Interactive Reading Log

Subject Area and Grade Span:  Any Subject, Grades 3-12

What it is:

The interactive reading log helps students expand note-taking skills, build understanding of core content, and make the transition to using academic vocabulary in their own writing. Students can monitor and take ownership of their learning and begin to see connections between “what is taught” and “what they learn.” Moreover, this strategy engages critical thinking and helps students use writing to convey understanding. In the left column, the student records evidence during or after the text is read. In the right column, the student interprets the evidence.

What it looks like:

• Provide the structure for the notebook to your students (See below).
• Offer other ways to represent information—thinking maps and graphic organizers to engage students in critical thinking and writing.
• Monitor student notebooks to assess student understanding.
• Engage students in authentic writing tasks, allowing for opportunities to utilize the academic vocabulary recorded in their student notebooks.

How you know it’s working:

• Students will be able to expand note-taking skills.
• Students will build understanding of core content as seen in their writing.
• Students will begin to use academic vocabulary in their own speaking and writing.

Things to consider:

• Provide scaffolding as needed by assigning topics or advanced organizers to help frame student thinking.
• Notebooks can be used to review information, key vocabulary, concepts, and skills throughout the year.
• Students have been known to take such ownership over their notebooks as to use them in following years to review concepts and vocabulary as it relates to their new course content.

Reference: 

Self-Directed Learning. Interactive reading log. Retrieved July 11, 2007 from http://home.twcny.rr.com/hiemstra/readlog.html (outside link) .
This page contains some theory and approaches to using interactive logs.