There are many different styles of writing that can be practiced in a reading journal being guided by the child’s reading and writing development. Here are some ideas I’ve recently given my children.
- Narration – simply retell what you have read
- Summary – using key words, or not, summarise the important details of what you have read
- Copywork – copy write a quote, or sentence that you liked when you read it.
- Compare – take two aspects in your book and compare them to each other (compare two characters, two locations, two consequences, two events). Alternatively take one aspect from your story and compare it to your life today.
- Ask a Question – as we read questions come into our mind. Write that question down, and go and find the answer.
- Keyword outline – you can write from this outline as a second activity if you wish.
- Wisdom thoughts – often when we read our ideas are stimulated to think further on a topic. Write down your thoughts.
- Knowledge – we learn from the books we read, so record what you have learnt about a country, the history, the people: history and science
- New Words – jot down any words that you are unfamiliar with – check them out in the dictionary and write down the meaning. Copy write the sentence where the author used the word. Write your own sentence using the word. This helps build your vocab.
- List – a list is an easy piece of writing and yet, it requires being able to classify and categories items (a good skill to have, making list writing a good reading journal exercise)
- Write a letter – either be the character and write a letter or write a letter to the character.
