical thinking skills and other strategies we are learning. Sometimes I assign a specific question, but most of the time I allow kids to use a list we brainstormed early on. Questions like, Why do you think the author chose this setting? What is the mood of the setting? How would you react if you were the character? What could be a hidden message the author is telling us? Brainstorm more questions like this with your class and create a list that hangs on the wall and is glued into their journal for reference. I really like to hammer deeper thinking skills in this section. To make it really clear what they will be writing about (especially if you have several students) I find it very helpful to have the kid start with: “My journal topic is___” and then insert the question they will be focusing on. That way it keeps them organized and focused.
In the journal topic section, you will really want to emphasize just how important it is to think deeply as a reader. Reading is thinking and this is the reader's opportunity to share their thinking.
The final component, which emphasizes that communication piece is asking me/teacher a question about something the student wrote in his/her journal to keep the conversation going. I help my students visualize if someone was having a conversation with you and just walked away without showing interest, it probably wouldn’t feel good. By having the student ask a follow up question it engages the person you are talking/writing to. Sometimes I will also share what I am reading in my portion of the letter and allow kids to ask me questions about my book.
Because it’s in letter format, I require the date, a greeting and closing. Having a written conversation about what students are reading is something that really helps create meaningful connections between teacher and students.
If you plan on grading this assignment, a simplified rubric like this can be helpful:
1-below grade level
2-approacing grade level
3-on grade level
4-exceeding grade level expectations
Jot Journal
The second half of the reading journal can be used for a jot journal to write down their thinking as they are reading. This is much less formal and students should understand it’s okay to have this imperfect. In most classes I will model a reading strategy using a mentor text like a picture book, short story, or even a video clip. Students love to use sticky notes, different colors and highlight as they work in their jot journals. Using the strategies discussed in this blog post or my other posts, I encourage (and model) how to jot down my thinking in this section of the notebook. If there is a specific skill or graphic organizer, or even a list of words like “character traits”, often times I will have students glue these sheets right into their jot journal section for reference. I promote creativity and originality in students' jot journals as there are a lot of unique ways students show their thinking. I've had some students really get into the organization of their work, while others illustrate. It's really a place to develop thinking skills that can be used for the rest of their lives!
The pictures below show a variety of thinking in students' jot journals. In the first picture we focused on pressures of characters and how sometimes these pressures can lead to poor decisions. The notes in the second photo are in response to watching a clip of "Food, Inc." revealing the hidden truths about the food industry in America.
What are ways you see yourself using a reading journal? How do you encourage meaningful connections with what students are reading? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you!
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