How to Make a Reading Response Journal
A reading response journal is a notebook in which readers record their responses to the books and stories they read. Reading response journals can provide teachers with greater insight into their students' abilities to comprehend and analyze literary text. The process of writing down their insights also helps students gain confidence in and increase their ability to express themselves on paper. Creating personalized collage covers for their reading response journals is a fun and easy way to introduce the idea to your students.
Things You'll Need
- Notebooks
- Printed list of writing prompts
- Printed examples of mixed media collages
- Copier paper (optional)
- Construction paper (optional)
- Long-reach stapler
- Glue
- Scissors
- Magazines
- Printed quotes about reading
- Embellishments (glitter, stickers, stamps, ribbon)
- Colored markers
Instructions
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Instructions
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Give each student a notebook and a copy of the printed list of writing prompts. Talk to the students about creating a reading response journal, giving them the details of how often they will need to write in the journals and what type of information you expect them to include. Discuss the list of reading prompts and describe ways they might use the prompts to help them brainstorm their own journal entry ideas. Answer any questions the students may have about the journal and then let students staple the writing prompts to the inside of the front cover of their journal.
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Show the students several examples of mixed media collages and then ask them to create a collage for the cover of their reading response journal. Allow each student to pick a quote from the quotes you have printed to use as the focus of their collage. Encourage the students to use cutouts from magazines as well as the art supplies you've gathered to embellish their collages.
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Use plain white copier paper and colored construction paper to create journals if notebooks aren't available. Give each student 10 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 inch copier paper and one 9 x 12 inch piece of colored construction paper. Tell the students to stack the copier paper into one stack and fold that stack in half. Fold the construction paper in half also. Next, place the folded copier paper inside the folded construction paper so that the creases match up. Open the pages flat and use the long-reach stapler to staple the top, middle and bottom sections of the crease. Then let the children use the quotes, magazines and colored markers to decorate their covers.
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Allow the students to complete their covers. Once the covers are finished, give the students 10 minutes to write their first journal entry based on answering the following questions: "Why did you choose the quote you used on your reading response journal cover? What does this quote mean to you?" If time permits, allow them to discuss their answers in small groups.
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Tips & Warnings
Although this specific activity is best for students in third grade or higher, the reading response journal is a tool that can (and should be) modified for use in kindergarten to second grade curriculum as well. These younger students should be given a set period of time during their reading circle to respond to verbal prompts provided by their instructor. Encourage them to "write" their answers in drawings as well as phonetically spelled word labels.
