Independent Reading and Response Journals

Adapted from: Fountas & Pinnell (1996) Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children.

The goal of all classroom reading instruction is to develop readers who can select and read a variety of books independently with confidence. Independent Reading is defined as a time when students self-select and independently read appropriate books. It is on the continuum of reading instruction that flows from teacher Read Aloud, to Shared Reading, to Guided Reading, to Independent Reading where the child takes on full responsibility.

Children learn to read by reading appropriate materials. Independent Reading provides an opportunity to apply strategies that are introduced and taught during teacher read aloud, shared reading, and guided reading. When materials are appropriate and students can read independently, they become confident, motivated and enthusiastic about their ability to read.

Children make great contributions to their own learning when they are given some control and ownership of the reading process. The self-selection process of Independent Reading places the responsibility for choosing books in the hands of the student. This teaches them that they have the ability to choose their own reading materials and that reading by themselves is a valuable and important activity.

While students are free to choose what they like, they must be encouraged to select a variety of literature and to select materials at their independent reading level. Independent means 95% to 100% accuracy. These materials should be able to be read without teacher support. It is at the independent level that comprehension, vocabulary extension, and fluency are improved.

During Independent Reading, the teacher confers with individual students and assesses regularly to monitor progress.

Reader’s Response Journals

Response journals, or literature logs, are notebooks where students keep personal reflections about their reading.  Using response journals extends and reinforces skills while giving students opportunities to consolidate meaning by drawing on background knowledge.
Response journals may also include lists of words children want to learn, goals for reading (e.g., number of books or pages read), things they do well as readers, predictions made prior to and during reading, thoughts, pictures, feelings, questions, or connections to other texts. Responses can be made before, during, and after the child has read.

The reading response journal may be viewed as a piece of ongoing assessment. Journal entries can be evaluated when teachers read students' journals, when students share as a whole class, when students have literature circles, or when students have individual conferences with the teacher.  As part of self-evaluation, students may choose a piece of writing from their reading response journals that they would like to include in their portfolio and then explain what it shows they can do well or might do better. Students may look back through their journal and, with teacher assistance, evaluate which reading strategies have been most helpful for them as they read and set specific goals for their reading and writing.