Looking at the Reading Workshop Response Binder / Journal

I will be focusing on the reading workshop binder/journal next. Expect lots of pictures and links to downloads

When making my reading binders last year, I used the following book as my resource:

I have to tell you, the above book is AWESOME!  It goes through the different guided reading stages and gives you great activities to complete with each stage.  The lesson plans in the back are wonderfully detailed.

back to the binders…Here, Jan Richardson, calls them Reading Notebooks. I will be using just composition books next year.  So any pages used, I will be cutting them down and gluing them – or just having the students write in the pages.

1st Section: Independent Reading Record, which will have 3 sections.  The first one is a reading log.  Below you will find a link to one that I typed up. – If using a journal, students could glue this on the pages, or they can simply write the info. down in the composition pages.  I also added a genre definition chart and a genre tally chart.  You can find the last 2 documents here.

2nd Section: Independent Reading Responses – I would place some resources that students can refer to..

I also like how the teacher below gives them a framework to work with.

If you have certain questions that you want them to focus on, you would print them on sticky notes and the students could place them in their books as a reminder…when finished, they can transfer it to their journal.

I also typed up some reading response journal prompts.  I used the book Stategies that Work as my resource.

3rd Section: Guided Reading Notes – I do plan on meeting with my students in small guided reading groups.  I plan to move away from these into more ‘skill groups and one-on-one conferences’ as my students become more comfortable with the reading block.  This section will be a place for them to write responses/notes that we discuss during small group.

4th Section: Notes – This will be a specific place where students write down the names of the strategies we are learning.  This will be used as a location where they put what each strategy means to them in their own words.

I will post pictures of my reader’s notebooks when school starts I have been keeping my eyes open at Walmart! I am looking to see how low the composition books will get.  In the mean time, please check out the links below.  These are all excellent!

• Beth Newingham
• Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher
• Life in 4B
• Lesson with Laughter