Reading Logs

I. The Purpose:
A. The purpose of a reading log is to engage the text through serious study. By keeping
a reading log we will:
1) Develop reading skills by being aware of how we are reading and what we are
reading (!eta"ognition#).
$) %eep tra"k of the ideas& "onne"tions& and 'uestions that "o!e to !ind so we
"an think !ore about the! later and(or share the! with others
B. )eading logs are si!ilar to taking notes# on a text& but they also in"lude thinking
about how we read& not *ust writing down what we read.
+. They will be used as eviden"e for reading# for ,-.s(T,-.s.
II. Reading Skills:
A. /ow do we read0 1hat do we do when we understand so!ething0 1hat do we do
when we don2t understand so!ething0
1. ,redi"t
$. ,i"ture (i!ages& !ental !aps& graphi" organi3ers et"4)
5. 6ake +onne"tions
7. 8dentify a ,roble!
9. 8dentify a :olution
III. How to Start a Readers Notebook:
A. 8 will tell you how !u"h to read before you write a reading log entry. ;our reading
log will "onsist of stapled pie"es of lined paper that are kept in your /u!anities binder.
B. :et<=p the ,aper:
8n the upper right<hand "orner& first and last na!e and period
+entered at the top& the first and last na!e of author and the title of the
text
The )eading .og entry nu!ber
The page& paragraphs& "hapters& or se"tions that you are reading
The date(s) you read the pie"e
The a!ount of ti!e it took to read the pie"e
IV. How to Keep a Readers Notebook
)eaders2 >otebooks have four se"tions. /-1?@?)& ;ou will not ne"essarily have to do every
se"tion -) every 'uestion(pro!pt for ea"h reading log entry. 8 will tell you what se"tions do to
with ea"h assign!ent.
=se the pro!pts to guide you or "o!e up with your own. Be detailed. Don2t *ust say& 8 didn2t
understand&# say 8 didn2t understand when the author said ... be"ause 4#
:e"tion A A )efle"t on how you read by 4 BYou do not have to do every one of these& these are
*ust exa!ples& however& with texts that are diffi"ult to read ;-= :/-=.D C-+=: on
identifying proble!s and solutionsD
1. ,redi"ting
8 predi"t 4
8n the next part 4
8 think this is 4
$. 6aking +onne"tions
This is like a 4
This is not like 4
This re!inds !e of 4
8 started to think about 4
5. 8dentifying a proble!
8 got "onfused when the author said 4
82! not sure of 4
8 didn2t expe"t 4
:o!e words 8 didn2t know were 4
8 was distra"ted by 4
8 lost tra"k of everything ex"ept 4
8 stopped be"ause 4
1hile reading this se"tion 8 forgot i!portant things that 8 already read 4
During this part 8 got stu"kE it !ade no sense be"ause 4
7. 8dentifying a solution
8 figured out this word fro! "ontext 4
8 re<read this senten"e(se"tion 4
8 skipped this senten"e(se"tion 4
8 kept reading to see if things later be"a!e "lear 4
8 took notes on the !argin or on a post<it 4
8 took notes on a separate sheet of paper or on the "o!puter 4
8 !ade a diagra!& drew a pi"ture& or used another graphi" organi3er
8 looked up a word in the di"tionary or other resour"e like 1ikipedia
IV. How to Keep a Readers Notebook ont.
)efle"t on what you read by 4
:e"tion B. A 6aking observations BYou do not have to do all of these& *ust "hose at least two of
the!D
1. 1hat strikes you about the text0 1hat did you find interesting or signifi"ant about the
text0
$. 1hat is the gist of the text0 8n other words& what is the !ain idea(thesis0 %eep this to
one or two senten"es.
5. Do you agree with the author0 1hy or why not0 %eep this to $<5 senten"es (or !ore)
use be"ause.# 8 agree with the author be"ause 4
7. 6ake a bullet point list of 5<7 i!portant things that you learned fro! the text -)
1rite out a very short su!!ary.
:e"tion +. A Asking 'uestions 4
1. :!all Fuestions: 1rite down any 'uestions you have "on"erning the literal !eaning
of the text (i.e. on the surfa"e# 'uestions) if you have not addressed the! in an earlier
part of the reading log. .eave spa"e so you "an answer the! later after thinking about it
so!e !ore or getting help fro! "lass dis"ussion.
$. Big Fuestions: 1rite an interpretative 'uestion. That2s a 'uestion that people "ould
have different opinions about. These are often good 'uestions for a se!inar dis"ussion or
for a debate& and you should try to bring the! up in dis"ussion. They !ight develop into
writing pie"es. ;ou do not have to ne"essarily answer the! (but you should try). .eave
roo! to *ot down thoughts& refle"tions& and rando! notes.
5. )esear"h Fuestions: These are 'uestions that you "ould look up and possibly do a
resear"h report on. Cor exa!ple& if you are reading a war story that2s about the D<Day
invasion& you !ight ask a 'uestion about the battle that you "ould resear"h in !ore detail.
They !ight develop into resear"h pro*e"ts.
:e"tion D A Fuotation Analysis
1. 1hat 'uote or 'uotes stru"k you as !e!orable or parti"ularly interesting0 1hy0
1hat point was the author !aking0 1hat signifi"an"e does it have to the !eaning of the
text0
)?AD?):2 >-T?B--% ?>T); (:a!ple)
%ant& 1hat is ?nlighten!ent0 ;our >a!e:
?ntry G1& p. $H5<$HI& J(5& 1K !inutes. ,eriod:
Date:
:e". A A )eading :kills
8 was "onfused by the word nonage& but after re<reading the 1
st
paragraph 8 understood.
The definition is right there A in the text. 8t !eans being too la3y to think for yourself.
6y brother started to play his !usi" really loud so 8 "ould not understand the se"ond
paragraph. 8t was all a blur& until 8 told hi! to turn it off& then it !ade sense.
The author lost !e with fair sex.# 1hat does that !ean0
The author2s use of guardians# re!inds !e of +aptain Beatty in Fahrenheit 451.
:e". B A -bservations
The gist of the text is that ?nlighten!ent is having the "ourage to think for yourself
instead of blindly doing what others tell you to do& be"ause you are too la3y to do it
yourself.
:e". + A Fuestion
8 answered !y own s!all 'uestion in the above se"tion
6y big 'uestion is: Are people really "apable of enlighten!ent in today2s world0
82! not sure where to go with this& but !aybe a resear"h pro*e"t about the effe"ts of
advertising on youth would be interesting. David<Lean said so!ething about that last
year 4 >-T? T- :?.C A Bring this up in se!inar to!orrow
(There was no 'uotation analysis for this assign!ent)