Independent Reading Goals

My Independent

Reading

Journal

Name: ______

Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing. ~Harper Lee

Independent Reading Goals

v  To foster the appreciation of reading by allowing students to choose their own independent reading novels

v  To increase vocabulary knowledge and understanding of grammar and written convention by exposure to literature

v  To share positive reading experiences with other members of your classroom and other sections of Lit & Comp

v  To better understand your own personal reading preferences by being exposed to different genres of literature

Independent Reading Expectations

Students will…

v  select novels to be read independently.

v  finish reading at least one novel throughout the course of the semester.

v  record the completion dates and the titles that have been read as they finish the books.

v  periodically write reflections in this packet when directed by your teacher. This reflection should follow the directions as provided.

v  be willing and able to discuss their books with their peers when the opportunity arises.

v  recommend books they enjoyed to classmates whenever possible!

v  always have their independent reading book with them during Lit & Comp class and AcLab

Teachers will…

v  help select novels to be read independently if necessary

v  share positive reading experiences with their class and/or their co-workers

v  periodically collect the Reading Journals to assess the students’ work in their reading response section

v  listen to and/or participate in opportunities to discuss current selections during class Pair/Share time

Reading Response Directions

v  Responses must be one paragraph in length.

v  Responses may only have 2 sentences of plot summary. The rest should include a response to one of the provided prompt ideas.

v  Students must vary their response prompt choice.

v  Whenever a book is completed, one prompt from the Final Reflection Ideas section must be selected and a prompt (or book hook) must be completed.

The Books I Read…

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Reading Response Questions

Plot

1.  What has been the most exciting part of the book so far? What made it so exciting?

2.  What plot points in the book have surprised you? Explain how so.

3.  As the book is getting started, what predictions can you make about what will happen? What that you have read has made you predict these actions?

4.  Describe the main conflict and the impact you think it will have on the characters and the outcome of the story.

5.  Explain one situation that has occurred as a result of the main conflict. Why do you think the author included this situation? What does it add to the storyline?

Characters

1.  Who is your favorite character in this book? Why? Explain your reasoning.

2.  Who is your least favorite character in the book? Why? Explain your reasoning.

3.  How has the protagonist changed from the beginning of the book to the end? What are your thoughts on these changes?

4.  Describe the main characters and provide personal thoughts and predictions of what the characters are going to do, or why they have acted in a particular way.

Setting

1.  Describe the setting to this story and detail how/why the setting is relevant to the storyline.

2.  What do you find interesting/unique about the setting? Explain your answer.

Writing Style

1.  What do you think about the way in which this author writes the book? Is it believable? Creative? Describe the style and detail why you either like it or don’t like it.

2.  What other literary elements does the author use in his/her writing style that make the story better or worse? Explain the how the elements are used and how they either contribute to or detract from the story.

Final Reflection Ideas

1.  Now that you have finished the book, reflect back on its contents. What are your final overall thoughts of the book’s plot? Include thoughts on whether you were surprised at plot twists (or not), whether sections kept you engaged (or not), and an final verdict on the book’s success.

2.  Consider the main characters. Which character did you ultimately end up loving or hating most? Why? Include thoughts on whether the character would be considered dynamic or static and defend why you believe that.

3.  Consider the book’s intended audience. Describe who you think that audience would be and detail why you believe that. Come to a final conclusion on whether the book was successful at entertaining that audience.

4.  IF YOU LOVED THE BOOK: Write a final reflection book hook (ask your teacher for one). This book hook should be decorated on one side to reflect the novel; on the other, you should write a paragraph recommending the book to other Lit & Comp students. This recommendation should NOT reveal the ending of the book and SHOULD motivate other students to read it.

Reader’s Response Samples

“All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury

Response Question (a): Describe the setting of the story and explain how/why this setting is relevant to the storyline.

EXCELLENT SAMPLE

It is hard to imagine a world without the sun. The people living on the planet Venus in this story see the sun once every seven years, and even then it’s only for two hours. The rest of the time it is dark and constantly raining, so people have to live in tunnels. The setting of Venus allows the author to express the sadness and depression of the main character, Margot. The author created a picture in my mind of a girl whose skin is pale, along with her hair and eyes. Margot’s outward appearance reflects the sadness she feels inside without the sun in her life. I believe the author wanted us to think about what life would be like without some of the things we have on a daily basis, and how our lives would be different without something like the sun.

POOR SAMPLE

This short story was about a world that exists on the planet Venus. The planet Venus has no sunshine only rain and darkness. The sun comes out for two hours every seven years. Margot is a girl who lives on Venus, but was born on Earth. She can’t wait to see the sun come back out, but the other kids do not like her and lock her in a closet. When the sun does come out, the other kids were so excited to run outside and they forgot to let Margot out of the closet to see the sun. I did not like the story because the kids were mean to Margot and she never got to see the sun.

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All responses must be shared with me on GoogleDocs and titled: LC Fiction Independent Reading Response #1.

Reading Reflections

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