Reading Log – Portable 38

Reading logs are an important part of the independent reading requirement for Portable 38.  Reading logs need to be taken home each evening and returned to school each morning, since we will be working on them in class and at home.

Minimum Requirements:

Ø      200 minutes of documented reading per week (at least 100 minutes at home as part of your daily homework routine, and 100 at school during D.E.A.R.)

Ø      3 entries per week (each entry must be 5 sentences long or longer).

Ø      1 parent signature per week

Make sure that every time you read independently, you document it, whether or not you make a journal entry.  Each time you document your reading, you must include:

1.      Title of the book, magazine, newspaper, etc.

2.      Date

3.      Chapters or pages read

4.      Total reading time in minutes

Every time you make an entry in your reading log, you must include all of the above (items 1-4) and:

5.      Rewrite the question or prompt that you have chosen to complete

6.      Use complete sentences and legible, easily understood writing . . . use examples from the text to support your thinking

Reading logs will be checked once a week – be sure to have your log with you every day!

Questions/Prompts:

• Describe the problem/conflict of this book.
• Summarize the main events in this book.
• Who is your favorite or least favorite character?  Why?
• Do any of the characters remind you of yourself, a family member, or a friend?  How?
• Are there situations in the story where you would have acted differently than one of the characters?  Describe what you would have done.
• Compare and contrast two characters.  Include at least three important similarities and three important differences.
• Describe the setting (time and place).  Does it remind you of anywhere you are familiar with?
• Describe the climax (the turning point of the story when the action reaches a critical point).
• What do you like best about the story?  The least?  Why?
• Does this story remind you of other books you have read, movies you have seen, or experiences you have had?  Describe the similarities.
• Would you recommend this book to a friend?  Why or why not?
• Write three words from this section of the story that you don’t know.  Look them up and define them.  Write three sentences using each of these words.
• If you could ask the author one question, what would it be?  Why do you want to know this?
• Why do you think the author wrote this selection?
• What did the author do in order to “hook” the reader?  Explain.
• What “pictures” does the author create in your mind?  Describe them.
• Have you learned anything interesting that you didn’t know before reading this selection?  Explain.
• Are the characters believable?  Why or why not?
• Write a letter to one of the characters giving him/her advice on how to handle a problem or situation he/she is facing.  Be sure to include a greeting and a closing.
• If you could spend one day with a character, who would it be and what would you do?  Explain why you chose these activities for this particular character.
• How has the main character changed over the course of the story?  What do you think is the cause of the change?
• What was the best part of this book?  Explain.
• Are there any parts you would change?  Explain.
• How did you feel while reading this book?  Why did you feel this way?
• How did the author make you feel the way you did?  Explain, thinking about the language used, description of people and places, etc.
• Pretend you are a character in the story.  Write a diary entry as the character, explaining what has happened to you and how you feel about it.
• Using the text, illustrate a descriptive passage, a key scene, or a character (this should take some time and effort . . . no stick figures!).  Describe the picture in a sentence or two.
• Create a timeline of important events in the story.  Give corresponding page numbers by each event.
• What are two attributes that describe a particular character?  Give at least two examples for each attribute that support your opinion.

Feel free to add other questions that you think of yourself.  Make sure to write about different questions and prompts – do not use the same one over and over!  You will choose one entry each week that will be scored by Mr. Crumb using the following scale:

Scale:

4 = Exceeds expectations

Ø       Shows high level of knowledge and understanding of the book

Ø       Demonstrates creative and new ways of thinking

Ø       Uses prior knowledge and the text to support ideas or opinions

Ø       Follows all directions for each entry

3 = Meets expectations

Ø       Shows knowledge and understanding of the book

Ø       Demonstrates sound thinking

Ø       Uses the text to support ideas or opinions

Ø       Follows all directions for each entry

2 = Working towards expectations

Ø       Shows some knowledge and understanding of the book

Ø       Reveals some evidence of thinking process

Ø       Expresses ideas or opinions

Ø       Follows most of the directions for each entry

1 = Significantly below expectations

Ø       Shows little knowledge and understanding of the book

Ø       Reveals little evidence of thinking process

Ø       Follows few of the directions for each entry

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