Writing Personal Thoughts in Reading Response Journals
Objective
Students will create written responses to express their personal thoughts and feelings about a story through quiet reflection.
Materials
- notebooks or paper
- pencils
- picture book
- crayons or colored pencils
Hook
Invite students to sit quietly in a comfortable spot as you read aloud a gentle picture book. Ask them to close their eyes and think about how the story makes them feel inside.
Main Activity
After reading, students return to their seats and open their journals. They write or draw about their thoughts and feelings from the story, focusing on what made them happy, sad, excited, or curious. Students work silently, taking time to think deeply about their responses. Those ready to write use simple sentences, while others may draw pictures with labels. Encourage students to write about connections they made to their own lives or experiences.
Discussion Questions
- What feelings did you have while listening to this story?
- Which part of the story reminded you of something in your own life?
- What questions do you still have about the characters or events?
- How did your feelings change from the beginning to the end of the story?
- What would you tell a friend about this story?
Exit Ticket
Draw one small picture showing your favorite part of today's story and write one word describing how it made you feel.
Differentiation
Support: Provide sentence starters such as 'I felt…' or 'This story made me think about…' and allow drawing with verbal explanations for non-writers.
Extension: Students write multiple sentences explaining their thoughts and make connections between this story and other books they have read.
