Reading Records

If you misplace any Reading Record and you don't have time to get another one from me, here is what you do: Record your reading on a lined piece of paper (write the date you read, the title of your book, and how many minutes). Add up the minutes (you need to have at least 100 minutes over a minimum of three days). Answer the questions pertaining to the week's reading strategy. (You should be writing at least a few sentences). The reading strategies are Connections, Questioning/Big Idea, Sensory Images, Infer/Predict, Questions/Clarifying, Determining Importance, Synthesize, and React. These strategies are explained in detail below. After you write on one of those, put your signature at the bottom and get a parent/guardian to sign it too.

Connections Write down three things from this week’s reading that you could connect to personally, from your own experience, from other texts you’ve read, from things going on in the world right now, or from history. What would you have done in the same situations?

Questioning/Big Idea Write down five Big Idea questions (who, what, why, etc.) that came to you as you read this week. Use higher level thinking skills to develop these.

Sensory Images Describe three things that you could imagine as you read this week. What specific words (quote) in the text helped you imagine? How are these related to the five senses (touch, smell, sight, taste, sound)? Which senses did you experience through the book?

Infer / Predict Write down three predictions that you made as you read this week. What clues (foreshadowing) in your reading caused you to make these predictions? (Quote from the text.)

Questioning/Clarifying Write down five Clarifying questions (without a known answer in the text) that came to you as you read this week. Use higher level thinking skills to develop these. What confuses you? What do you want to know? Ask the author or main character 10 questions.

Determining Importance Write down five of the most important things in your reading this week. Think deeply - don’t look just for surface knowledge.

Synthesize What’s the theme or author’s message? Synthesize the message in what you read this week.

React Why do you love/hate this book? What do you like or not like about it? Why should someone else read it? What would make it better?