What is a Reading Response Journ

A reading response journal is a personal reflection on a piece of literature, several chapters of a novel, or a certain excerpt from a piece of literature.

Writing responses to literature is an integral part of understanding the ideas found in the literature. Through the use of response journals or entries, students can ask questions about the literature, respond to characters' decision-making skills, make connections to their own lives, and find meaning for themselves.

When keeping a response journal, the reader reflects on the literature by forming opinions and making predictions about the characters and plot of the novel. Don’t just summarize the reading. Explore your thoughts and ideas in writing. Reading response journals are a way to demonstrate that you are being thoughtful about what you are reading and an opportunity to jot down words, phrases, sentences and passages which you feel reveal essential meaning (material related to plot, setting, characterizations, point of view, theme).

compliments of C. Jackson, IHA class of 2010

Reading Response Journal

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 1-3

Diversity: that is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the first three chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird. When I say diversity, I primarily mean the various types of people that live in Maycomb County. I was introduced to many different types of people throughout these first three chapters, and each time I had a different reaction and a different emotion inside of me. However, there are two main people that really struck a chord in my mind. The first of these two people is Boo Radley. The first emotion that I felt when Boo Radley was described in the book was fear. The eeriness and animosity of Boo Radley sent chills up my spine. But besides fear, I also felt sympathy. I felt sympathy because here was a man, who is not a bother to anyone. He stays secluded in his house, keeping to himself, where in the outside world, vicious rumors are being spread about him that he is a murderer and that he should be placed in an asylum.

Another character that I remember very well is Burris Ewell. The first reaction I felt towards him was that he was an obnoxious boy who thinks no one can tell him what to do. I actually felt anger towards him. He was disrespectful, mean, arrogant, and outspoken. He had no right to speak to the teacher like that. Burris Ewell’s attitude and appearance struck an annoyance in me from the very beginning. However, after I took a deeper look at him, I felt pity for him. Yes, this boy was rude and egotistical but that is how he was brought up. He had no mother; he had a drunk and careless father who spent his only money on liquor. Burris Ewell rarely got anything to eat, and he had to survive on his own. No one was there to take care of him and make sure he was okay. He had to make it on his own. I felt that it was this pressure and instinct to survive that caused him to turn into such a rude, and disobedient child. I believe that he has never had the privilege of feeling secure and protected in his life. I think he has always had that insecurity of not being able to find food, or of not feeling safe at night and not having someone to look after you and take care of you

After reading chapters 1-3, the only thing I can say is that Maycomb may be a small, rural town but it is packed with a lively group of people, each with their own personalities, their own mindset, and their own way of thinking.

1.	Take some time to write down anything that comes to you in relation to the text - your initial reactions or responses. If you are intrigued by certain statements or if you are attracted to characters or issues or problems, write them. Try to spend at least five minutes writing as soon as you are finished reading. Keep your journal with you when you read. You may want to write something as it strike you, rather than waiting until you have finished. Organize your thoughts into a Journal Response. The sample below is more formal than you have to be; you may take your notes in less formal ways that are comfortable and work for you, such as by using webbing, bulleted lists, short phrases, and so on. However, if you want to refer to a specific sentence or passage, be sure to write it in it's entirety and enclose it within quotation marks in your journal entry.
2.	Make connections with your own experience. Of what does the reading make you think? Does it remind you of anyone or anything?
3.	Make connections with other texts or concepts or events. Do you see any similarities between this material and other books that you have read? Does it bring to mind other issues or incidents or people or descriptions that are somehow related?
4.	Try arguing with the author. Where do you disagree? What arguments do you have to support your points?
5.	Try agreeing with the author. Think of all the things you can say to support his or her ideas.
6.	Jot down ideas, images, details that strike you. Speculate about them. Why are they there? What do they add? Why are they memorable? Do they have anything in common? Can you make an assertion about them?
7.	Identify the author's tone, his or her attitude toward what he or she is saying.