I’ve started using reading journals with Sprite. It’s a way to encourage her independent interactions with the novels she’s reading.
I printed and laminated these bookmarks and made a simple single fold book for her Abraham Lincoln biography (shape template). It seems that the bookmarks linked there have disappeared from the web. Here is another, less colorful, option from Busy Teacher Cafe.
Here’s another one for Jericho’s Journey with a covered wagon image. She’s loving this book, by the way.
Of course, she already interacts with text but generally in discussions with me when I tend to pull things out of her. As part of moving toward more independent learning, I’d like her to do the thinking on her own and write down those thoughts.
She can also use the reading journal to make notes about the plot or about new vocabulary words which may be helpful for notebooking pages or a writing assignment. Sprite has been excited to know that she can even mark in her novels and school books to underline key ideas.
She does both narrations and reactions in her journal.
I’ve not given this reading response minioffice to Sprite yet. I hope to ease her into reading journals with the handful of focused questions on the bookmark. The minioffice has lots of options, and I don’t want to overwhelm her. This is what the inside looks like, and you can get the cut-outs here.
direct link to cut outs
If you like my approach to reading journals, you may also be interested in my very modestly priced eBooks shown below. One is specifically about language arts while Notebooking Success applies to any academic area.
Jimmie, this is just what I was needing!!
I’ve been having my children narrate to me through discussions but I needed something more to switch it up and encourage them to think more. This is excellent! You are so talented, and thank you for sharing that blessing with us! I’m printing away this morning.
Blessings,
Melissa
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..Winners! =-.
Absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
.-= Sarah at SmallWorld´s last blog ..Returning =-.
I’ve 2nd and 3rd graders. I wonder what they glean from something they read. Except when I ask them to narrate, it’s a struggle to keep them from re-telling the entire story verbatum. Each child is different, but from your research, am I trying to draw to much from them too early? I ask b/c I understand that your daughter is older than my kids. Thanks so much.
I LOVE the bookmarks! What a great way to remind them what to focus on while reading without being TOO involved in their independent reading. I saved a copy of those. My third grader will love them as well since he always looking for a bookmark. Grandma taught him NEVER to dog-ear books, especially library books!
.-= Julie Moses´s last blog ..The Carnivals are in Town! =-.
I love looking at your minioffice creations. I think this calls for another squidoo page.
.-= Martha´s last blog ..Currclick’s Sale =-.
I *LOVE* these ideas! They’re really fantastic. I’m saving this post for when my younger guys start moving toward more independent reading. Thanks for the great ideas and links to the wonderful printables.
.-= Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers´s last blog ..Giant Board Game =-.
This is Wonderful!! I am going to begin to impliment this idea right away. I’m wondering though, how much do you have Sprite write per day? I have a 5th grade girl as well, and she doesn’t like to write so I was just hoping for a guideline, or something to shoot for. Thanks!
Jimmie, this is great! I made my daughter a writing center, and she loves it. Now I am in the process of making her your reading response prompt mini-office. I love the idea of reading journals. She loves to read, and I don’t always have “work” to show for it. But what a great idea! I think I will try to implement a little of it for my second grade son, although his will probably have more drawings and simple sentences.
Again, thanks so much for all your great resources ;D
Loni
.-= Loni´s last blog ..Back To School Time Capsule =-.
to Loni, Sarah, Melissa, and Kris — You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s helpful to you.
to Beth — I try to do one writing assignment per week (but we don’t always get to it). That would be something that goes through the steps of the writing process and ends up as a polished, proofread document. But she does some type of writing daily whether it’s in her journal or on a notebooking page or in a minibook. I’d say it’s about one to two pages of writing per day.
to Martha — [smile] You know, since I’ve gotten this fancy new blog, I’ve been able to do so much HERE that I’ve not felt the need to build things at Squidoo. I probably will make more lenses in the future, but blogging is fun again!
to Julie — Absolutely! We never dog-ear books.
to Dee — I guess it’s the verbatim aspect that’s bothering you? They aren’t rewording it? Actually, it’s okay to retell verbatim. If they are remembering all those details, I think it’s fine. That’s the main think you want them to glean — the facts that you read. Thinking onward with those facts will slowly develop. Maybe these questions in the reading journal prompts can help that along. But if they are narrating lots of details, I’d say they’re doing quite well!
Great post. I sent you an e-mail, but it might go to your junk mail–My computer wouldn’t let me send it directly from your blog. Anyway, I think we sent you a flat traveler once, and we were so surprised to find your blog several years later! I hope you can get our e-mail, but in the meantime, I love your blog!
This is what I’ve been needing in my personal reading to take it to the next step.
Great idea! I have been looking for a way to link all the reading my children do for enjoyment to school. This will work wonderfully and help them towards indepent study.
I was wondering if you could post what curriculum you are using this year? Also, what sort of schedule do you follow for the the day/week during the school year?
.-= BlessedMomma´s last blog ..My Children Started School Early Without Me! =-.
Thanks, once again, for sharing your wisdom with us!
.-= Angi´s last blog ..PREPARING FOR MONDAY =-.
Another fabulous idea Jimmie! I’m gonna have to use this one too!! Thank you so much for sharing with us all. You are such an inspiration, it’s great to be able to come here and glean new ideas, (as well as to appreciate the hard work Sprite is doing.)
I too haven noticed my dd re-tells things verbatim…so I guess that’s a good thing, as long as eventually she is able to put things into her own words.
Keep up the great work!!
Thanks so much for this post! I teach resource classes and this is just what I was needing for my 4th & 5th grade students.
Thanks for this Jimmie. We are making this mini office as our co-op activity today. We won’t make it free standing but rather as part of a writing prompt file the kids have. I’m working with 10-16year olds. I like the idea of mini offices as it teaches the kids to use reference material. Thanks for the print out.
.-= Belinda´s last blog ..Restoring the Heart, Mind and Soul of Christmas =-.
I can’t seem to get that first link (reading journal) to work..would you mind sending me an e-mail with it?
Thanks!
Hi!
I love this! I teach kids with learning disabilities, and would love to share this with them. Could you please email me the pages, because when I try to print them.. they do not work!
Thank You so Much!
Melissa