Reflecting on books in writing can help you clarify what you read, what you learned (if anything), and what you thought about it. Reading Journal Ideas A display board with a bare tree ready to be covered in leaves can function as an effective whole-class reading record. Each time a child completes a book, they add a leaf with their name and the book, building into a wonderful display. Journaling about books can help you remember the story, characters, and the feeling of reading those books. aReading diary is a tool we typically plan to use but end up not using. I confess I never really used a reading diary. I do use a number of alternative approaches. In this article, I will describe first what the reading diary theoretically should be, and then what can be used instead. Encouraging KS2 Students to keep a reading diary using this reading diary comments KS2 booklet has lots of potential benefits. For example:

When conducting a research, we focus on the quintessence of what we read: how it is important, different and innovative. Typically we compare what we just read to our body of knowledge and write down how it adds to our knowledge: discoveries, new facts, different research methods, a new perspective on the subject. It is normal so summarize this comparison in a fully drafted text of several paragraphs. It is important to mention where we assumed we could use the books or articles in our bibliography and provide a full citation. Mara (They/Them) has accidentally on purpose made their entire life about books and stories. Mara graduated with a B.A in creative writing and theatre and is halfway through an MFA in Creative writing. In addition to writing for Book Riot, Mara also has written for The Independent Book Review, Wargamer, and The Other Half, to name a few. They also work as a fiction editor with The Minison Project. Nearly all of their published articles can be found here.To make it really simple, leave off the notes and just keep a running list of books. You might be surprised by how helpful it is to just have a list of the books you’ve read. Over the last year, I’ve really embraced the idea of using a reading journal. As I’ve explored the role of a book journal in my reading life, I’ve discovered that there are so many ways to use reading journals. Like every tool we have at our disposal in the classroom, reading diaries will be what we make of them. Used well, they can be wonderful. Used without thought, they become another thing to do, hoovering up valuable teacher time. And like everything we do in school, we have the power to change this if we wish.

My best advice when thinking about the use of reading journals would be the same as it is for any other activity linked to reading, whether it is book corners, displays, dressing up events, or reading competitions. I would suggest teachers always ask two questions: For the youngest children, where the emphasis is on parents to fill them in, there are two issues. Firstly, for some parents, completing the reading diary becomes a badge of honour. Obviously, I keep a lot of reading journals. I’ve always loved journals and pens and stationery, and now that I’ve designed some pretty journals that fit my needs? All the better.In addition, those jotted notes usually lead to additional insights and connections that I wouldn’t have made without the physical act of writing. Typing up a review is one thing, and it’s useful, but those pen-on-paper notes are gold. Choosing a Readers Journal Great books sometimes send our thoughts in crazy directions–let yourself record what you’re thinking and feeling as you reflect. Share Your Reading Journal Ideas! Reading also helps with social and emotional development. They’ll be gaining knowledge about the more unfavourable events, and they’ll understand that things don’t always go to plan. This allows children to gain emotional stability and manage strong emotions. It can help them to gain resilience and overcome obstacles in real life situations.

If you’re thinking about starting a reading journal, look no further than this ultimate guide to book journals. You’ll find book journal ideas, reading journal examples, prompts, and thoughts on why you should start a book log to improve your reading life. At their best, reading diaries can be a useful record of a child’s reading – a reliable means of communication between home and school. But the traditional model can bring challenges.But keeping a physical journal with pen and paper has had multiple benefits to my reading life, including: It’s one reason I don’t set a yearly goal on Goodreads. While I glance at how many books I’ve read at the end of the year, I never want to get focus on that number–and start avoiding long or slow books so I can read more books. This is also useful for removing books from your TBR–which for me, also happens frequently. If a book doesn’t work for a trusted reader friend, I’ll go in and cross it out. Same thing if something about the book is problematic (e.g., American Dirt).