One day a week, we spend the first 30 minutes of class reading independently. This is to be a book, article from a magazine, short story, or another piece of fiction or nonfiction writing that YOU HAVE PICKED OUT. It is NOT to be homework for ANY class. The book should be around 200 pages and must be completed by the end of the quarter. Be sure to find something that interests you. If you start reading a book and find you don’t like it, it’s fine to switch books, just be sure to write a response for the reading that you do finish. If a book is on the curriculum sheet for that semester (in other words, we are or will be reading that book for the class), it cannot be read as part of your independent reading book.
For the remainder of the class period, you will be responsible for doing a Weekly Reader Response.
Please Note: No passes will be given for getting your reading material. You will instead be given a book that I pick out for you to read during that class period. You must also write a response on that book that day. So…BRING YOUR READING MATERIAL TO EVERY CLASS PERIOD!!
In order to do a Weekly Reader Response, you will need to do the following:
- Read for the entire 30 minutes
- On your own paper, write the following information:
- Title and author of the book (1 point)
- The page numbers read (1 point) ie. 1-20
- Write a Reader Response:
• Details from the book to prove it was read (2 points)
• Complete response with explanation, not a summary (2 points)
• Use of Response Starters (see Back) (2 points)
• Length-150-200 words-close to a page with different handwriting taken into account (2 points)
Your reader response is due on the Independent Reading Day by 3:30. Every person MUST turn in at least ONE reader response per week. If you turn in more than one a week, that will count for the next week. If you fail to turn one in, that becomes a 0; it cannot be made up. If you are absent on Independent Reading Day and therefore miss turning in a response, you will need to turn it in as soon as you return or within the 2 class days.
Each response is worth 10 points assuming you do everything and do it well. Notice you must turn in 9 responses per quarter (weekly) and each one is worth 10 points; therefore they are worth 90 points per quarter. This should be an easy way for you to earn points for the class.
