Sample Reading Log
Cathy Belben, Librarian, Burlington-Edison High School
April 2007

Reading Log Basics:
As an English teacher, I required my students to read 2.5 hours outside of class each week. I did not grade them on the number of books or pages they read, but on the amount of time they spent reading, because that seemed more important to me. I preferred that they read a little bit almost every day, rather than try to read a 400-800 page book at the end of the semester (which I've seen students attempt without much success).

Students were required to keep track of the time they spent reading, what they read, and they were asked to record some
"reading highlights" for the time period they spent reading--new vocabulary, interesting facts learned, surprises about the plot, etc.  Below are TWO samples of weekly reading logs:  a blank one, and one I filled out.

SAMPLE BLANK READING LOG

Student's Name_________________________________
Teacher_______________________________________
Class/Period___________________________________
Reading Log for Week of _______________________

Date Time of Day and number of minutes Title of What I Read Today's Reading Highlights (Surprises, observations, vocabulary, or other) Parent's Initials
 

 

        
 

 

        
 

 

        
 

 

        
 

 

        


SAMPLE COMPLETED READING LOG

Student's Name_____Cathy Belben_______________
Teacher___________Mrs. Bradbury_______________
Class/Period_______3rd Period English 9_________
Reading Log for Week of _____April 9-13_________

Date Time of Day and number of minutes Title of What I Read Today's Reading Highlights (Surprises, observations, vocabulary, or other) Parent's Initials
Monday April 9 3:30-4 pm/30 min Good Faith by Jane Smiley Vocabulary: escrow-place $$ held until sale final
mullion-grids on some windows
corbell-fancy beams holding eaves on older houses		  
Tuesday, April 10 9-9:30/30 min Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) This was reviewed in People or Entertainment Weekly, and its an applied psych book about why people make excuses for their behavior. I've only read a couple of pages, but it's interesting so far.  
Wednesday
April 11		 8:30-9:30/60 min Good Faith by Jane Smiley I am really impressed by the author's flexibility and knowledge. She writes about a lot of different subjects in her books, and seems to know a lot about all of them (in this one, real estate).  
Thursday
April 12		 none The Road by Cormac McCarthy I just started this one because it won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize and Mrs. Blake said she liked it. It's about post-apocalyptic America, which is the sort of futuristic stuff I rarely read.  
Friday,
April 13		 3-4 p.m./60 min Good Faith by Jane Smiley I like this book more and more as I read further. Smiley has a real talent for making characters unique and likeable, and for creating a lot that's interesting even though I'm not that into real estate.