LLSS 528 Getting Started With Literature Circles Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6: Response Journals
This chapter starts out recognizing that it is more natural to talk about a book then writing about it. Though we may stop to tell someone how great a chapter is, it is less natural to stop reading to write about what is going on, but once this process is embraced, a whole new world is opened up.

To start out with journaling, a clear purpose must be established. Some teachers use journals as a way for their students to explore feelings, predict outcomes, or personally respond to the book. Because the form is so free in these type of journals, assessment is limited to participation points only. In any case, students should feel comfortable writing while group reading and discussing is happening at the same time.

Focus can be hard, especially with new writers, so a couple things to keep in mind are as follows:
Use open ended prompts
- I liked...
- I noticed...
- I wonder...
- I felt ________ because...
- I think...
- This story makes me think of...
- I wish...
- I was surprised by...
Use questions that come up in discussions
Use questions from outside resources
Consider other forms of response
- Draw an entry, feeling, or remembered passage
- Draw or write cause and effect relationships
- Letters
- Character web

One thing I really like that the book points out is that beginning journal entries will mostly look the same, "I like it" or "I don't like it". Don't let this discourage you, rather start to encourage entries to include the word "because"..."I like it because" or "I don't like it because".

For assessment, the book's first recommendation is a rubric. Though I'm not the biggest fan of rubrics, one teacher wrote a rubric with her student's suggestions that came from a similar conversation to student expectations for literature circles. They book also recommends self-reflection and sharing entries. My personal recommendation would be participation points and depth of writing/drawing/brainstorming as long as there is a progression over the course of the school year.