reading log essay

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How to Write a Reading Log

Last Updated: April 11, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. This article has been viewed 85,197 times.

It can be easy to forget everything you read. Preserve your reading activities and your thoughts about what you read by keeping a reading log. A reading log is much like a journal, except that it describes every book or article you read. Sometimes a reading log is part of a formal school assignment, and sometimes it is something you want to keep solely for yourself. In either case, a reading log will help you think in a more sophisticated and nuanced way about your reading.

Things You Should Know

• For school, review your assignment and create a log template with appropriate categories, then read your book and write down all the key information.
• For personal use, buy a journal you like and keep it near your favorite reading spot, reading carefully so you can write and take notes as you go.
• A reading log lets you take note of observations you make, improving your long-term development and reading comprehension.

Keeping a Log for School

• The title and author of the book
• The dates you read which page
• The amount of time you spent reading each day
• Key themes of the book
• Major characters and plot developments
• Questions you have as you read

• Some pre-made templates also exist online. Just search for "reading log template" in your favorite search engine. [2] X Research source

• The book's title
• The publication date
• The publisher and city where the publisher is located
• Any other identifying information (such as the edition used, translators, co-authors, etc.)

• Never put off entering a reading assignment until later! You might lose track of your work and forget important details.

• Take down a few notes as you read, especially if you have questions. Jotting out the main theme of a passage or your question about a chapter while you're reading will help you fill in the information in your log later.

• Plot elements
• Character names
• Key argument (if the text is nonfiction or academic) [5] X Research source

• Don't forget to note the page number and speaker whenever you copy a passage.

• An excellent first step to writing a formal journal entry is finding 3 or more passages that explore a common theme, such as justice, love, or despair. Use your journal entry to explore how this common theme is treated in these different passages.

Keeping a Personal Log

• If you expect to keep the journal for a long period of time, try to purchase one that has archival paper. This will keep the pages from yellowing and degrading over time.

• It is also wise to keep a working pen in the same location.

• Read every day, even if only for a few minutes [7] X Research source
• Turn off the television and resolve to read instead [8] X Research source
• Feel free to stop reading books you hate--don't view reading as a chore [9] X Research source
• Get recommendations for excellent books from friends and family
• Join a reading group at your local school or library

• Do not skip over this part, assuming that you are bound to remember a book's title and author. People are liable to forget even these details over time, so they are the most important pieces of information to write down.

• Who are your favorite and least favorite characters? Why?
• Have your thoughts about any of the characters changed?
• What do you find fascinating about the plot? Are there mysteries to solve?
• Do you like the author's style? Are there any distinctive elements to the author's style that make it stand out?
• What would you have changed about the book if you were the author?
• Does the book help you understand something about your world, about another country, or about history?
• How does the book remind you of what's going on in your own life? What are your personal reactions to the book?

Community Q&A

• Don't be too caught up in writing perfect prose. Let your reading log be a kind of rough draft where the most important thing is to get your observations down on paper. Work on fixing them up later. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Remember that a reading log can help you become a better reader, writer, and thinker. However, this only works if you maintain your journal consistently. Do not slack off or tell yourself you will write down your thoughts later: write your thoughts down while you read. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• This might help encourage you to read but it might not work for everyone. If you find that a reading log discourages you from reading, you might choose to discontinue the practice. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Keep back up copies of your journal, especially if you are keeping it on a computer. You don't want to lose your work if your computer crashes. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/back-to-school-keep-an-academic-reading-journal.html
• ↑ http://www.k12reader.com/printable-reading-logs/
• ↑ http://www.writingforward.com/writing-tips/journal-writing-reading
• ↑ https://joelgoldman.com/keep-reading-journal/
• ↑ http://www.refinethemind.com/read-more-often/

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WTO / Personal / Log Sheets / How to Make a Reading Log (32 Free Templates & Ideas)

How to Make a Reading Log (32 Free Templates & Ideas)

A reading log is a diary or journal that allows individuals to document their reading experience. It is simply a note about what you have read so far, where you read it, and how many pages you’ve read. It summarizes what a person reads, highlights the date, and chapters, and often interested readers even note the author’s name, the storyline, their favorite scene, and much more, depending on their preferences.

A reading log has other similar names. The three names below are synonyms:

• Reading journals
• Reading diaries
• Reading registers

Free Templates

The General Impact of Using a Reading Log

The reading log enables you to capture your thoughts about the book, your connection to the text, style, storyline, and the characters you come to know. It lets you gain insight into the text. If you are a bookworm, continue to keep a reading diary. It will encourage you to summarize and organize your reading. It allows you to summarize, it also gives you a more memorable literary experience by enabling you to share your views on the quality of the book you read.

It has various purposes, from keeping records to summarize to tracking your reading.

The following are the various purposes explained in detail:

• It keeps the record – It can be tough to remember what you have read, especially if you read books almost every day. A reading log will help you keep track of what you have read.
• It records your thoughts – When you read books, you always have your thoughts and opinions on what you read. A log enables you to record what you think or feel about what you have read.
• It helps you summarize – It will help you summarize important information on the books you read. This is important when you want to remind yourself of a particular book. You do not need to read an entire book as you have summarized it in your log.
• It helps you track your reading – A reading log will remind you where you have reached in your reading as it is easy to forget at times, and bookmarks can be misplaced.
• It traces your impressions – It allows you to record your impressions. You can write your opinions, remarks, or suggestions and recommend them to anyone. This helps you find out what the book did for you and how it influenced and affected everything inside you. You can prove how thoughtful you are by your impressions.
• It helps you remember things – Research has proven that writing or rephrasing in your own words will help you remember things. Therefore, it will help you remember everything about the books you have read.
• It helps you write better – The more you read, and the more you write, you become a better writer. You will learn more about grammar and vocabulary. You also become more creative as you will encounter books from different authors.

Creating a Reading Log

Creating a reading log will be easy once you know what to do. You might be creating one for academic purposes or educational purposes. We have explained both scenarios in this section to guide you.

For Academic Purposes

The aim of academic logs is to help teachers monitor the reading volume of their students and to help students keep track of their experiences. They can act as teaching materials and data for the instructor.

Here is what you should do when crafting one for academic purposes:

Go through your assignment

State your assignment’s expectations. Read your assignments carefully and consult with your teacher if you have questions. Include the title and author, dates you read each page, time spent reading, etc.

Craft a log with suitable categories

Your reading log can be in a notebook or computer document. The template you create should have spaces where you will write about all the categories you need. You can also find some templates online.

Read bibliographic information correctly

A lot of reading logs will ask you to keep a careful bibliographic citation. This will enable you to do citations correctly. Note down the book’s title, author, publication date, the publisher and his/her location, etc.

Enter all your assignments

You can include materials such as books, poems, and even movies in your journal. You might lose track of your work if you postpone entering a reading assignment to a later date.

Read slowly and attentively

Take your time when you go through your reading assignments. Think carefully and pay attention to important details to avoid rereading. Take notes while reading, noting the main theme of your passage. This will help you when filling in the information.

List down the factual details

Many reading logs will require you to keep track of a text’s facts. These details are factual and do not require further interpretation. They are:

• The plot elements
• Important argument
• Character names

Note your observation

Write down anything that shows a connection between the book and your life (thoughts, activities, or feelings). Also, think about your feelings (anything that you particularly love or hate).

Write a formal journal entry

Write your journal entry in paragraphs instead of bullet points. Your journal should follow a single theme that builds a connection between passages. When writing a formal journal, the most important step is finding three or more passages that follow a common theme, like love or despair.

Copy key passages

Reading logs will require you to find passages that are worth analyzing further. Search for quotes that you find interesting, confusing, and mysterious that you might use as evidence in the future for your analytical papers. It is important to write down the page number and the name of the speaker when you copy any passage.

Make analytical claims

Some teachers will ask you to start making analytical statements while you are reading. You may use your informal diary to help direct other assignments, such as articles, reply essays, or published passages. Think of how the passages compare to each other and understand the historical or social importance of the literature you are studying.

For Personal Use

A personal log helps you to develop a reading habit and makes the experience more engaging. It shows you what book you have read and what book you are currently reading.

Buy an attractive journal

Buy an attractive blank journal to stay motivated. Many stationery and bookstores sell journals (lined or unlined) depending on your preferences. There are also journals with plain, simple covers or decorative ones. Purchase a journal with the archival paper if you intend to keep it for a long time. This will prevent the degradation or yellowing of pages.

Keep it near your reading place

Store your reading log in a safe place near a place where you like to read. Where you store, it should be easily accessible. Stay consistent with where you store it so that you do not misplace it. It is also important to keep a working pen in the same place.

Take notes while reading

Try to note your most important observations to remember them later. Every reader notes down different kinds of things.

These questions will help you choose what to include in your reading log:

• If you were the book’s author, what would you change about the book?
• Are there any characters you like or hate? Why?
• What is interesting about the plot? Are there any mysteries to be solved?
• Have your opinions on any of the characters changed?
• Do you like the author’s style?
• Does this book help you know anything about your world, about another state, or about history?

Ponder over the book once it is complete

Take some time after you have finished the whole book to reflect on its meaning and value. Ask yourself what your favorite and least favorite part of the text was. What has shocked you? How did your feelings shift between the beginning and the end of the book?

Mention the bibliography information

Listing down the bibliography information will enable you to do citations correctly. The bibliography information includes:

• The book’s title,
• Publication date
•  The publisher and his/her location, etc.

Add dates and page numbers

Write down the dates when you read. Understand how what is going on in your life will change your reactions to feelings in the books you’ve read. If you have this information written down, you will always return to these citations.

Reread your journals

Writing a report is effective when you can go back and read your thoughts and responses. Flip over your reading journal every year or two. Do you see similarities or similar trends in your reading? Has it inspired you to handle situations in your own life?

Must-Include Things

There are details of a reading log that must be included to make it effective. This information includes the book title, start and finish dates, etc.

Below are the details that we think are important to include:

• Start and finish date- Since your reading diary serves a journal-like purpose, it is advisable to write down the dates when you read it. Understanding what’s going on in your life will change your reactions and feelings to the books you have read.
• Title of the book – This will help you if you remember a certain story in the future, but do not remember the name of the book.
• Author of the book- It is important to note the author’s name in case you want to refer a book to someone.
• Page number- The page number is important for when you want to find a certain passage or section, you would like to reread.
• Category- There are many types of categories, i.e., action, horror, fantasy, history, etc.
• Book publishing date- Including the publishing, date is important for citation.

Make It Fun

Apart from the information we have given above, here are a few more to make your reading log fun and effective:

• Short plot summary- Write a short summary of the book for when you tell other people what it entails or when you want to remind yourself about the story.
• Likeness scale- Draw a scale of 1-10. One being greatly disliked and ten highly like and choose a number showing how you liked the book. This will be helpful when you recommend a book to someone else, and you share the same taste.
• Favorite quotes from the book- This is important as you can apply an author’s quote in your daily life or in writing an article.
• Your most hated or liked character- You can use this information when discussing a book with a person who has read it to compare your characters.
• Strengths and weaknesses- Highlight the book’s strengths and weaknesses, which you could use when discussing with your friends at a book club.
• Your favorite scenes- Include information from your favorite parts of the book. Scenes that made you want to read the book more.
• Moral of the story- What have you learned from the story? Write what you have gotten from the book.

You can note that you have learned that forgiveness is important for self-development.

Crafty Tips to Try

Writing a reading log is not a difficult task to undertake. Here are some tips we believe will help you write an effective one.

• Let your reading diary be a kind of rough draft. Write in a way that you find fun and interesting. It is personal to you, and no one else will use it; therefore, there is no need to write it in a way that you don’t find interesting. A rough draft is a simple way to do it.
• Write your thoughts down while you read. Writing your thoughts down will make the experience more exciting and engaging than just going to another book. Write what you felt about the book, suggestions, and opinions.
• Read effectively and actively. Continuous reading will make it a habit for you, and it will also improve your grammar and vocabulary.
• Keep a record of your journals, preferably, store them all in a specific place. This is important for future use when you want to find information on a book that you have read before or when you want to recommend a book to someone.

There are some warning signs that you ought to consider when using a reading log. Below are some of the signs explained in detail:

• If you find that a log is discouraging you from reading, you might choose to discontinue the practice. Having one is not suitable for everyone. You might find it tiring to keep a record of what you are reading, which may make you lose interest in books. Therefore, if it discourages you, you can choose to stop the practice and go back to your normal reading habits.
• Backup copies of your journal as you don’t want to lose your work if your computer crashes. Computers are liable to crashes. Therefore, it is advisable to back up copies of your journals on your Google Drive, which does not require a specific computer.

Summarizing All

Sometimes, readers want to preserve and adjust their reading logs to make them more exciting and convenient for themselves. Nowadays, it’s used in schools by teachers and at home by parents who keep them to develop a habit of reading among them. It lets you record your thoughts about the book, your connection with the text, style, background, storyline, and the characters you come to know. It lets you gain insight into the text. We hope this article has given you knowledge on them and how to write one.

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Response: Reading Logs Should Be Tools for ‘Students to Spy on Themselves’

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(This is the final post in a four-part series. You can see Part One here ; Part Two here , and Part Three here .)

The new question-of-the-week is:

Should “reading logs” be assigned to students and, if not, what are alternatives?

In Part One , Mary Beth Nicklaus, Beth Jarzabek, Jennifer Casa-Todd, Jennifer Orr, and Leah Wilson contribute their responses. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Mary Beth and Beth on my BAM! Radio Show . You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

In Part Two , Laura Robb, Melissa Miles, Ryan Huels, and Rinard Pugh shared their thoughts.

In Part Three , Tan Huynh, Rich Czyz, Christine Tennyson, Mara Lee Grayson, and Diane Mora wrote their commentaries on the topic.

Jennifer Serravallo, Stephanie Affinito, and Amanda Koonlaba wrap up this four-part series, along with many comments from readers.

Response From Jennifer Serravallo

Jennifer Serravallo is a literacy consultant, speaker, and the author of several popular titles including The New York Times best-selling The Reading Strategies Book and The Writing Strategies Book . Her new books are Understanding Texts & Readers (fall 2018), A Teacher’s Guide to Reading Conferences . and Complete Comprehension , which is a revised and reimagined whole-book assessment and teaching resource based on the award-winning Independent Reading Assessment. She was a senior staff developer at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and taught in Title I schools in New York City. Tweet her @jserravallo :

The work of reading is often described as invisible. You can see books in students’ hands, but you can’t tell what they’re comprehending through observation alone. So, how can teachers make reading work easier to see? How can we know students are making good book choices, reading at a good clip, and deepening their comprehension?

One attempt to hold students accountable has been through the use of reading logs. Reading logs were developed as a tool that teachers and parents could use to make sure students completed their daily reading. Unfortunately, however, all of this immaculate record keeping, meant to prove students have been reading, tends to have a reverse effect. There are many students who “cook the books” and just write down any old information in their logs to appease their teachers and parents without caring about or doing much actual reading. And as Kylene Beers would say, “If we teach a child to read but fail to develop a desire to read, we will have created a skilled nonreader. A literate illiterate.”

Unfortunately, when used in such a way, reading logs can decrease engagement, leading to a decrease in comprehension. So, rather than assigning reading logs, I see reading logs as a tool to be used by and for students. The purpose of recording book titles, time spent reading, pages read, and so forth should be for students to spy on themselves as readers by asking questions such as:

• What do I notice about myself as a reader?
• What do I notice about my reading rate at school? At home?
• Am I reading books that are a good fit, at a good pace, in a good spot?

Teachers can support students in their reflection by making the reading log a part of the reading conference because, after all, it’s the conversation you have with students around the data on the log that is much more important than the log itself. Once students have tracked their book choices and reading rate a bit, they can usually figure out the conditions they need in place in order for independent reading to be successful and no longer need to track.

So, if students make good book choices and stay focused while reading, removing the need for a reading log, how else can we help students onto their ideas and develop their thinking so that their work becomes more visible? This is where writing and talking come into play.

Writing about reading need not be a laborious task with lengthy responses (since it’s unlikely those do much good other than further decrease engagement). Rather, I prefer to offer students multiple strategies that help them informally and quickly think about what they’re reading. To help students keep track of important moments in a book, I might show them how to create a two-column chart in their notebooks, with the left column for jotting down standout moments from the text and the right column for jotting down reactions to those events. I frame this work for students by saying that the meaning we make in a text is like a conversation between what’s in the book and what’s in our mind. When readers trace the events across a text in such a way, they create an ongoing record of their thinking. I might also offer students the tool of character-connection webs to help them follow the characters and plot lines in a text to reveal how characters affect one another.

Whichever strategies I provide for readers to help record and deepen their thinking, I’m sure to match the strategy to the readers’ goals and texts they choose. For example, tracking complexity in character traits usually works best for texts at F&P level N and above since it’s at that level of text complexity that characters seem to be more developed with both positive traits and flaws.

Mind you, accountability can be established in more than logs and jottings. We can also use the power of talk to help readers deepen their comprehension and reveal what meaning they’re making in a book. During a reading conference, ask students questions that get at the general text complexities rather than ask specific questions about the content of that particular book. For example, to gauge a reader’s understanding of the plot in any book you might ask, “What problem(s) is [character] having?” Using your knowledge of text complexities, you’ll know by the student’s response if she’s noticing all of the nuances and structures of that book. Meaning, if the book is at level M, the plotline is very much problem/solution-based with one main problem. Then by level O, for example, books tend to have complicated plotlines with multiple aspects of the main problem. The plots at level P continue to be multifaceted and include time travel and subplots, which make it even more difficult for readers to determine what’s significant.

The great news for teachers who allow their students to choose their own books for reading time is that you don’t have to have read the book in order to engage in a meaningful conversation with your readers, to listen in to their conversation and support comprehension, or to evaluate their writing about reading! By knowing what to expect of the books and reader response, you begin to pivot away from teaching the book toward teaching the reader.

Getting back to the original question about reading logs, any strategy or tool we give our readers should be purposeful and individualized. If students are disengaged, try showing them how a log can help them learn about themselves as readers. If students are engaged in their reading, offer them ways to write and talk about their books to deepen their comprehension. If writing about their reading gets in the way of their engagement, don’t do it.

Response From Stephanie Affinito

Stephanie Affinito, a former classroom teacher and literacy specialist, is a literacy teacher educator at the University of Albany. She has a deep love for literacy coaching and supporting teachers’ learning through technology and she presents nationally on this topic. You can find her online at stephanieaffinito.com and on Twitter at @AffinitoLit:

I am a reader. I read for pleasure and for professional learning. I read blogs, news articles, self-care books, and fiction. I especially love children’s literature and always have a title on hand to share with students in the classrooms I visit. As a reader, I engage in very reader-like actions: I read. I collect books. I recommend titles to others. I talk about books. I join in book clubs and book studies. I do not answer comprehension questions about what I read. I do not take a quiz after I read. I do not create projects based on my books. I do not fill out a required reading log with the pages I read or the level of my book. That simply is not what real readers do. But that is exactly what is required of many students today.

If we want students to grow into real readers, we need to treat students as real readers and give them the same opportunities for authenticity as we demand as adults. This begins by reimagining the reading log. Here are three ways that we can bring intention to the reading log and use it as a tool to grow readers rather than document them:

Provide choice. Students deserve choices. Give students options in how they choose to showcase their reading life. Perhaps they keep a running list of books on a sheet of paper. Perhaps they take a picture of each book they finish and compile those book covers into a reading portfolio of sorts. Perhaps they take a ‘shelfie’ (selfie with a book) and add a tile to a digital reading wall. Perhaps they record brief videos of the books they read to share with others. They might even document their reading on a social-networking site, such as Goodreads. By providing students with choices, we acknowledge and honor that reading is a highly personal act that serves a true purpose in our lives.

Reconsider the purpose. For many students, the reading log serves one purpose only: to prove their reading to their teacher. Used in this way, reading becomes a chore, something a reader is forced to do, rather than chooses to do. When used in a celebratory manner, reading logs become artifacts of our reading lives. Artifacts that help us reflect on our reading preferences and help us choose new reading goals. Readers can reflect on their volume of reading, the genres they gravitate toward, and the topics they choose to read in. They can set new goals to stretch their reading lives and develop as a reader.

Share our reading lives. By making our reading lives public, we have an authentic reason to keep track of our reading life: to share it with others. Give students time to share book titles and give book talks to others. Display newly reimagined reading logs in the classroom or in digital spaces so students can see what books are being read and enjoyed. When we give students the chance to connect as readers with other students, we open their minds to new possibilities for themselves.

I often hear educators lament that their students do not identify as readers. Perhaps if we start valuing reading as a highly personal and social act and provide students with authentic ways to demonstrate and share their reading lives, we will inspire lifelong reading habits. If we reimagine the reading log, our students might reimagine reading and the place it holds in their lives.

Response From Amanda Koonlaba

Amanda Koonlaba, Ed.S., is an educator with 13 years of classroom experience. She blogs at Party in the Art Room and serves as a content specialist with Education Closet . She is a sought-after consultant, speaker, and presenter for arts integration and STEAM. She was the Mississippi Elementary Art Educator of the Year in 2016:

This is a hard question to answer. I’ve had parents look me in the face and tell me they weren’t going to do any academic work with their child at home because it was my job to teach them while they were at school in my classroom. I’ve also worked with many struggling families who simply couldn’t make it happen at home. Parents are working multiple jobs with inconsistent hours. Kids are staying with relatives or at day care for longer during the day. Lots of kids simply have extracurricular activities that take up their evenings. As educators and parents, we want our children to want to read, but asking that a reading log be signed each day is tricky. You have parents that don’t see it as their responsibility, struggling parents, elderly caregivers, busy kids. I don’t think a child should be punished for any of this because a reading log didn’t get signed. I wish we could provide students more opportunity to read independently and aloud during the school day.

I suppose the correct answer is that each teacher in each school really has a different context. That context should be considered. And, as with anything else, teachers and parents should communicate about what is going on in the life of the students. I know it can be hard for parents to talk about struggles with their child’s teacher, but I promise any time a parent came to me with a concern, I kept it confidential and only used it to make decisions for the student. Maybe it is possible to find alternatives to having the parents always sign the reading log every day. Perhaps they can read for a really long time one night and then skip a couple of nights. Perhaps the students can read at day care and have the day-care teacher sign the log. If reading logs are going to be required, there should be flexibility and consideration. Ultimately, this is a great conversation to have at the school level where the stakeholders can have input.

Responses From Readers

As a parent, I hated the reading log my son had to get signed weekly in 4th grade. He read a ton, and we always faked the log. It was an afterthought. -- Kim Finke (@PrincipalFinke) July 3, 2019

Greetings - if the reading log is mandated, then the answer is “no!” We must get away from the idea that such mandates will inspire kids to love reading. We have to find another way as “carrots and sticks” are not the solution. Give them options. 👊 -- Joe Apodaca (@JoeApodaca6) July 3, 2019

Used to but then it was for me. Last yr I modified to include a thought log with discussion time to promote academic discourse among readers. -- Catherine Wrenn (@cgwrenn) July 3, 2019

For what purpose? The kind with the date/title/author/pages or minutes/parent signature? No. Read for enjoyment: list books to read, completed, and have Book Talks. Also, read like a writer: look for $25 words, figurative language, golden lines, etc. -- LaLa (@YoTeach1Yo) July 3, 2019

Have them summarized the readings. Nothing too dramatic a paragraph of the main idea(s). Keeping a log does not mean they are reading, -- Regina Misir (@Gina_718) July 3, 2019

I’d first ask what the purpose is? If it’s for accountability, probably not. If there is more to collaboration/practice/purpose, then yes! -- Justin Kiel (@jm_kiel) July 3, 2019

Why not a #BookCreator journal or a meme collection or a series of green screen reviews? https://t.co/LoFbJEOkJj -- Cindy Rudy (@rudytoot1) July 3, 2019

Thanks to Jennifer, Sephanie, and Amanda, and to readers, for their contributions.

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It’s titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching .

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How to Use Students’ Reading Logs as a Formative Literacy Assessment

Matt Renwick

During an instructional walk in a third-grade classroom, all the students were reading independently. The teacher, conferring with one of her students, got up and started to come my way...

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Matt Renwick is an elementary principal. Matt writes at Read by Example and tweets @ReadByExample . Matt is a veteran public educator, working first as a classroom teacher and now serving as the school leader at Mineral Point Elementary School (Mineral Point, Wisconsin). Matt’s educational writing and consultant work focus primarily on literacy instruction, school leadership, and technology integration. He has spoken at national conferences, including ASCD, ISTE, NAESP, NCTE, as well as facilitated workshops and professional learning experiences.

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Reading strategies: A short guide

• Introduction
• Scanning and skim reading
• Engaging with the text
• Different kinds of texts
• Note taking

Reading logs

Reading intentions in resourcelists.

• Creating the right environment
• Checklist - ask yourself these questions about your reading.
• Guide to further reading
• Library Services Homepage This link opens in a new window

You might also like to keep a reading log of your leisure reading. This should be separate from your academic log. This will enable you to see not only what you liked and didn't like, and what surprised and challenged you, but also may enable you to see themes and trends in your choice of reading and your relationship with any issues raised in the books you have read.

The benefits of keeping a reading log  from   Verily Mag

Did you know you can personalise you ResourceLists to keep track of your reading intention?   See our ResourceLists@Bham Guide.

• << Previous: Note taking
• Next: Creating the right environment >>
• Last Updated: Dec 7, 2023 12:44 PM
• URL: https://libguides.bham.ac.uk/asc/readingstrategies

13.4 Annotated Student Sample: Research Log

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate the ability to inquire, learn, think critically, and communicate when reading in varying rhetorical and cultural contexts.
• Identify and analyze relationships between ideas, patterns of organization, and interplay between verbal and nonverbal elements in written texts.
• Practice and apply strategies such as interpretation, synthesis, response, and critique to compose texts that integrate the writer’s ideas with those from appropriate sources.

Introduction

Lily Tran created this log entry during the research process for an argumentative research paper assigned in her first-year composition class, as shown in this Annotated Student Sample .

Living by Their Own Words

Planning to write.

public domain text Freewrite: I found this photograph in an article I was reading about food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. I copied and pasted it here as inspiration for my argumentative research paper. end public domain text

annotated text Lily Tran includes a visual in the freewrite section of her research log. The visual may or may not appear in the final paper, but here, it serves to stimulate her writing and thinking about her topic and possibly connect to other information she finds. end annotated text

public domain text For a sustainable future, food production and processing have to change. So does global distribution. end public domain text

annotated text Tran begins to establish problem-and-solution reasoning, recognizing that there are different stages to food production and that all will be affected by any proposed solution. end annotated text

public domain text The necessary changes will affect nearly all aspects of life, including world hunger, health and welfare, use of land resources, habitats, water, energy use and production, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and economics, as well as cultural and social values. end public domain text

annotated text Tran also employs cause-and-effect reasoning in beginning to think about the effects of any proposed change. end annotated text

public domain text These needed changes may not be popular, but people will have to accept them. end public domain text

annotated text She recognizes potential counterarguments to address if the paper is to be persuasive. end annotated text

Discussion Questions

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Reading and making notes

• Introduction

Setting reading goals

Choosing the right texts, how many sources should you read, going beyond the reading list, active reading, reading techniques, common abbreviations in academic texts.

• Effective note-making
• Reading e-books for university study
• Using and evaluating websites

This guide will suggest ways for you to improve your reading skills and to read in a more focused and selective manner.

• Reading academic texts (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
• Reading academic texts (transcript) Read the transcript.
• The best file formats and how to use them An interactive guide by the Technology Enhanced Learning team on the key features of alternative formats (such as PDF and ePUB), and how to make the most of these in developing your reading habits.

Before starting to read you need to consider why you are reading and what you are trying to learn. You will need to vary the way you read accordingly.

• If you are reading for general interest and to acquire background information for lectures you will need to read the topic widely but with not much depth.
• If you are reading for an essay you will need to focus the reading around the essay question and may need to study a small area of the subject in great depth. Jot down the essay question, make a note of any questions you have about it, and don't get side-tracked and waste time on non-relevant issues.

Below is an excellent short video tutorial on  reading and notemaking  developed by the Learning Development team at the University of Leicester.

• Reading and note making (video) Video tutorial from the Study Advice Team.
• Researching your assignment (video) A brief screencast on what you need to think about when starting your research.
• Researching for your assignment (transcript) Read the transcript.

It is unlikely that you will be able - or be expected - to read all the books and articles on your reading list. You will be limited by time and by the availability of the material.

To decide whether a book is relevant and useful:

• Look at the author's name, the title and the date of publication. Is it essential reading? Is it out of date?
• Read the publisher's blurb on the cover or look through the editor's introduction to see whether it is relevant.
• Look at the contents page. Does it cover what you want? Is it at the right level? Are there too few pages on the topic - or too many?
• Look through the introduction to get an idea of the author's approach.
• Look up an item in the index (preferably something you know a bit about) and read through one or two paragraphs to see how the author deals with the material.
• Look though the bibliography to see the range of the author's sources.
• Are the examples, illustrations, diagrams etc. easy to follow and helpful for your purpose?

To select useful articles from journals or research papers :

• Read the summary or abstract. Is it relevant?
• Look at the Conclusions and skim-read the Discussion, looking at headings. Is it worth reading carefully because it is relevant or interesting?
• Look through the Introduction. Does it summarise the field in a helpful way? Does it provide a useful literature review?
• It is a seminal piece of work – essential reading.
• It is highly relevant to your essay, etc.
• It is likely that you can get ideas from it.
• There is nothing else available and you are going to have to make the most of this.
• It is so interesting that you can't put it down!

If there is no reading list...

• Use the library website and look up  Subject help .
• Find a general textbook on the subject.
• Use encyclopaedias and subject based dictionaries.
• Do a web search BUT stay focused on your topic AND think about the reliability of the web sites. (For help with this, see the Library's guide to  Evaluating websites .)
• Browse the relevant shelves in the library and look for related topics.
• Ask your tutor for a suggestion for where to start.
• The Library also have advice on how to  and a series of brief videos  showing you how to find and access Library resources.
• To help you decide whether a source is appropriate for academic research, try this short training resource from the University of Manchester -  Know your sources 
• Subject guides Guides to specialist resources in subjects studied at the University.
• Evaluating websites Hints on assessing the reliability of information you find on the Internet.
• Library videos on YouTube A link to Library videos on how to use the Library and access resources
• Know your sources On-line training tutorial from Manchester University on evaluating academic sources

It is not a good idea to rely on 1 or 2 sources very heavily as this shows a lack of wider reading, and can mean you just get a limited view without thinking of an argument of your own.

Nor is it useful (or possible) to read everything on the reading list and try to fit it all into your assignment. This usually leads to losing your own thoughts under a mass of reading.

The best way is to be strategic about your reading and identify what you need to find out and what the best sources to use to find this information.

It can be better to read less and try to think about, and understand, the issues more clearly - take time to make sure you really get the ideas rather than reading more and more which can increase your confusion.

• Use the Library catalogue to find other books on that topic. Either click on the subject headings in the full record of the books you wanted; or make a note of their Call Numbers and check on the shelves for similar titles.
• Look for relevant journal articles using the Summon search box on the Library homepage or using key resources listed on the guide for your subject.
• Use online resources BUT always evaluate them to see if they are appropriate for academic purposes. (For help with this, see the Library's guide to  Evaluating websites .)  
• Ask around to see if any of your fellow students has the books you need. You may be able to borrow them briefly to photocopy any material you need. But be careful to return it promptly - and if you lend a Library book taken out with your ticket to someone else, make sure they take it back on time, or your account will be blocked!
• Don't forget to ask your friendly Academic Liaison Librarian for advice - they are happy to help you find relevant, academic sources for your assignments.
• Contact your Academic Liaison Librarian

Keep focused on your reading goals. One way to do this is to ask questions as you read and try to read actively and creatively. It is a good idea to think of your own subject related questions but the following may be generally useful

• What do I want to know about?
• What is the main idea behind the writing?
• What conclusions can be drawn from the evidence?
• In research, what are the major findings?

Questioning the writing

• What are the limitations or flaws in the evidence?
• Can the theory be disproved or is it too general?
• What examples would prove the opposite theory?
• What would you expect to come next?
• What would you like to ask the author?

Forming your own opinion

• How does this fit in with my own theory/beliefs?
• How does it fit with the opposite theory/beliefs?
• Is my own theory/beliefs still valid?
• Am I surprised?
• Do I agree?

Your reading speed is generally limited by your thinking speed. If ideas or information requires lots of understanding then it is necessary to read slowly. Choosing a reading technique must depend upon why you are reading:

• To enjoy the language or the narrative.
• As a source of information and/or ideas.
• To discover the scope of a subject - before a lecture, seminar or research project.
• To compare theories or approaches by different authors or researchers.
• For a particular piece of work e.g. essay, dissertation.

It is important to keep your aims in mind. Most reading will require a mixture of techniques e.g. scanning to find the critical passages followed by reflective reading.

Good for searching for particular information or to see if a passage is relevant:

• Look up a word or subject in the index or look for the chapter most likely to contain the required information.
• Use a pencil and run it down the page to keep your eyes focusing on the search for key words

Skim reading

Good to quickly gain an overview, familiarise yourself with a chapter or an article or to understand the structure for later note-taking

• Don't read every word.
• Do read summaries, heading and subheadings.
• Look at tables, diagrams, illustrations, etc.
• Read first sentences of paragraphs to see what they are about.
• If the material is useful or interesting, decide whether just some sections are relevant or whether you need to read it all.

Reflective or critical reading

Good for building your understanding and knowledge.

• Think about the questions you want to answer.
• Read actively in the search for answers.
• Look for an indication of the chapter's structure or any other "map" provided by the author.
• reasons, qualifications, evidence, examples...
• Look for "signposts" –sentences or phrases to indicate the structure e.g. "There are three main reasons, First.. Secondly.. Thirdly.." or to emphasise the main ideas e.g. "Most importantly.." "To summarise.."
• Connecting words may indicate separate steps in the argument e.g. "but", "on the other hand", "furthermore", "however"..
• After you have read a chunk, make brief notes remembering to record the page number as well as the complete reference (Author, title, date, journal/publisher, etc)
• At the end of the chapter or article put the book aside and go over your notes, to ensure that they adequately reflect the main points.
• Ask yourself - how has this added to your knowledge?
• Will it help you to make out an argument for your essay?
• Do you agree with the arguments, research methods, evidence..?
• Add any of your own ideas – indicating that they are YOUR ideas use [ ] or different colours.

Rapid reading

Good for scanning and skim-reading,  but  remember that it is usually more important to understand what you read than to read quickly. Reading at speed is unlikely to work for reflective, critical reading.

If you are concerned that you are really slow:

• Check that you are not mouthing the words – it will slow you down
• Do not stare at individual words – let your eyes run along a line stopping at every third word. Practise and then lengthen the run until you are stopping only four times per line, then three times, etc.
• The more you read, the faster you will become as you grow more familiar with specialist vocabulary, academic language and reading about theories and ideas. So keep practising…

If you still have concerns about your reading speed, book an  individual advice session  with a Study Adviser.

• ibid : In the same work as the last footnote or reference (from ibidem meaning: in the same place)
• op.cit: In the work already mentioned (from operato citato meaning in the work cited)
• ff: and the following pages
• cf: compare
• passim: to be found throughout a particular book.

You may also find journal titles abbreviated. You will often find a list in your Course Handbook of the most often used in your discipline. Or ask the Academic Liaison Librarian for your subject.

• << Previous: Home
• Next: Effective note-making >>
• Last Updated: Jun 21, 2024 10:30 AM
• URL: https://libguides.reading.ac.uk/reading

Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

Printable Reading Logs

Below you’ll find free, printable reading logs in a variety of formats. Just click on the title to open the PDF and print. Browse each to decide which fits better with your needs. Some are daily reading logs, others include comment fields and many are themed with illustrations. The reading logs are designed for 1st grade, 2nd grade, and other elementary levels.

Reading Logs With Time Spent Reading

Reading Logs with Comment Fields

Summer Reading Logs

Reading Log Calendars

Reading Logs with Number of Pages Read Field

Reading Logs/Helps For Literary Analysis Papers

Some ideas to improve your reading logs:.

Feelings : Give words that sum up your feelings about a piece of literature, (e.g., sad, boring, exciting, intriguing).

Questions : Ask about the things that puzzle you--be in dialogue with the author, ask questions that you might want my response to--though I can't promise I will always have "the" answer; I will try to give some response, (e.g., I wonder why the author . . . ? Or if you wish, use direct address, Why did you? Or question a character.).

Images : Take time to record what images you like or don't like--focus on the description writers use, (e.g., What pictures do you get in your mind as you read? Describe these with full sensory responses).

Favorite (or detested) words and phrases : Here you want to focus on the language writers use. Remember repeated words or phrases are often conventions used to help convey the theme or other aspect the writer wants us to grasp.

Echoes : (of other books, stories, poetry, movies, television programs, headlines, songs)

Reactions : To characters or events (e.g., Why was Aeneas so cruel to Dido that he'd leave without telling her?)

Memories : How does the reading cause you to remember people, events, places you've known?

Connections : How do you relate what you've read to other ideas, people, feelings, books, etc.?

Clustering : Put a key word--maybe the title of the reading--in the center of your page; circle the word and then branch off giving related words or ideas as they come to you.

Note Taking and Note Making : With Note Taking, you are generally recording facts--like the details of who a character is, or the direct quote that gives the exact words of the text. With Note Making, you are providing feelings and responses that engage you with the text.

Write a Letter : To a character, to someone else who has read the text, to your professor--all these are possibilities for response.

Time Lines : Do a Time Line of events putting the events you view as positive above the line, those you view as negative, below the line.

Venn Diagrams : When setting up comparisons or contrasts, use Venn Diagrams to see what overlaps from each.

HOW TO WRITE ABOUT LITERATURE

It might be helpful to have some reminders (probably you did a literary analysis essay for ENGL 102) to assist you as you go about doing two more papers for 201.

Most often you will be doing one of three things (and these three tasks frequently overlap)--describe, evaluate, interpret a text. Here's a brief description of each approach.

The Descriptive Critical Essay : The main question you are trying to answer with this kind of essay is, how does this literary text work? How does it get its meaning across? You are working here with "poetics"--the study of the codes and conventions, the recurring patterns and familiar structures, that make it possible for the text to have meaning. The advantage of the descriptive essay is that it gives you an entry into the workings of the text. The conventions and anticonventions you describe are not difficult to uncover and are relatively easy to defend or "prove"--they are there, in black and white, between the covers of the book. The disadvantage of writing a descriptive essay is that it can be tricky to develop your topic into an argument or thesis, an answer to the question, "So what?" When you are accounting for the obvious, as many critics do, some creative thinking is necessary for placing your observations in an interesting, provocative context.

The Evaluative Critical Essay : This kind of essay asks about a literary text, "Is it any good?" It's a question that has no trouble addressing the "So what?" of criticism--if the poem, play or novel is "good," it is worth reading; if it's "bad," it's a waste of time; except what keeps this criticism alive is that readers' standards differ.

The common form of the evaluative essay is the book review. You will actually not be doing the kind of book review that professionals do. Your number one requirement for the evaluative essay is a clear standard or set of standards by which you are making a judgment. You need to make these standards explicit. You need to find textual reasons for whatever claim you are making, and it would be good to have a comparison of what is good or strong or whatever is the opposite of the critique you are making. The challenge of the evaluative essay is to write it persuasively, alluding to the possibilities for opposition to your argument, and answering potential objections with specific commentary on passages from the text.

The Interpretive Critical Essay : This is the most common type of essay students do; the main question you ask is "What does this text mean?" A critical essay always raises questions about meaning. To write a descriptive essay is to address the question: How does this work transmit meaning? To write an evaluative essay is to ask: Why is it worthwhile to think about this text's meaning? And to write an interpretive essay is to ask: What does this work mean? How you find and present a meaning will depend on the strategy of interpretation you choose to apply.

The best interpretive essays do three things:

They establish the strategy by which you choose to find meaning; They "read" or "interpret" the work in question according to that strategy, giving lots of examples from the text; and They make a point or an argument.

Simply paraphrasing the work in your own words is not the same as interpreting it, because a paraphrase will not answer the question, "So what?" You need to place the work's ideas in some context, in order to write persuasively about it.

Steps to Help You Develop Your Essay :

• Take notes--underline, highlight, star, or in some way mark all the passages that interest you.
• Use your journal--this is an ideal source of inspiration.
• Ask questions--"watch yourself reading," mark the parts of the text which you find moving, persuasive, confusing, or difficult. Write out your questions as they occur--these can lead to a thesis.
• Look at the text's form--try to analyze the structure and see if it offers some significance.
• Look for familiar moves--Identify the literary conventions of the text. Ask yourself where you've seen these conventions before. If the work you are studying is either remarkably conventional or noticeably unconventional, this could lead to a thesis.
• Interpret figures of speech--think about the imagery or figurative language used in the text. What symbolic patterns emerge? What are the vehicle or the tenor of the metaphors you find? Is there any way to read the text as an allegory for ideas it doesn't mention directly?
• Look up unfamiliar words--Especially with poetry and especially if the work was written before the twentieth century, it's key for you to understand the meanings of the words or the sense in which the words are used.

Formulating the Essay :

• Make connections--look for patterns
• Create a thesis--identify a "So what?"
• Generate some ideas
• Formulate a thesis
• Organize the essay--shape your argument, build in transitions, don't suppress conflict